John Olerud
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1989-2005)
John Olerud was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2005 for 5 teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 17 seasons. In 2,234 career games, he hit .295 with 2,239 hits, 255 home runs, and 1,230 RBI. John Olerud was a 2-time All-Star and a 3-time Gold Glove. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 28,281.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'5" / 205 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1989-09-03
- Last Game
- 2005-10-02
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · 3× Gold Glove
Full name: John Garrett Olerud
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,234 | 7,592 | 1,139 | 2,239 | 500 | 13 | 255 | 1,230 | 11 | 1,275 | 1,016 | .295 | .398 | .465 | .863 | 28,281 |
Career AVG .295 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — +11.6% above league average.
Career OBP .398 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +19.4% above league average.
Career SLG .465 vs. league average .414 across their career seasons — +12.4% above league average.
Career OPS .863 vs. league average .747 across their career seasons — +15.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | TOR | AL | 6 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | TOR | AL | 111 | 358 | 43 | 95 | 15 | 1 | 14 | 48 | 0 | 57 | 75 | .265 | .257 (+3%) | .324 (+12%) | .385 (+12%) | .710 (+12%) | 938.9 |
| 1991 | TOR | AL | 139 | 454 | 64 | 116 | 30 | 1 | 17 | 68 | 0 | 68 | 84 | .256 | .255 (avg) | .323 (+9%) | .384 (+14%) | .708 (+12%) | 1124.9 |
| 1992 | TOR | AL | 138 | 458 | 68 | 130 | 28 | 0 | 16 | 66 | 1 | 70 | 61 | .284 | .255 (+11%) | .322 (+16%) | .377 (+19%) | .699 (+18%) | 1741.5 |
| 1993 | TOR | AL | 158 | 551 | 109 | 200 | 54 | 2 | 24 | 107 | 0 | 114 | 65 | .363 | .265 (+37%) | .332 (+42%) | .403 (+49%) | .735 (+46%) | 5863.6 |
| 1994 | TOR | AL | 108 | 384 | 47 | 114 | 29 | 2 | 12 | 67 | 1 | 61 | 53 | .297 | .269 (+10%) | .338 (+16%) | .424 (+12%) | .763 (+14%) | 1207.9 |
| 1995 | TOR | AL | 135 | 492 | 72 | 143 | 32 | 0 | 8 | 54 | 0 | 84 | 54 | .291 | .266 (+9%) | .337 (+18%) | .417 (-3%) | .755 (+6%) | 1007.5 |
| 1996 | TOR | AL | 125 | 398 | 59 | 109 | 25 | 0 | 18 | 61 | 1 | 60 | 37 | .274 | .269 (+1%) | .340 (+12%) | .426 (+11%) | .767 (+11%) | 1123.6 |
| 1997 | NYN | NL | 154 | 524 | 90 | 154 | 34 | 1 | 22 | 102 | 0 | 85 | 67 | .294 | .266 (+10%) | .336 (+19%) | .419 (+17%) | .756 (+18%) | 2246.3 |
| 1998 | NYN | NL | 160 | 557 | 91 | 197 | 36 | 4 | 22 | 93 | 2 | 96 | 73 | .354 | .266 (+33%) | .335 (+33%) | .420 (+31%) | .755 (+32%) | 4261.3 |
| 1999 | NYN | NL | 162 | 581 | 107 | 173 | 39 | 0 | 19 | 96 | 3 | 125 | 66 | .298 | .271 (+10%) | .344 (+24%) | .433 (+7%) | .778 (+14%) | 2473.3 |
| 2000 | SEA | AL | 159 | 565 | 84 | 161 | 45 | 0 | 14 | 103 | 0 | 102 | 96 | .285 | .270 (+5%) | .344 (+14%) | .437 (avg) | .782 (+6%) | 1041.1 |
| 2001 | SEA | AL | 159 | 572 | 91 | 173 | 32 | 1 | 21 | 95 | 3 | 94 | 70 | .302 | .263 (+15%) | .332 (+21%) | .426 (+11%) | .758 (+15%) | 2208.0 |
| 2002 | SEA | AL | 154 | 553 | 85 | 166 | 39 | 0 | 22 | 102 | 0 | 98 | 66 | .300 | .261 (+15%) | .331 (+22%) | .416 (+18%) | .747 (+19%) | 2551.4 |
| 2003 | SEA | AL | 152 | 539 | 64 | 145 | 35 | 0 | 10 | 83 | 0 | 84 | 67 | .269 | .264 (+2%) | .332 (+12%) | .422 (-8%) | .754 (+1%) | 421.1 |
| 2004 | SEA | AL | 78 | 261 | 29 | 64 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 0 | 40 | 41 | .245 | .266 (-8%) | .335 (+6%) | .427 (-16%) | .762 (-6%) | -187.1 |
| 2004 | NYA | AL | 49 | 164 | 16 | 46 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 21 | 20 | .280 | .266 (+5%) | .335 (+10%) | .427 (-7%) | .762 (avg) | -187.1 |
| 2005 | BOS | AL | 87 | 173 | 18 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 37 | 0 | 16 | 20 | .289 | .264 (+9%) | .330 (+4%) | .418 (+8%) | .749 (+6%) | 188.5 |
| Career · 18 seasons | 2,234 | 7,592 | 1,139 | 2,239 | 500 | 13 | 255 | 1,230 | 11 | 1,275 | 1,016 | .295 | — | — | — | — | 28,025 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 237 | 35 | 66 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 34 | 31 | 32 | .278 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | ALDS1 | BOS | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .286 |
| 2004 | ALCS | NYA | 4 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .167 |
| 2004 | ALDS2 | NYA | 4 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .214 |
| 2001 | ALCS | SEA | 5 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | .211 |
| 2001 | ALDS1 | SEA | 5 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | .176 |
| 2000 | ALCS | SEA | 6 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .350 |
| 2000 | ALDS2 | SEA | 3 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .300 |
| 1999 | NLCS | NYN | 6 | 27 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | .296 |
