Kirby Puckett

Outfielder · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1984-1995)

Kirby Puckett was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1995 for the Minnesota Twins, a span of 12 seasons. In 1,783 career games, he hit .318 with 2,304 hits, 207 home runs, and 1,085 RBI. Kirby Puckett was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 and was a 10-time All-Star, an ALCS MVP, an All-Star Game MVP, a 6-time Gold Glove, a 6-time Silver Slugger, and a Roberto Clemente Award. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 22,719.

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

⭐ Hall of Fame 2001
AVG .318
HR 207
RBI 1,085
H 2,304
OPS .837
PIV 22,719
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'8" / 178 lb
Born
3/14/1960 in Chicago, IL, USA
Died
3/6/2006 in Phoenix, AZ, USA
MLB Debut
1984-05-08
Last Game
1995-09-28
Hall of Fame
Inducted 2001 (BBWAA)
Awards
10× All-Star · ALCS MVP · All-Star Game MVP · 6× Gold Glove · 6× Silver Slugger · Roberto Clemente Award
📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Batting Statistics

Kirby Puckett — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,783 7,244 1,071 2,304 414 57 207 1,085 134 450 965 .318 .360 .477 .837 22,719

Career AVG .318 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +22.5% above league average.

Career OBP .360 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +10.2% above league average.

Career SLG .477 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — +21.1% above league average.

Career OPS .837 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — +16.2% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Kirby Puckett Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1984 MIN AL 128 557 63 165 12 5 0 31 14 16 69 .296 .259 (+14%) .322 (-1%) .384 (-13%) .707 (-7%) -643.6
1985 MIN AL 161 691 80 199 29 13 4 74 21 41 87 .288 .257 (+12%) .323 (+2%) .390 (-2%) .714 (avg) -50.7
1986 MIN AL 161 680 119 223 37 6 31 96 20 34 99 .328 .257 (+27%) .325 (+12%) .395 (+36%) .720 (+25%) 3339.6
1987 MIN AL 157 624 96 207 32 5 28 99 12 32 91 .332 .262 (+26%) .331 (+11%) .415 (+28%) .746 (+21%) 2541.2
1988 MIN AL 158 657 109 234 42 5 24 121 6 23 83 .356 .254 (+40%) .317 (+18%) .377 (+44%) .695 (+32%) 3838.6
1989 MIN AL 159 635 75 215 45 4 9 85 11 41 59 .339 .254 (+33%) .319 (+18%) .375 (+24%) .694 (+21%) 2609.4
1990 MIN AL 146 551 82 164 40 3 12 80 5 57 73 .298 .257 (+15%) .324 (+12%) .385 (+16%) .710 (+14%) 1601.2
1991 MIN AL 152 611 92 195 29 6 15 89 11 31 78 .319 .255 (+25%) .323 (+9%) .384 (+20%) .708 (+15%) 1622.4
1992 MIN AL 160 639 104 210 38 4 19 110 17 44 97 .329 .255 (+29%) .322 (+16%) .377 (+30%) .699 (+23%) 2902.9
1993 MIN AL 156 622 89 184 39 3 22 89 8 47 93 .296 .265 (+12%) .332 (+5%) .403 (+18%) .735 (+12%) 1459.9
1994 MIN AL 108 439 79 139 32 3 20 112 6 28 47 .317 .269 (+17%) .338 (+7%) .424 (+27%) .763 (+18%) 1457.5
1995 MIN AL 137 538 83 169 39 0 23 99 3 56 89 .314 .266 (+18%) .337 (+12%) .417 (+23%) .755 (+18%) 2040.5
Career · 12 seasons 1,783 7,244 1,071 2,304 414 57 207 1,085 134 450 965 .318 — — — — 22,719

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

Kirby Puckett — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
24 97 16 30 3 2 5 16 8 17 .309

