Paul O'Neill
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-2001)
Paul O'Neill was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 2001 for the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees, a span of 17 seasons. In 2,053 career games, he hit .288 with 2,105 hits, 281 home runs, and 1,269 RBI. Paul O'Neill was a 5-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 18,817.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1985-09-03
- Last Game
- 2001-10-07
- Awards
- 5× All-Star
Full name: Paul Andrew O'Neill
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,053 | 7,318 | 1,041 | 2,105 | 451 | 21 | 281 | 1,269 | 141 | 892 | 1,166 | .288 | .363 | .470 | .833 | 18,817 |
Career AVG .288 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.
Career OBP .363 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.
Career SLG .470 vs. league average .407 across their career seasons — +15.5% above league average.
Career OPS .833 vs. league average .739 across their career seasons — +12.7% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | CIN | NL | 5 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | CIN | NL | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | CIN | NL | 84 | 160 | 24 | 41 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 2 | 18 | 29 | .256 | .262 (-3%) | .331 (avg) | .415 (+17%) | .746 (+10%) | 266.3 |
| 1988 | CIN | NL | 145 | 485 | 58 | 122 | 25 | 3 | 16 | 73 | 8 | 38 | 65 | .252 | .254 (-1%) | .317 (-4%) | .377 (+10%) | .695 (+4%) | 209.4 |
| 1989 | CIN | NL | 117 | 428 | 49 | 118 | 24 | 2 | 15 | 74 | 20 | 46 | 64 | .276 | .254 (+8%) | .319 (+8%) | .375 (+19%) | .694 (+14%) | 1114.2 |
| 1990 | CIN | NL | 145 | 503 | 59 | 136 | 28 | 0 | 16 | 78 | 13 | 53 | 103 | .270 | .257 (+5%) | .324 (+5%) | .385 (+9%) | .710 (+7%) | 725.0 |
| 1991 | CIN | NL | 152 | 532 | 71 | 136 | 36 | 0 | 28 | 91 | 12 | 73 | 107 | .256 | .255 (avg) | .323 (+7%) | .384 (+25%) | .708 (+17%) | 1830.3 |
| 1992 | CIN | NL | 148 | 496 | 59 | 122 | 19 | 1 | 14 | 66 | 6 | 77 | 85 | .246 | .255 (-4%) | .322 (+7%) | .377 (-1%) | .699 (+3%) | 474.1 |
| 1993 | NYA | AL | 141 | 498 | 71 | 155 | 34 | 1 | 20 | 75 | 2 | 44 | 69 | .311 | .265 (+17%) | .332 (+11%) | .403 (+25%) | .735 (+18%) | 1831.0 |
| 1994 | NYA | AL | 103 | 368 | 68 | 132 | 25 | 1 | 21 | 83 | 5 | 72 | 56 | .359 | .269 (+33%) | .338 (+36%) | .424 (+42%) | .763 (+39%) | 3179.7 |
| 1995 | NYA | AL | 127 | 460 | 82 | 138 | 30 | 4 | 22 | 96 | 1 | 71 | 76 | .300 | .266 (+12%) | .337 (+14%) | .417 (+26%) | .755 (+21%) | 1971.8 |
| 1996 | NYA | AL | 150 | 546 | 89 | 165 | 35 | 1 | 19 | 91 | 0 | 102 | 76 | .302 | .269 (+12%) | .340 (+21%) | .426 (+11%) | .767 (+15%) | 2158.3 |
| 1997 | NYA | AL | 149 | 553 | 89 | 179 | 42 | 0 | 21 | 117 | 10 | 75 | 92 | .324 | .266 (+21%) | .336 (+18%) | .419 (+23%) | .756 (+21%) | 2512.7 |
| 1998 | NYA | AL | 152 | 602 | 95 | 191 | 40 | 2 | 24 | 116 | 15 | 57 | 103 | .317 | .266 (+19%) | .335 (+11%) | .420 (+21%) | .755 (+17%) | 2047.8 |
| 1999 | NYA | AL | 153 | 597 | 70 | 170 | 39 | 4 | 19 | 110 | 11 | 66 | 89 | .285 | .271 (+5%) | .344 (+2%) | .433 (+6%) | .778 (+4%) | 463.3 |
| 2000 | NYA | AL | 142 | 566 | 79 | 160 | 26 | 0 | 18 | 100 | 14 | 51 | 90 | .283 | .270 (+5%) | .344 (-3%) | .437 (-3%) | .782 (-3%) | -343.0 |
| 2001 | NYA | AL | 137 | 510 | 77 | 136 | 33 | 1 | 21 | 70 | 22 | 48 | 59 | .267 | .263 (+1%) | .332 (-1%) | .426 (+8%) | .758 (+4%) | 376.5 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 2,053 | 7,318 | 1,041 | 2,105 | 451 | 21 | 281 | 1,269 | 141 | 892 | 1,166 | .288 | — | — | — | — | 18,817 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | CIN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13.50 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13.50 | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 299 | 39 | 85 | 17 | 2 | 11 | 39 | 38 | 41 | .284 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | ALCS | NYA | 5 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .417 |
| 2001 | ALDS2 | NYA | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .091 |
| 2001 | WS | NYA | 5 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .333 |
| 2000 | ALCS | NYA | 6 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | .250 |
| 2000 | ALDS1 | NYA | 5 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .211 |
| 2000 | WS | NYA | 5 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | .474 |
| 1999 | ALCS | NYA | 5 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .286 |
