Gregg Olson
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1988-2001)
Gregg Olson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2001 for 9 teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 14 seasons. Across 622 career appearances, he went 40-39 with a 3.46 ERA, 588 strikeouts, and 217 saves. Gregg Olson was an All-Star and a Rookie of the Year. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 10029.1.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 210 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1988-09-02
- Last Game
- 2001-06-22
- Awards
- All-Star · Rookie of the Year
Full name: Greggory William Olson
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | BAL | AL | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 3.27 | 3.73 (+12%) | -359.7 |
| 1989 | BAL | AL | 5 | 2 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 85.0 | 57 | 16 | 46 | 90 | 1.69 | 3.71 (+54%) | 2710.0 |
| 1990 | BAL | AL | 6 | 5 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 74.1 | 57 | 20 | 31 | 74 | 2.42 | 3.86 (+37%) | 2164.4 |
| 1991 | BAL | AL | 4 | 6 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 73.2 | 74 | 26 | 29 | 72 | 3.18 | 3.91 (+19%) | 3013.9 |
| 1992 | BAL | AL | 1 | 5 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 61.1 | 46 | 14 | 24 | 58 | 2.05 | 3.75 (+45%) | 1620.8 |
| 1993 | BAL | AL | 0 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 45.0 | 37 | 8 | 18 | 44 | 1.60 | 4.19 (+62%) | 1894.9 |
| 1994 | ATL | NL | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14.2 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9.20 | 4.51 (-104%) | -368.8 |
| 1995 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13.50 | — | 0.0 |
| 1995 | KCA | AL | 3 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30.1 | 23 | 11 | 17 | 21 | 3.26 | 4.45 (+27%) | -177.9 |
| 1996 | DET | AL | 3 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 43.0 | 43 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 5.02 | 4.61 (-9%) | -1127.7 |
| 1996 | HOU | NL | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4.82 | 4.61 (-5%) | 0.0 |
| 1997 | MIN | AL | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 | 19 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18.36 | — | 0.0 |
| 1997 | KCA | AL | 4 | 3 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 41.2 | 39 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 3.02 | 4.39 (+31%) | 412.1 |
| 1998 | ARI | NL | 3 | 4 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 68.2 | 56 | 23 | 25 | 55 | 3.01 | 4.43 (+32%) | 1743.1 |
| 1999 | ARI | NL | 9 | 4 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 60.2 | 54 | 25 | 25 | 45 | 3.71 | 4.71 (+21%) | -312.0 |
| 2000 | LAN | NL | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.2 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 5.09 | 4.77 (-7%) | -427.7 |
| 2001 | LAN | NL | 0 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.2 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 8.03 | 4.42 (-82%) | -756.2 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 40 | 39 | 622 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 217 | 672.0 | 598 | 258 | 330 | 588 | 3.46 | — | 10,029 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 622 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .250 | .400 | 1.000 | 1.400 | 0 |
Career AVG .250 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 5.2% below league average.
Career OBP .400 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +20.3% above league average.
Career SLG 1.000 vs. league average .409 across their career seasons — +144.7% above league average.
