A. J. Pierzynski
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1998-2016)
A. J. Pierzynski was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2016 for 7 teams, including the Minnesota Twins, a span of 19 seasons. In 2,059 career games, he hit .280 with 2,043 hits, 188 home runs, and 909 RBI. A. J. Pierzynski was a 2-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 250 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1998-09-09
- Last Game
- 2016-09-10
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · Silver Slugger
Full name: Anthony John Pierzynski
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,059 | 7,290 | 807 | 2,043 | 407 | 24 | 188 | 909 | 15 | 308 | 895 | .280 | .319 | .420 | .739 | -836 |
Career AVG .280 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +7.1% above league average.
Career OBP .319 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .420 vs. league average .416 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .739 vs. league average .746 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | MIN | AL | 7 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .300 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1999 | MIN | AL | 9 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2000 | MIN | AL | 33 | 88 | 12 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 14 | .307 | .270 (+13%) | .344 (+3%) | .437 (+4%) | .782 (+3%) | 44.9 |
| 2001 | MIN | AL | 114 | 381 | 51 | 110 | 33 | 2 | 7 | 55 | 1 | 16 | 57 | .289 | .263 (+9%) | .332 (-3%) | .426 (+3%) | .758 (+1%) | -55.3 |
| 2002 | MIN | AL | 130 | 440 | 54 | 132 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 49 | 1 | 13 | 61 | .300 | .261 (+15%) | .331 (+1%) | .416 (+5%) | .747 (+3%) | 189.9 |
| 2003 | MIN | AL | 137 | 487 | 63 | 152 | 35 | 3 | 11 | 74 | 3 | 24 | 55 | .312 | .264 (+18%) | .332 (+8%) | .422 (+10%) | .754 (+9%) | 895.0 |
| 2004 | SFN | NL | 131 | 471 | 45 | 128 | 28 | 2 | 11 | 77 | 0 | 19 | 27 | .272 | .266 (+2%) | .335 (-5%) | .427 (-4%) | .762 (-4%) | -380.6 |
| 2005 | CHA | AL | 128 | 460 | 61 | 118 | 21 | 0 | 18 | 56 | 0 | 23 | 68 | .257 | .264 (-3%) | .330 (-7%) | .418 (avg) | .749 (-3%) | -224.9 |
| 2006 | CHA | AL | 140 | 509 | 65 | 150 | 24 | 0 | 16 | 64 | 1 | 22 | 72 | .295 | .269 (+9%) | .336 (-1%) | .431 (+1%) | .768 (avg) | 17.7 |
| 2007 | CHA | AL | 136 | 472 | 54 | 124 | 24 | 0 | 14 | 50 | 1 | 25 | 66 | .263 | .268 (-2%) | .335 (-8%) | .422 (-5%) | .758 (-6%) | -517.9 |
| 2008 | CHA | AL | 134 | 534 | 66 | 150 | 31 | 1 | 13 | 60 | 1 | 19 | 71 | .281 | .263 (+6%) | .333 (-6%) | .416 (avg) | .749 (-3%) | -358.3 |
| 2009 | CHA | AL | 138 | 504 | 57 | 151 | 22 | 1 | 13 | 49 | 1 | 24 | 52 | .300 | .262 (+14%) | .332 (-1%) | .417 (+2%) | .750 (+1%) | 3.1 |
| 2010 | CHA | AL | 128 | 474 | 43 | 128 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 56 | 3 | 15 | 39 | .270 | .257 (+5%) | .325 (-8%) | .402 (-4%) | .728 (-6%) | -491.4 |
| 2011 | CHA | AL | 129 | 464 | 38 | 133 | 29 | 1 | 8 | 48 | 0 | 23 | 33 | .287 | .255 (+12%) | .320 (+1%) | .399 (+2%) | .719 (+1%) | 30.0 |
| 2012 | CHA | AL | 135 | 479 | 68 | 133 | 18 | 4 | 27 | 77 | 0 | 28 | 78 | .278 | .254 (+9%) | .318 (+2%) | .405 (+24%) | .724 (+14%) | 1225.2 |
| 2013 | TEX | AL | 134 | 503 | 48 | 137 | 24 | 1 | 17 | 70 | 1 | 11 | 76 | .272 | .253 (+7%) | .317 (-7%) | .396 (+7%) | .714 (+1%) | -47.4 |
| 2014 | BOS | AL | 72 | 256 | 19 | 65 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 31 | 0 | 9 | 40 | .254 | .251 (+1%) | .313 (-9%) | .386 (-10%) | .700 (-10%) | -418.3 |
| 2014 | SLN | NL | 30 | 82 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 14 | .244 | .251 (-3%) | .313 (-6%) | .386 (-21%) | .700 (-14%) | -418.3 |
| 2015 | ATL | NL | 113 | 407 | 38 | 122 | 24 | 1 | 9 | 49 | 0 | 19 | 37 | .300 | .254 (+18%) | .316 (+7%) | .404 (+6%) | .721 (+7%) | 507.1 |
| 2016 | ATL | NL | 81 | 247 | 15 | 54 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 29 | .219 | .255 (-14%) | .321 (-24%) | .417 (-27%) | .738 (-26%) | -1089.5 |
| Career · 20 seasons | 2,059 | 7,290 | 807 | 2,043 | 407 | 24 | 188 | 909 | 15 | 308 | 895 | .280 | — | — | — | — | -1,089 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 106 | 16 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 11 | 14 | .292 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | NLCS | SLN | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .167 |
| 2008 | ALDS2 | CHA | 4 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .385 |
