Ryne Sandberg
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1981-1997)
Ryne Sandberg was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1997 for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 17 seasons. In 2,164 career games, he hit .285 with 2,386 hits, 282 home runs, and 1,061 RBI. Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 and was a 10-time All-Star, an MVP, a 9-time Gold Glove, and a 7-time Silver Slugger. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 17,776.
- 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
- 6'1" / 175 lb
- Died
- 7/28/2025 in Lake Bluff, IL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1981-09-02
- Last Game
- 1997-09-28
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 2005 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 10× All-Star · MVP · 9× Gold Glove · 7× Silver Slugger
Full name: Ryne Dee Sandberg
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,164 | 8,385 | 1,318 | 2,386 | 403 | 76 | 282 | 1,061 | 344 | 761 | 1,260 | .285 | .344 | .452 | .795 | 17,776 |
Career AVG .285 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +9.3% above league average.
Career OBP .344 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — +5.2% above league average.
Career SLG .452 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — +14.4% above league average.
Career OPS .795 vs. league average .722 across their career seasons — +10.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | PHI | NL | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | CHN | NL | 156 | 635 | 103 | 172 | 33 | 5 | 7 | 54 | 32 | 36 | 90 | .271 | .261 (+4%) | .324 (-4%) | .388 (-4%) | .712 (-4%) | -484.1 |
| 1983 | CHN | NL | 158 | 633 | 94 | 165 | 25 | 4 | 8 | 48 | 37 | 51 | 79 | .261 | .260 (avg) | .324 (-3%) | .389 (-10%) | .714 (-7%) | -638.0 |
| 1984 | CHN | NL | 156 | 636 | 114 | 200 | 36 | 19 | 19 | 84 | 32 | 52 | 101 | .314 | .259 (+21%) | .322 (+14%) | .384 (+35%) | .707 (+25%) | 3029.1 |
| 1985 | CHN | NL | 153 | 609 | 113 | 186 | 31 | 6 | 26 | 83 | 54 | 57 | 97 | .305 | .257 (+19%) | .323 (+13%) | .390 (+29%) | .714 (+21%) | 2571.7 |
| 1986 | CHN | NL | 154 | 627 | 68 | 178 | 28 | 5 | 14 | 76 | 34 | 46 | 79 | .284 | .257 (+10%) | .325 (+1%) | .395 (+4%) | .720 (+3%) | 260.1 |
| 1987 | CHN | NL | 132 | 523 | 81 | 154 | 25 | 2 | 16 | 59 | 21 | 59 | 79 | .294 | .262 (+12%) | .331 (+11%) | .415 (+6%) | .746 (+8%) | 1011.2 |
| 1988 | CHN | NL | 155 | 618 | 77 | 163 | 23 | 8 | 19 | 69 | 25 | 54 | 91 | .264 | .254 (+4%) | .317 (+1%) | .377 (+11%) | .695 (+6%) | 692.2 |
| 1989 | CHN | NL | 157 | 606 | 104 | 176 | 25 | 5 | 30 | 76 | 15 | 59 | 85 | .290 | .254 (+14%) | .319 (+11%) | .375 (+32%) | .694 (+23%) | 2697.0 |
| 1990 | CHN | NL | 155 | 615 | 116 | 188 | 30 | 3 | 40 | 100 | 25 | 50 | 84 | .306 | .257 (+19%) | .324 (+9%) | .385 (+45%) | .710 (+29%) | 3284.5 |
| 1991 | CHN | NL | 158 | 585 | 104 | 170 | 32 | 2 | 26 | 100 | 22 | 87 | 89 | .291 | .255 (+14%) | .323 (+17%) | .384 (+26%) | .708 (+22%) | 2763.0 |
| 1992 | CHN | NL | 158 | 612 | 100 | 186 | 32 | 8 | 26 | 87 | 17 | 68 | 73 | .304 | .255 (+19%) | .322 (+15%) | .377 (+35%) | .699 (+26%) | 3105.4 |
| 1993 | CHN | NL | 117 | 456 | 67 | 141 | 20 | 0 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 37 | 62 | .309 | .265 (+17%) | .332 (+8%) | .403 (+2%) | .735 (+5%) | 473.0 |
| 1994 | CHN | NL | 57 | 223 | 36 | 53 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 2 | 23 | 40 | .238 | .269 (-12%) | .338 (-8%) | .424 (-8%) | .763 (-8%) | -313.3 |
| 1996 | CHN | NL | 150 | 554 | 85 | 135 | 28 | 4 | 25 | 92 | 12 | 54 | 116 | .244 | .269 (-10%) | .340 (-7%) | .426 (+4%) | .767 (-1%) | -173.9 |
| 1997 | CHN | NL | 135 | 447 | 54 | 118 | 26 | 0 | 12 | 64 | 7 | 28 | 94 | .264 | .266 (-1%) | .336 (-8%) | .419 (-4%) | .756 (-6%) | -501.8 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 2,164 | 8,385 | 1,318 | 2,386 | 403 | 76 | 282 | 1,061 | 344 | 761 | 1,260 | .285 | — | — | — | — | 17,776 | ||
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
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2164 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1098 | 4198 | 726 | 1258 | 164 | 607 | .300 |