| 1999 | NLDS2 | NYN | 4 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | .438 |
| 1993 | ALCS | TOR | 6 | 23 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | .348 |
| 1993 | WS | TOR | 5 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | .235 |
| 1992 | ALCS | TOR | 6 | 23 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | .348 |
| 1992 | WS | TOR | 4 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .308 |
| 1991 | ALCS | TOR | 5 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | .158 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2233 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1129 | 3748 | 545 | 1082 | 134 | 627 | .289 |
| Away | 1104 | 3839 | 594 | 1155 | 121 | 603 | .301 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-10-02 | BOS | NYY | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-10-01 | BOS | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005-09-30 | BOS | NYY | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005-09-29 | BOS | TOR | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005-09-28 | BOS | TOR | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005-09-27 | BOS | TOR | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005-09-25 | BOS | BAL | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2005-09-24 | BOS | BAL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-09-23 | BOS | BAL | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-09-21 | BOS | TBR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2053 | 1929 | 16165 | 1418 | 82 | 1581 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | TOR | 1B | 5 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | TOR | 1B | 18 | 15 | 133 | 10 | 2 | 10 |
| 1991 | TOR | 1B | 135 | 124 | 1120 | 78 | 5 | 77 |
| 1992 | TOR | 1B | 133 | 125 | 1057 | 81 | 7 | 72 |
| 1993 | TOR | 1B | 137 | 137 | 1160 | 97 | 10 | 107 |
| 1994 | TOR | 1B | 104 | 101 | 824 | 68 | 6 | 83 |
| 1995 | TOR | 1B | 133 | 132 | 1099 | 89 | 4 | 103 |
| 1996 | TOR | 1B | 101 | 92 | 781 | 56 | 2 | 107 |
| 1997 | NYN | 1B | 146 | 141 | 1292 | 120 | 7 | 125 |
| 1998 | NYN | 1B | 157 | 149 | 1258 | 116 | 5 | 119 |
| 1999 | NYN | 1B | 160 | 159 | 1344 | 105 | 9 | 127 |
| 2000 | SEA | 1B | 158 | 155 | 1271 | 132 | 5 | 154 |
| 2001 | SEA | 1B | 158 | 149 | 1211 | 121 | 9 | 116 |
| 2002 | SEA | 1B | 152 | 150 | 1169 | 101 | 5 | 122 |
| 2003 | SEA | 1B | 152 | 143 | 1096 | 125 | 3 | 126 |
| 2004 | SEA | 1B | 77 | 71 | 548 | 52 | 1 | 58 |
| 2004 | NYA | 1B | 47 | 47 | 367 | 25 | 1 | 34 |
| 2005 | BOS | 1B | 80 | 38 | 416 | 40 | 1 | 41 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2053 |
| Designated Hitter | 133 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Gold Glove | 1B |
| 2002 | Gold Glove | 1B |
| 2000 | Gold Glove | 1B |
| 1998 | Player of the Week | Week of 1998-08-08 |
| 1998 | Player of the Week | Week of 1998-09-19 |
| 1997 | Player of the Week | Week of 1997-09-27 |
| 1995 | Player of the Week | Week of 1995-07-15 |
| 1993 | Hutch Award | |
| 1993 | Player of the Month | April |
| 1993 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1993 | Player of the Week | Week of 1993-06-05 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | SEA | AL | $7,700,000 |
| 2003 | SEA | AL | $7,700,000 |
| 2002 | SEA | AL | $6,950,000 |
| 2001 | SEA | AL | $6,700,000 |
| 2000 | SEA | AL | $6,350,000 |
| 1999 | NYN | NL | $4,250,000 |
| 1998 | NYN | NL | $3,750,000 |
| 1997 | NYN | NL | $6,500,000 |
| 1996 | TOR | AL | $6,500,000 |
| 1995 | TOR | AL | $5,750,000 |
| 1994 | TOR | AL | $3,750,000 |
| 1993 | TOR | AL | $1,562,500 |
| 1992 | TOR | AL | $387,500 |
| 1991 | TOR | AL | $293,667 |
| 1990 | TOR | AL | $100,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $68,243,667 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State University | Pullman | WA | 1987, 1988, 1989 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 38.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 1993 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 198.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1990 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 4th | 13.0 | 140 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John Olerud (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare John Olerud
Frequently Asked Questions about John Olerud
- What years did John Olerud play?
- John Olerud played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2005.
- Was John Olerud a pitcher?
- No. John Olerud was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did John Olerud hit?
- John Olerud hit 255 career home runs with 2239 hits.
- What was John Olerud's career batting average?
- John Olerud batted .295 over his career, with 2,239 hits in 7,592 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Olerud have?
- John Olerud drove in 1,230 runs in his career.
- Is John Olerud in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Olerud has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.