| 2005 | ALCS | CHA | 5 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | .167 |
| 2005 | ALDS1 | CHA | 3 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .444 |
| 2005 | WS | CHA | 4 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | .267 |
| 2003 | ALDS1 | MIN | 4 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .231 |
| 2002 | ALCS | MIN | 5 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .250 |
| 2002 | ALDS2 | MIN | 5 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .438 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2057 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1045 | 3617 | 428 | 1026 | 106 | 458 | .284 |
| Away | 1012 | 3666 | 379 | 1017 | 82 | 451 | .277 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-09-10 | ATL | NYN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-09-09 | ATL | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016-09-07 | ATL | WAS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016-09-06 | ATL | WAS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-09-05 | ATL | WAS | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-09-04 | ATL | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-09-02 | ATL | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-08-16 | ATL | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016-08-13 | ATL | WAS | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-08-10 | ATL | MIL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1936 | 1832 | 12600 | 823 | 68 | 101 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | MIN | C | 6 | 4 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 | MIN | C | 9 | 6 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | MIN | C | 32 | 27 | 160 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| 2001 | MIN | C | 110 | 102 | 611 | 44 | 10 | 7 |
| 2002 | MIN | C | 124 | 118 | 757 | 41 | 3 | 3 |
| 2003 | MIN | C | 135 | 131 | 843 | 45 | 6 | 6 |
| 2004 | SFN | C | 118 | 117 | 697 | 56 | 1 | 6 |
| 2005 | CHA | C | 128 | 124 | 803 | 48 | 1 | 8 |
| 2006 | CHA | C | 132 | 126 | 795 | 62 | 3 | 4 |
| 2007 | CHA | C | 130 | 116 | 796 | 46 | 2 | 6 |
| 2008 | CHA | C | 131 | 127 | 913 | 54 | 9 | 8 |
| 2009 | CHA | C | 131 | 124 | 879 | 50 | 5 | 8 |
| 2010 | CHA | C | 127 | 123 | 865 | 61 | 5 | 5 |
| 2011 | CHA | C | 120 | 112 | 817 | 65 | 4 | 4 |
| 2012 | CHA | C | 126 | 121 | 899 | 71 | 6 | 8 |
| 2013 | TEX | C | 119 | 111 | 892 | 65 | 2 | 8 |
| 2014 | BOS | C | 64 | 60 | 464 | 28 | 3 | 2 |
| 2014 | SLN | C | 23 | 20 | 155 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 2015 | ATL | C | 107 | 104 | 729 | 44 | 2 | 7 |
| 2016 | ATL | C | 64 | 59 | 457 | 23 | 4 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1936 |
| Designated Hitter | 32 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Silver Slugger | C |
| 2008 | Player of the Week | Week of 2008-04-05 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | ATL | NL | $3,000,000 |
| 2015 | ATL | NL | $2,000,000 |
| 2014 | BOS | AL | $8,250,000 |
| 2013 | TEX | AL | $7,500,000 |
| 2012 | CHA | AL | $6,000,000 |
| 2011 | CHA | AL | $2,000,000 |
| 2010 | CHA | AL | $6,750,000 |
| 2009 | CHA | AL | $6,250,000 |
| 2008 | CHA | AL | $5,850,000 |
| 2007 | CHA | AL | $5,500,000 |
| 2006 | CHA | AL | $4,000,000 |
| 2005 | CHA | AL | $2,250,000 |
| 2004 | SFN | NL | $3,500,000 |
| 2003 | MIN | AL | $365,000 |
| 2002 | MIN | AL | $250,000 |
| 2001 | MIN | AL | $210,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $63,675,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 30th | 1.0 | 392 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
A. J. Pierzynski (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frequently Asked Questions about A. J. Pierzynski
- What years did A. J. Pierzynski play?
- A. J. Pierzynski played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2016.
- Was A. J. Pierzynski a pitcher?
- No. A. J. Pierzynski was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did A. J. Pierzynski hit?
- A. J. Pierzynski hit 188 career home runs with 2043 hits.
- What was A. J. Pierzynski's career batting average?
- A. J. Pierzynski batted .280 over his career, with 2,043 hits in 7,290 at bats.
- How many RBI did A. J. Pierzynski have?
- A. J. Pierzynski drove in 909 runs in his career.
- Is A. J. Pierzynski in the Hall of Fame?
- No. A. J. Pierzynski has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.