| Away | 1066 | 4187 | 592 | 1128 | 118 | 454 | .269 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-28 | CHC | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-27 | CHC | STL | L | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1997-09-26 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-25 | CHC | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-24 | CHC | HOU | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-23 | CHC | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-09-21 | CHC | PHI | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-20 | CHC | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1997-09-19 | CHC | PHI | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-17 | CHC | STL | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1995 | 1965 | 3807 | 6363 | 109 | 1158 |
| 3B | 133 | 131 | 79 | 278 | 11 | 19 |
| SS | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | PHI | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1981 | PHI | SS | 5 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | CHN | 2B | 24 | 24 | 57 | 95 | 1 | 9 |
| 1982 | CHN | 3B | 133 | 131 | 79 | 278 | 11 | 19 |
| 1983 | CHN | 2B | 157 | 153 | 330 | 571 | 13 | 126 |
| 1983 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | CHN | 2B | 156 | 156 | 314 | 550 | 6 | 102 |
| 1985 | CHN | 2B | 153 | 152 | 353 | 500 | 12 | 99 |
| 1985 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | CHN | 2B | 153 | 153 | 309 | 492 | 5 | 86 |
| 1987 | CHN | 2B | 131 | 130 | 294 | 375 | 10 | 84 |
| 1988 | CHN | 2B | 153 | 151 | 291 | 522 | 11 | 79 |
| 1989 | CHN | 2B | 155 | 154 | 294 | 466 | 6 | 80 |
| 1990 | CHN | 2B | 154 | 152 | 278 | 469 | 8 | 81 |
| 1991 | CHN | 2B | 157 | 154 | 267 | 515 | 4 | 66 |
| 1992 | CHN | 2B | 157 | 157 | 283 | 539 | 8 | 94 |
| 1993 | CHN | 2B | 115 | 114 | 209 | 347 | 7 | 76 |
| 1994 | CHN | 2B | 57 | 56 | 96 | 202 | 4 | 35 |
| 1996 | CHN | 2B | 146 | 144 | 228 | 421 | 6 | 82 |
| 1997 | CHN | 2B | 126 | 115 | 203 | 297 | 8 | 58 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 1994 |
| Third Base | 133 |
| Shortstop | 7 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Player of the Week | Week of 1992-09-19 |
| 1992 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1992 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1991 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1991 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1991 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1990 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1990 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1990 | Player of the Week | Week of 1990-05-05 |
| 1990 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1990 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1989 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1989 | Player of the Week | Week of 1989-08-12 |
| 1989 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1989 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1988 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1988 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1988 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1987 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1986 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1986 | Player of the Week | Week of 1986-05-30 |
| 1985 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1985 | Player of the Week | Week of 1985-06-28 |
| 1985 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1984 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1984 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1984 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1984 | Player of the Week | Week of 1984-05-11 |
| 1984 | Player of the Week | Week of 1984-06-22 |
| 1984 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1984 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1984 | TSN Major League Player of the Year | |
| 1984 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1983 | Gold Glove | 2B |
Salary History
Ryne Sandberg's recorded salaries total $24,920,000 over 11 seasons, 1985 to 1997. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Sandberg's career ran from 1981 to 1997. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1991.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | CHN | NL | $3,250,000 |
| 1996 | CHN | NL | $2,300,000 |
| 1994 | CHN | NL | $5,975,000 |
| 1993 | CHN | NL | $5,975,000 |
