Dwight Smith
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1989-1996)
Dwight Smith was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1996 for 4 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 8 seasons. In 813 career games, he hit .275 with 497 hits, 46 home runs, and 226 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,530.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 7/22/2022 in Peachtree City, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1989-05-01
- Last Game
- 1996-09-29
Full name: John Dwight Smith
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 813 | 1,807 | 244 | 497 | 88 | 20 | 46 | 226 | 42 | 150 | 334 | .275 | .333 | .422 | .755 | 1,530 |
Career AVG .275 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +5.1% above league average.
Career OBP .333 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .422 vs. league average .399 across their career seasons — +5.9% above league average.
Career OPS .755 vs. league average .729 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | CHN | NL | 109 | 343 | 52 | 111 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 31 | 51 | .324 | .254 (+27%) | .319 (+20%) | .375 (+31%) | .694 (+26%) | 1622.9 |
| 1990 | CHN | NL | 117 | 290 | 34 | 76 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 11 | 28 | 46 | .262 | .257 (+2%) | .324 (+1%) | .385 (-2%) | .710 (-1%) | -7.9 |
| 1991 | CHN | NL | 90 | 167 | 16 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 32 | .228 | .255 (-11%) | .323 (-14%) | .384 (-10%) | .708 (-11%) | -321.8 |
| 1992 | CHN | NL | 109 | 217 | 28 | 60 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 40 | .276 | .255 (+8%) | .322 (-1%) | .377 (+4%) | .699 (+1%) | 1.3 |
| 1993 | CHN | NL | 111 | 310 | 51 | 93 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 35 | 8 | 25 | 51 | .300 | .265 (+13%) | .332 (+7%) | .403 (+22%) | .735 (+15%) | 856.0 |
| 1994 | CAL | AL | 45 | 122 | 19 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 20 | .262 | .269 (-3%) | .338 (-11%) | .424 (+4%) | .763 (-3%) | -88.0 |
| 1994 | BAL | AL | 28 | 74 | 12 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 17 | .311 | .269 (+15%) | .338 (+7%) | .424 (+15%) | .763 (+11%) | -88.0 |
| 1995 | ATL | NL | 103 | 131 | 16 | 33 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 35 | .252 | .266 (-6%) | .337 (-3%) | .417 (-1%) | .755 (-2%) | -60.4 |
| 1996 | ATL | NL | 101 | 153 | 16 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 17 | 42 | .203 | .269 (-25%) | .340 (-16%) | .426 (-31%) | .767 (-25%) | -620.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 813 | 1,807 | 244 | 497 | 88 | 20 | 46 | 226 | 42 | 150 | 334 | .275 | — | — | — | — | 1,294 | ||
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 (813 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 409 | 868 | 124 | 247 | 24 | 117 | .285 |
| Away | 404 | 939 | 120 | 250 | 22 | 109 | .266 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-09-29 | ATL | WSN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996-09-28 | ATL | WSN | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996-09-27 | ATL | WSN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996-09-24 | ATL | MIA | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1996-09-23 | ATL | WSN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996-09-19 | ATL | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996-09-17 | ATL | HOU | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-14 | ATL | NYN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-13 | ATL | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-12 | ATL | COL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | CHN | OF | 102 | 86 | 188 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| 1990 | CHN | OF | 81 | 65 | 139 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1991 | CHN | OF | 42 | 35 | 73 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1992 | CHN | OF | 63 | 42 | 93 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993 | CHN | OF | 89 | 76 | 163 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 1994 | CAL | OF | 31 | 27 | 50 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 1994 | BAL | OF | 22 | 20 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | ATL | OF | 25 | 16 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 | ATL | OF | 29 | 20 | 49 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 238 |
| Center Field | 98 |
| Right Field | 173 |
| Designated Hitter | 5 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | ATL | NL | $455,000 |
| 1995 | ATL | NL | $300,000 |
| 1994 | CAL | AL | $755,718 |
| 1993 | CHN | NL | $680,000 |
| 1992 | CHN | NL | $460,000 |
| 1991 | CHN | NL | $225,667 |
| 1990 | CHN | NL | $165,000 |
| 1989 | CHN | NL | $68,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $3,109,385 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg Methodist College | Spartanburg | SC | 1984 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 2nd | 68.0 | 120 | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Dwight Smith (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Dwight Smith: the record in brief
May 1, 1989 and September 29, 1996 bracket Dwight Smith's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the Chicago Cubs (1989 through 1993), the California Angels (1994), the Baltimore Orioles (1994), and the Atlanta Braves (1995 through 1996). Smith played primarily as an outfielder and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on November 8, 1963, in Tallahassee, FL, USA and a listed size of 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds. Smith died on July 22, 2022, in Peachtree City, GA, USA. The given name on file is John Dwight Smith.
Across 813 games at the plate, Smith's career line reads 497 hits in 1,807 at bats for a .275 average, along with 46 homers, 226 runs batted in, and 42 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .333 and the slugging percentage .422, for an OPS of .755. Set against a .262 league average for the same years, Smith's .275 average sits 5.1% above it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dwight Smith
- What years did Dwight Smith play?
- Dwight Smith played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1996.
- Was Dwight Smith a pitcher?
- No. Dwight Smith was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Dwight Smith hit?
- Dwight Smith hit 46 career home runs with 497 hits.
- What was Dwight Smith's career batting average?
- Dwight Smith batted .275 over his career, with 497 hits in 1,807 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dwight Smith have?
- Dwight Smith drove in 226 runs in his career.
- Is Dwight Smith in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dwight Smith has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.