Playoff Batting by Year

Kirby Puckett — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1991 ALCS MIN 5 21 4 9 1 0 2 6 1 4 .429
1991 WS MIN 7 24 4 6 0 1 2 4 5 7 .250
1987 ALCS MIN 5 24 3 5 1 0 1 3 0 5 .208
1987 WS MIN 7 28 5 10 1 1 0 3 2 1 .357

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1783 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Kirby Puckett — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home91436896261269113601.344
Away8693555445103594484.291

Last 10 Games — Batting

Kirby Puckett — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1995-09-28 MINCLEL 000000000
1995-09-27 MINCLEL 511000102
1995-09-26 MINCLEW 522100101
1995-09-25 MINCHWW 300000011
1995-09-24 MINCHWW 412100110
1995-09-23 MINCHWL 300000001
1995-09-22 MINCHWL 200000020
1995-09-21 MINKCRW 411000011
1995-09-20 MINKCRW 601000000
1995-09-19 MINKCRW 401000110

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Kirby Puckett — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 4 0 0 1 0 0
3B 4 0 0 0 0 0
OF 1696 1684 4392 142 51 37
SS 3 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Kirby Puckett — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1984 MIN OF 128 128 438 16 3 4
1985 MIN OF 161 160 465 19 8 5
1986 MIN OF 160 157 429 8 6 3
1987 MIN OF 147 147 341 8 5 2
1988 MIN OF 158 157 450 12 3 4
1989 MIN OF 157 154 438 13 4 3
1990 MIN 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1990 MIN 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1990 MIN OF 141 140 354 9 4 3
1990 MIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1991 MIN OF 152 152 373 13 6 5
1992 MIN 2B 2 0 0 0 0 0
1992 MIN 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
1992 MIN OF 149 147 394 9 3 3
1992 MIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1993 MIN OF 139 139 312 13 2 2
1994 MIN OF 95 95 204 13 3 2
1995 MIN 2B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1995 MIN 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1995 MIN OF 109 108 194 9 4 1
1995 MIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Kirby Puckett Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Second Base 4
Third Base 4
Shortstop 2
Left Field 10
Center Field 1432
Right Field 276
Designated Hitter 81

Awards & Honors

Kirby Puckett — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1996 Roberto Clemente Award
1994 Silver Slugger OF
1994 TSN All-Star OF
1993 All-Star Game MVP
1993 Branch Rickey Award
1992 Gold Glove OF
1992 Player of the Month June
1992 Player of the Month May
1992 Player of the Week Week of 1992-06-06
1992 Silver Slugger OF
1992 TSN All-Star OF
1991 ALCS MVP
1991 Gold Glove OF
1989 Gold Glove OF
1989 Silver Slugger OF
1989 TSN All-Star OF
1988 Gold Glove OF
1988 Silver Slugger OF
1988 TSN All-Star OF
1987 Gold Glove OF
1987 Player of the Week Week of 1987-08-29
1987 Silver Slugger OF
1987 TSN All-Star OF
1986 Gold Glove OF
1986 Player of the Month April
1986 Player of the Week Week of 1986-04-25
1986 Player of the Week Week of 1986-08-01
1986 Silver Slugger OF
1986 TSN All-Star OF

Salary History

Kirby Puckett's recorded salaries total $43,190,001 over 13 seasons, 1985 to 1997. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Puckett's career ran from 1984 to 1995. His seasons before 1985 are not included.

Kirby Puckett — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1997 MIN AL $7,200,000
1996 MIN AL $6,200,000
1995 MIN AL $6,300,000
1994 MIN AL $5,300,000
1993 MIN AL $5,300,000
1992 MIN AL $2,966,667
1991 MIN AL $3,166,667
1990 MIN AL $2,816,667
1989 MIN AL $2,000,000
1988 MIN AL $1,090,000
1987 MIN AL $465,000
1986 MIN AL $255,000
1985 MIN AL $130,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $43,190,001

College History

Kirby Puckett — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Bradley University Peoria IL 1981
Triton College River Grove IL 1982