| 1992 | CHN | NL | $2,150,000 |
| 1990 | CHN | NL | $1,550,000 |
| 1989 | CHN | NL | $950,000 |
| 1988 | CHN | NL | $840,000 |
| 1987 | CHN | NL | $760,000 |
| 1986 | CHN | NL | $665,000 |
| 1985 | CHN | NL | $505,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $24,920,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1991 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1990 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 151.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1989 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 157.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1985 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 14.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1984 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 326.0 | 336 | 22 |
| 1982 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 6th | 9.0 | 120 | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ryne Sandberg (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg: the record in brief
Ryne Sandberg's major league career runs from a debut on September 2, 1981 to a final game on September 28, 1997. By club, Sandberg's seasons break down as the Philadelphia Phillies (1981) and the Chicago Cubs (1982 through 1997). Sandberg, a second baseman by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. Sandberg is listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds. The birth record reads September 18, 1959, in Spokane, WA, USA. Sandberg's death is recorded on July 28, 2025, in Lake Bluff, IL, USA. The bio lists the given name Ryne Dee.
Sandberg finished with 2,386 hits from 8,385 at bats in 2,164 games, which works out to .285; the totals also include 282 home runs, 1,061 runs batted in, and 344 stolen bases. Sandberg's career OPS of .795 combines a .344 on-base mark with .452 slugging. Sandberg's .285 average ran 9.3% above the .260 that the league posted over the same seasons. Sandberg's most home runs in a season came in 1990, when the total reached 40 for the Chicago Cubs.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ryne Sandberg
- What years did Ryne Sandberg play?
- Ryne Sandberg played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1997.
- Was Ryne Sandberg a pitcher?
- No. Ryne Sandberg was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ryne Sandberg hit?
- Ryne Sandberg hit 282 career home runs with 2,386 hits.
- Is Ryne Sandberg in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
- What teams did Ryne Sandberg play for?
- Ryne Sandberg played for 2 teams: the Philadelphia Phillies (1981) and the Chicago Cubs (1982–1994, 1996–1997).
- How many MVP awards did Ryne Sandberg win?
- Ryne Sandberg won 1 MVP award, in 1984.
- What awards did Ryne Sandberg win?
- Ryne Sandberg won the MVP award (1984), 9 Gold Gloves (1983–1991), and 7 Silver Slugger awards (1984–1985, 1988–1992). He was selected to 10 All-Star Games.
- What were Ryne Sandberg's career stats?
- In 2,164 games, Ryne Sandberg had 2,386 hits, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI, 1,318 runs, and 344 stolen bases, with a .285 batting average.
- How much did Ryne Sandberg earn in his career?
- Ryne Sandberg's recorded salaries total $24,920,000 over 11 seasons, 1985 to 1997. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Sandberg's career ran from 1981 to 1997. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1991.
- What was Ryne Sandberg's salary?
- Ryne Sandberg's last recorded salary was $3,250,000, in 1997. His highest recorded salary was $5,975,000, in 1993, and his lowest was $505,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1997.
- What position did Ryne Sandberg play?
- Ryne Sandberg played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ryne Sandberg and how much did he weigh?
- Ryne Sandberg was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ryne Sandberg hit each season?
- Ryne Sandberg's home runs by season: 0 in 1981, 7 in 1982, 8 in 1983, 19 in 1984, 26 in 1985, 14 in 1986, 16 in 1987, 19 in 1988, 30 in 1989, 40 in 1990, 26 in 1991, 26 in 1992, 9 in 1993, 5 in 1994, 25 in 1996, and 12 in 1997. His most in one season was 40, in 1990.
- What was Ryne Sandberg's career batting average?
- Ryne Sandberg batted .285 over his career, with 2,386 hits in 8,385 at bats.