Lenn Sakata
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1987)
Lenn Sakata was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1987 for 4 teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, a span of 11 seasons. In 565 career games, he hit .230 with 296 hits, 25 home runs, and 109 RBI.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 160 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-07-21
- Last Game
- 1987-06-28
Full name: Lenn Haruki Sakata
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 565 | 1,289 | 163 | 296 | 46 | 4 | 25 | 109 | 30 | 97 | 158 | .230 | .286 | .330 | .616 | -2,956 |
Career AVG .230 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.
Career OBP .286 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 12.1% below league average.
Career SLG .330 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 15.8% below league average.
Career OPS .616 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — 14.1% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | ML4 | AL | 53 | 154 | 13 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 22 | .162 | .264 (-39%) | .329 (-37%) | .401 (-47%) | .730 (-42%) | -1036.4 |
| 1978 | ML4 | AL | 30 | 78 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 11 | .192 | .257 (-25%) | .323 (-17%) | .378 (-36%) | .702 (-27%) | -319.1 |
| 1979 | ML4 | AL | 4 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | BAL | AL | 43 | 83 | 12 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 10 | .193 | .264 (-27%) | .326 (-25%) | .387 (-19%) | .714 (-22%) | -315.5 |
| 1981 | BAL | AL | 61 | 150 | 19 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 18 | .227 | .255 (-11%) | .320 (-12%) | .368 (-4%) | .688 (-8%) | -188.6 |
| 1982 | BAL | AL | 136 | 343 | 40 | 89 | 18 | 1 | 6 | 31 | 7 | 30 | 39 | .259 | .261 (-1%) | .324 (avg) | .388 (-5%) | .712 (-3%) | -138.5 |
| 1983 | BAL | AL | 66 | 134 | 23 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 17 | .254 | .260 (-3%) | .324 (+4%) | .389 (-4%) | .714 (avg) | 29.7 |
| 1984 | BAL | AL | 81 | 157 | 23 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 15 | .191 | .259 (-26%) | .322 (-32%) | .384 (-34%) | .707 (-33%) | -804.6 |
| 1985 | BAL | AL | 55 | 97 | 15 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 15 | .227 | .257 (-12%) | .323 (-14%) | .390 (-10%) | .714 (-12%) | -183.1 |
| 1986 | OAK | AL | 17 | 34 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .353 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | NYA | AL | 19 | 45 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .267 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 565 | 1,289 | 163 | 296 | 46 | 4 | 25 | 109 | 30 | 97 | 158 | .230 | — | — | — | — | -2,956 | ||
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 (564 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 291 | 616 | 85 | 148 | 13 | 58 | .240 |
| Away | 273 | 673 | 78 | 148 | 12 | 51 | .220 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-06-28 | NYY | BOS | L | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-27 | NYY | BOS | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-06-19 | NYY | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-06-18 | NYY | BAL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-14 | NYY | MIL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-10 | NYY | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-08 | NYY | TOR | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-04 | NYY | MIL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-05-29 | NYY | OAK | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-05-19 | NYY | OAK | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 431 | 259 | 601 | 908 | 28 | 216 |
| 3B | 12 | 12 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 1 |
| C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 102 | 82 | 128 | 261 | 16 | 50 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | ML4 | 2B | 53 | 50 | 102 | 159 | 4 | 43 |
| 1978 | ML4 | 2B | 29 | 24 | 50 | 66 | 3 | 12 |
| 1979 | ML4 | 2B | 4 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 5 |
| 1980 | BAL | 2B | 34 | 20 | 55 | 72 | 2 | 18 |
| 1980 | BAL | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | BAL | 2B | 20 | 9 | 30 | 42 | 1 | 10 |
| 1981 | BAL | SS | 42 | 32 | 52 | 106 | 6 | 23 |
| 1982 | BAL | 2B | 83 | 44 | 106 | 145 | 6 | 34 |
| 1982 | BAL | SS | 56 | 50 | 76 | 154 | 10 | 27 |
| 1983 | BAL | 2B | 60 | 36 | 84 | 117 | 2 | 36 |
| 1983 | BAL | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | BAL | 2B | 76 | 38 | 80 | 161 | 3 | 33 |
| 1984 | BAL | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | BAL | 2B | 50 | 22 | 58 | 87 | 6 | 18 |
| 1986 | OAK | 2B | 16 | 10 | 21 | 39 | 1 | 4 |
| 1987 | NYA | 2B | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 1987 | NYA | 3B | 12 | 12 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1 |
| Second Base | 431 |
| Third Base | 12 |
| Shortstop | 103 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 8 |
Salary History
Lenn Sakata's recorded salaries total $200,000 over 2 seasons, 1986 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Sakata's career ran from 1977 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | NYA | AL | $125,000 |
| 1986 | OAK | AL | $75,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $200,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | WA | 1973, 1974 |
| Treasure Valley Community College | Ontario | OR | 1972 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Lenn Sakata (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Lenn Sakata: the record in brief
Lenn Sakata's major league career runs from a debut on July 21, 1977 to a final game on June 28, 1987. By club, Sakata's seasons break down as the Milwaukee Brewers (1977 through 1979), the Baltimore Orioles (1980 to 1985), the Oakland Athletics (1986), and the New York Yankees (1987). Born on June 8, 1954, in Honolulu, HI, USA, Sakata is listed as a second baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5 feet, 9 inches and 160 pounds. The bio lists the given name Lenn Haruki.
In 565 games and 1,289 at bats, Sakata batted .230 with 296 hits, adding 25 homers, 109 runs batted in, and 30 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .286 clip and slugging .330, Sakata finished with a .616 OPS. Measured against the leagues Sakata played in, the .230 career average compares with a .261 league average over the same seasons, 12.0% below the league. No season topped the 89 hits of 1982. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .259 in 1982, did not top the league's .261.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lenn Sakata
- What years did Lenn Sakata play?
- Lenn Sakata played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1987.
- Was Lenn Sakata a pitcher?
- No. Lenn Sakata was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Lenn Sakata hit?
- Lenn Sakata hit 25 career home runs with 296 hits.
- What teams did Lenn Sakata play for?
- Lenn Sakata played for 4 teams: the Milwaukee Brewers (1977–1979), the Baltimore Orioles (1980–1985), the Oakland Athletics (1986), and the New York Yankees (1987).
- What were Lenn Sakata's career stats?
- In 565 games, Lenn Sakata had 296 hits, 25 home runs, 109 RBI, 163 runs, and 30 stolen bases, with a .230 batting average.
- How much did Lenn Sakata earn in his career?
- Lenn Sakata's recorded salaries total $200,000 over 2 seasons, 1986 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Sakata's career ran from 1977 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985.
- What was Lenn Sakata's salary?
- Lenn Sakata's last recorded salary was $125,000, in 1987. His highest recorded salary was $125,000, in 1987, and his lowest was $75,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1987.
- What position did Lenn Sakata play?
- Lenn Sakata played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Lenn Sakata and how much did he weigh?
- Lenn Sakata was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Lenn Sakata hit each season?
- Lenn Sakata's home runs by season: 2 in 1977, 0 in 1978, 0 in 1979, 1 in 1980, 5 in 1981, 6 in 1982, 3 in 1983, 3 in 1984, 3 in 1985, 0 in 1986, and 2 in 1987. His most in one season was 6, in 1982.
- What was Lenn Sakata's career batting average?
- Lenn Sakata batted .230 over his career, with 296 hits in 1,289 at bats.
- How many RBI did Lenn Sakata have?
- Lenn Sakata drove in 109 runs in his career.
- Is Lenn Sakata in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lenn Sakata has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.