Career OPS 1.400 vs. league average .741 across their career seasons — +88.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | BAL | AL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | BAL | AL | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | BAL | AL | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1991 | BAL | AL | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1992 | BAL | AL | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1993 | BAL | AL | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1994 | ATL | NL | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1995 | CLE | AL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1995 | KCA | AL | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1996 | DET | AL | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1996 | HOU | NL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1997 | MIN | AL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1997 | KCA | AL | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1998 | ARI | NL | 64 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1999 | ARI | NL | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2000 | LAN | NL | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2001 | LAN | NL | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 622 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1244 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 310 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
| Away | 312 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 310 | 332.2 | 274 | 118 | 150 | 309 | 3.19 |
| Away | 312 | 339.1 | 324 | 140 | 180 | 279 | 3.71 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-06-22 | LAD | SDP | — | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-06-19 | LAD | AZ | — | 0.2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2001-06-11 | LAD | TEX | — | 1.0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001-06-10 | LAD | LAA | — | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001-06-08 | LAD | LAA | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001-06-07 | LAD | AZ | — | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001-06-05 | LAD | AZ | — | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-06-04 | LAD | AZ | — | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2001-06-03 | LAD | HOU | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-05-29 | LAD | COL | — | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | BAL | P | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | BAL | P | 64 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | BAL | P | 64 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991 | BAL | P | 72 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992 | BAL | P | 60 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993 | BAL | P | 50 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | ATL | P | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | CLE | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | KCA | P | 20 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | DET | P | 43 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | HOU | P | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | MIN | P | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | KCA | P | 34 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 | ARI | P | 64 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | ARI | P | 61 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | LAN | P | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | LAN | P | 28 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 622 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Rookie of the Year |
Salary History
Gregg Olson's recorded salaries total $12,755,000 over 13 seasons, 1989 to 2001. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Olson's career ran from 1988 to 2001. No salary is recorded for 1988.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | LAN | NL | $1,750,000 |
| 2000 | LAN | NL | $1,250,000 |
| 1999 | ARI | NL | $850,000 |
| 1998 | ARI | NL | $650,000 |
| 1997 | KCA | AL | $210,000 |
| 1997 | MIN | AL | $400,000 |
| 1996 | DET | AL | $400,000 |
| 1995 | CLE | AL | $750,000 |
| 1994 | ATL | NL | $1,900,000 |
| 1993 | BAL | AL | $2,300,000 |
| 1992 | BAL | AL | $1,450,000 |
| 1991 | BAL | AL | $505,000 |
| 1990 | BAL | AL | $270,000 |
| 1989 | BAL | AL | $70,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $12,755,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University | Auburn | AL | 1986, 1987, 1988 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Cy Young Award | AL | 6th | 3.0 | 140 | 0 |
| 1989 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 35.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1989 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 1st | 136.0 | 140 | 26 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Gregg Olson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Gregg Olson
Gregg Olson: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 2, 1988 and the final game on June 22, 2001, Gregg Olson built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Baltimore Orioles (1988 through 1993), the Atlanta Braves (1994), the Cleveland Indians (1995), the Kansas City Royals (1995 to 1997), the Detroit Tigers (1996), the Houston Astros (1996), the Minnesota Twins (1997), and the Arizona Diamondbacks (1998 through 1999), with further stops in the season rows. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Olson is listed as a pitcher. Olson batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is October 11, 1966, in Scribner, NE, USA. On the record, Gregg Olson was born Greggory William Olson.
The pitching table credits Olson with a 40-39 record and a 3.46 ERA in 622 games. The totals include 588 strikeouts and 217 saves. Against a 4.26 league ERA for the same years, Olson was 18.8% better. 1999 brought Olson a season-high 9 wins. 1989 produced Olson's most strikeouts, 90.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gregg Olson
- What years did Gregg Olson play?
- Gregg Olson played in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2001.
- Was Gregg Olson a pitcher?
- Yes. Gregg Olson pitched in the major leagues, recording 40 wins and 588 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Gregg Olson hit?
- Gregg Olson hit 1 career home run with 1 hit.
- What teams did Gregg Olson play for?
- Gregg Olson played for 9 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1988–1993), the Atlanta Braves (1994), the Cleveland Indians (1995), the Kansas City Royals (1995, 1997), the Detroit Tigers (1996), the Houston Astros (1996), the Minnesota Twins (1997), the Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–1999), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2000–2001).
- Did Gregg Olson win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Gregg Olson did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Gregg Olson win?
- Gregg Olson won the Rookie of the Year award (1989). He was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Gregg Olson's career stats?
- In 622 games, Gregg Olson went 40-39 with a 3.46 ERA, 588 strikeouts, 672.0 innings pitched, and 217 saves.
- How much did Gregg Olson earn in his career?
- Gregg Olson's recorded salaries total $12,755,000 over 13 seasons, 1989 to 2001. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Olson's career ran from 1988 to 2001. No salary is recorded for 1988.
- What was Gregg Olson's salary?
- Gregg Olson's last recorded salary was $1,750,000, in 2001. His highest recorded salary was $2,300,000, in 1993, and his lowest was $70,000, in 1989. The Salary History table lists each season from 1989 to 2001.
- What position did Gregg Olson play?
- Gregg Olson played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Gregg Olson and how much did he weigh?
- Gregg Olson was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 210 pounds.
- What was Gregg Olson's career ERA?
- Gregg Olson finished with a 3.46 career ERA, going 40-39 with 588 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Gregg Olson have?
- Gregg Olson recorded 588 career strikeouts.
- Is Gregg Olson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Gregg Olson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.