Award Voting History

Kirby Puckett — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1995 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 2.0 392 0
1994 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 100.0 392 0
1992 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 209.0 392 3
1991 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 78.0 392 0
1989 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 84.0 392 0
1988 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 219.0 392 0
1987 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 201.0 392 0
1986 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 105.0 392 0
1985 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 3.0 392 0
1984 Rookie of the Year AL 3rd 23.0 140 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Kirby Puckett (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Tony Oliva HOF
    .304 avg, 220 HR
  2. 88
    Magglio Ordonez
    .309 avg, 294 HR
  3. 88
    Carl Furillo
    .299 avg, 192 HR
  4. 86
    Bob Meusel
    .309 avg, 156 HR
  5. 85
    Bing Miller
    .311 avg, 116 HR
  6. 85
    Cy Williams
    .292 avg, 251 HR

Compare Kirby Puckett

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Puckett's closest peers by position and era.

vs Barry Bonds
vs Frank Thomas
vs Mark McGwire
vs Mike Trout
vs Gary Sheffield
vs Ken Griffey

Browse all MLB player comparisons →

Kirby Puckett: the record in brief

May 8, 1984 and September 28, 1995 bracket Kirby Puckett's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Every season row on the page belongs to the Minnesota Twins, from 1984 through 1995. The bio lists Puckett as an outfielder who threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds. Puckett was born on March 14, 1960, in Chicago, IL, USA. Puckett died on March 6, 2006, in Phoenix, AZ, USA.

Puckett finished with 2,304 hits from 7,244 at bats in 1,783 games, which works out to .318, adding 207 home runs, 1,085 RBI, and 134 stolen bases. Puckett got on base at a .360 rate and slugged .477 (.837 OPS). Over the seasons Puckett played, league hitters batted .260; the .318 career figure is 22.5% above that. By OPS the gap is 16.2% above league average (.837 against .720). Puckett's most home runs in a season came in 1986, when the total reached 31 for the Minnesota Twins.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kirby Puckett

What years did Kirby Puckett play?
Kirby Puckett played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1995.
Was Kirby Puckett a pitcher?
No. Kirby Puckett was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Kirby Puckett hit?
Kirby Puckett hit 207 career home runs with 2,304 hits.
Is Kirby Puckett in the Hall of Fame?
Yes. Kirby Puckett was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.
What teams did Kirby Puckett play for?
Kirby Puckett played for one team, the Minnesota Twins (1984–1995).
Did Kirby Puckett win an MVP award?
No. Kirby Puckett did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Kirby Puckett win?
Kirby Puckett won 6 Gold Gloves (1986–1989, 1991–1992) and 6 Silver Slugger awards (1986–1989, 1992, 1994). He was selected to 10 All-Star Games.
What were Kirby Puckett's career stats?
In 1,783 games, Kirby Puckett had 2,304 hits, 207 home runs, 1,085 RBI, 1,071 runs, and 134 stolen bases, with a .318 batting average.
How much did Kirby Puckett earn in his career?
Kirby Puckett's recorded salaries total $43,190,001 over 13 seasons, 1985 to 1997. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Puckett's career ran from 1984 to 1995. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
What was Kirby Puckett's salary?
Kirby Puckett's last recorded salary was $7,200,000, in 1997. His highest recorded salary was $7,200,000, in 1997, and his lowest was $130,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1997.
What position did Kirby Puckett play?
Kirby Puckett played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Kirby Puckett and how much did he weigh?
Kirby Puckett was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 178 pounds.
How many home runs did Kirby Puckett hit each season?
Kirby Puckett's home runs by season: 0 in 1984, 4 in 1985, 31 in 1986, 28 in 1987, 24 in 1988, 9 in 1989, 12 in 1990, 15 in 1991, 19 in 1992, 22 in 1993, 20 in 1994, and 23 in 1995. His most in one season was 31, in 1986.
What was Kirby Puckett's career batting average?
Kirby Puckett batted .318 over his career, with 2,304 hits in 7,244 at bats.