| 1999 | ALDS2 | NYA | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 |
| 1999 | WS | NYA | 4 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .200 |
| 1998 | ALCS | NYA | 6 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | .280 |
| 1998 | ALDS2 | NYA | 3 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .364 |
| 1998 | WS | NYA | 4 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .211 |
| 1997 | ALDS1 | NYA | 5 | 19 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .421 |
| 1996 | ALCS | NYA | 4 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .273 |
| 1996 | ALDS2 | NYA | 4 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .133 |
| 1996 | WS | NYA | 5 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .167 |
| 1995 | ALDS2 | NYA | 5 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | .333 |
| 1990 | NLCS | CIN | 5 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .471 |
| 1990 | WS | CIN | 4 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | .083 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2054 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1028 | 3586 | 541 | 1065 | 152 | 645 | .297 |
| Away | 1025 | 3732 | 500 | 1040 | 129 | 624 | .279 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 1 | 2.0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13.50 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-10-07 | NYY | TBR | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001-10-06 | NYY | TBR | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001-10-04 | NYY | TBR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001-10-03 | NYY | CHW | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-09-07 | NYY | BOS | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-09-04 | NYY | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2001-09-02 | NYY | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001-09-01 | NYY | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2001-08-31 | NYY | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-08-30 | NYY | TOR | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 1 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-06-19 | CIN | ATL | — | 2.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 26 | 18 | 191 | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| OF | 1932 | 1850 | 3724 | 110 | 46 | 20 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | CIN | OF | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | CIN | 1B | 2 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1987 | CIN | OF | 42 | 30 | 73 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1987 | CIN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | CIN | 1B | 21 | 16 | 173 | 8 | 2 | 14 |
| 1988 | CIN | OF | 118 | 113 | 237 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 1989 | CIN | OF | 115 | 112 | 223 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| 1990 | CIN | OF | 141 | 128 | 271 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 1991 | CIN | OF | 150 | 145 | 301 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| 1992 | CIN | OF | 143 | 134 | 291 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993 | NYA | OF | 138 | 121 | 230 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 1994 | NYA | OF | 99 | 93 | 203 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | NYA | OF | 121 | 117 | 220 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1996 | NYA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | NYA | OF | 146 | 146 | 293 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 1997 | NYA | 1B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | NYA | OF | 146 | 145 | 292 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 1998 | NYA | OF | 150 | 148 | 293 | 11 | 4 | 6 |
| 1999 | NYA | OF | 151 | 150 | 291 | 10 | 8 | 3 |
| 2000 | NYA | OF | 140 | 139 | 293 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2001 | NYA | OF | 130 | 127 | 210 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| First Base | 26 |
| Left Field | 99 |
| Center Field | 23 |
| Right Field | 1848 |
| Designated Hitter | 24 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Player of the Week | Week of 2001-07-28 |
Salary History
Paul O'Neill's recorded salaries total $51,652,500 over 15 seasons, 1987 to 2001. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and O'Neill's career ran from 1985 to 2001. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1986.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | NYA | AL | $7,250,000 |
| 2000 | NYA | AL | $6,500,000 |
| 1999 | NYA | AL | $6,250,000 |
| 1998 | NYA | AL | $5,500,000 |
| 1997 | NYA | AL | $5,500,000 |
| 1996 | NYA | AL | $5,300,000 |
| 1995 | NYA | AL | $2,850,000 |
| 1994 | NYA | AL | $3,858,334 |
| 1993 | NYA | AL | $3,833,333 |
| 1992 | CIN | NL | $2,833,333 |
| 1991 | CIN | NL | $975,000 |
| 1990 | CIN | NL | $625,000 |
| 1989 | CIN | NL | $215,000 |
| 1988 | CIN | NL | $97,500 |
| 1987 | CIN | NL | $65,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $51,652,500 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 36.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1997 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 37.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1995 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 14.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1994 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 5th | 150.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1990 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 19th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Paul O'Neill (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Paul O'Neill
Paul O'Neill: the record in brief
The profile opens with Paul O'Neill's first major league game on September 3, 1985; the last one listed came on October 7, 2001. The team column moves through the Cincinnati Reds (1985 to 1992) and the New York Yankees (1993 to 2001). At 6'4" and 200 pounds, O'Neill is listed as an outfielder. O'Neill both batted and threw left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is February 25, 1963, in Columbus, OH, USA. O'Neill's full given name, per the bio, is Paul Andrew O'Neill.
The batting record for O'Neill: 2,053 games, 2,105 hits in 7,318 at bats, and a .288 average, adding 281 homers, 1,269 RBI, and 141 stolen bases. O'Neill got on base at a .363 rate and slugged .470 (.833 OPS). O'Neill's .288 average ran 9.4% above the .263 that the league posted over the same seasons. In OPS terms, O'Neill's .833 stands 12.7% above the league's .739. O'Neill's most home runs in a season came in 1991, when the total reached 28 for the Cincinnati Reds.
Frequently Asked Questions about Paul O'Neill
- What years did Paul O'Neill play?
- Paul O'Neill played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 2001.
- Was Paul O'Neill a pitcher?
- No. Paul O'Neill was a position player (Outfielder), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Paul O'Neill hit?
- Paul O'Neill hit 281 career home runs with 2,105 hits.
- What teams did Paul O'Neill play for?
- Paul O'Neill played for 2 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1985–1992) and the New York Yankees (1993–2001).
- Did Paul O'Neill win an MVP award?
- No. Paul O'Neill did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Paul O'Neill win?
- Paul O'Neill was selected to 5 All-Star Games.
- What were Paul O'Neill's career stats?
- In 2,053 games, Paul O'Neill had 2,105 hits, 281 home runs, 1,269 RBI, 1,041 runs, and 141 stolen bases, with a .288 batting average.
- How much did Paul O'Neill earn in his career?
- Paul O'Neill's recorded salaries total $51,652,500 over 15 seasons, 1987 to 2001. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and O'Neill's career ran from 1985 to 2001. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1986.
- What was Paul O'Neill's salary?
- Paul O'Neill's last recorded salary was $7,250,000, in 2001. His highest recorded salary was $7,250,000, in 2001, and his lowest was $65,000, in 1987. The Salary History table lists each season from 1987 to 2001.
- What position did Paul O'Neill play?
- Paul O'Neill played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Paul O'Neill and how much did he weigh?
- Paul O'Neill was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 200 pounds.
- How many home runs did Paul O'Neill hit each season?
- Paul O'Neill's home runs by season: 0 in 1985, 0 in 1986, 7 in 1987, 16 in 1988, 15 in 1989, 16 in 1990, 28 in 1991, 14 in 1992, 20 in 1993, 21 in 1994, 22 in 1995, 19 in 1996, 21 in 1997, 24 in 1998, 19 in 1999, 18 in 2000, and 21 in 2001. His most in one season was 28, in 1991.
- What was Paul O'Neill's career batting average?
- Paul O'Neill batted .288 over his career, with 2,105 hits in 7,318 at bats.
- How many RBI did Paul O'Neill have?
- Paul O'Neill drove in 1,269 runs in his career.