What years did Sammy Sosa play?

Sammy Sosa played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2007.

Was Sammy Sosa a pitcher?

No. Sammy Sosa was a position player (Outfielder).

How many home runs did Sammy Sosa hit?

Sammy Sosa hit 609 career home runs with 2,408 hits.

What teams did Sammy Sosa play for?

Sammy Sosa played for 4 teams: the Texas Rangers (1989, 2007), the Chicago White Sox (1989–1991), the Chicago Cubs (1992–2004), and the Baltimore Orioles (2005).

How many MVP awards did Sammy Sosa win?

Sammy Sosa won 1 MVP award, in 1998.

What awards did Sammy Sosa win?

Sammy Sosa won the MVP award (1998) and 6 Silver Slugger awards (1995, 1998–2002). He was selected to 7 All-Star Games.

What were Sammy Sosa's career stats?

In 2,354 games, Sammy Sosa had 2,408 hits, 609 home runs, 1,667 RBI, 1,475 runs, and 234 stolen bases, with a .273 batting average.

What was Sammy Sosa's salary?

Sammy Sosa's last recorded salary was $500,000, in 2007. His highest recorded salary was $17,000,000, in 2005, and his lowest was $68,000, in 1989. The Salary History table lists each season from 1989 to 2007.

What position did Sammy Sosa play?

Sammy Sosa played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.

How tall was Sammy Sosa and how much did he weigh?

Sammy Sosa was listed at 6 feet and 165 pounds.

How many home runs did Sammy Sosa hit each season?

Sammy Sosa's home runs by season: 4 in 1989, 15 in 1990, 10 in 1991, 8 in 1992, 33 in 1993, 25 in 1994, 36 in 1995, 40 in 1996, 36 in 1997, 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999, 50 in 2000, 64 in 2001, 49 in 2002, 40 in 2003, 35 in 2004, 14 in 2005, and 21 in 2007. His most in one season was 66, in 1998.

What was Sammy Sosa's career batting average?

Sammy Sosa batted .273 over his career, with 2,408 hits in 8,813 at bats.

How many RBI did Sammy Sosa have?

Sammy Sosa drove in 1,667 runs in his career.

Sammy Sosa

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1989-2007)

Sammy Sosa was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2007 for 4 teams, including the Texas Rangers, a span of 19 seasons. In 2,354 career games, he hit .273 with 2,408 hits, 609 home runs, and 1,667 RBI. Sammy Sosa was a 7-time All-Star, an MVP, a 6-time Silver Slugger, a Hank Aaron Award, and a Roberto Clemente Award. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 30,009.

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 October 15, 2026

AVG .273

HR 609

RBI 1,667

H 2,408

OPS .878

PIV 30,009

Position: Outfielder
Bats / Throws: R / R
Height / Weight: 6'0" / 165 lb
Born: 11/12/1968 in San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macorís, D.R.
MLB Debut: 1989-06-16
Last Game: 2007-09-29
Awards: 7× All-Star · MVP · 6× Silver Slugger · Hank Aaron Award · Roberto Clemente Award

Full name: Samuel Peralta Sosa

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Career Batting Statistics

Sammy Sosa — Career Batting Statistics
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
2,354	8,813	1,475	2,408	379	45	609	1,667	234	929	2,306	.273	.344	.534	.878	30,009

Career AVG .273 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .344 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .534 vs. league average .414 across their career seasons — +28.9% above league average.

Career OPS .878 vs. league average .748 across their career seasons — +17.4% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Sammy Sosa 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
1989	TEX	AL	25	84	8	20	3	0	1	3	0	0	20	.238	.254 (-6%)	.319 (-26%)	.375 (-18%)	.694 (-21%)	-289.7
1989	CHA	AL	33	99	19	27	5	0	3	10	7	11	27	.273	.254 (+7%)	.319 (+10%)	.375 (+10%)	.694 (+10%)	-289.7
1990	CHA	AL	153	532	72	124	26	10	15	70	32	33	150	.233	.257 (-10%)	.324 (-13%)	.385 (+5%)	.710 (-3%)	-476.7
1991	CHA	AL	116	316	39	64	10	1	10	33	13	14	98	.203	.255 (-21%)	.323 (-26%)	.384 (-13%)	.708 (-19%)	-992.8
1992	CHN	NL	67	262	41	68	7	2	8	25	15	19	63	.260	.255 (+1%)	.322 (-2%)	.377 (+4%)	.699 (+2%)	55.3
1993	CHN	NL	159	598	92	156	25	5	33	93	36	38	135	.261	.265 (-2%)	.332 (-7%)	.403 (+20%)	.735 (+8%)	779.2
1994	CHN	NL	105	426	59	128	17	6	25	70	22	25	92	.300	.269 (+11%)	.338 (avg)	.424 (+28%)	.763 (+16%)	1168.3
1995	CHN	NL	144	564	89	151	17	3	36	119	34	58	134	.268	.266 (avg)	.337 (+1%)	.417 (+20%)	.755 (+11%)	1288.5
1996	CHN	NL	124	498	84	136	21	2	40	100	18	34	134	.273	.269 (+1%)	.340 (-5%)	.426 (+32%)	.767 (+16%)	1396.0
1997	CHN	NL	162	642	90	161	31	4	36	119	22	45	174	.251	.266 (-6%)	.336 (-11%)	.419 (+14%)	.756 (+3%)	145.4
1998	CHN	NL	159	643	134	198	20	0	66	158	18	73	171	.308	.266 (+16%)	.335 (+12%)	.420 (+54%)	.755 (+36%)	4776.7
1999	CHN	NL	162	625	114	180	24	2	63	141	7	78	171	.288	.271 (+6%)	.344 (+6%)	.433 (+46%)	.778 (+29%)	3803.3
2000	CHN	NL	156	604	106	193	38	1	50	138	7	91	168	.320	.270 (+18%)	.344 (+18%)	.437 (+45%)	.782 (+33%)	4408.3
2001	CHN	NL	160	577	146	189	34	5	64	160	0	116	153	.328	.263 (+24%)	.332 (+32%)	.426 (+73%)	.758 (+55%)	7015.1
2002	CHN	NL	150	556	122	160	19	2	49	108	2	103	144	.288	.261 (+10%)	.331 (+21%)	.416 (+42%)	.747 (+33%)	4066.3
2003	CHN	NL	137	517	99	144	22	0	40	103	0	62	143	.279	.264 (+5%)	.332 (+8%)	.422 (+31%)	.754 (+21%)	2210.1
2004	CHN	NL	126	478	69	121	21	0	35	80	0	56	133	.253	.266 (-5%)	.335 (-1%)	.427 (+21%)	.762 (+11%)	1049.4
2005	BAL	AL	102	380	39	84	15	1	14	45	1	39	84	.221	.264 (-16%)	.330 (-11%)	.418 (-10%)	.749 (-10%)	-667.1
2007	TEX	AL	114	412	53	104	24	1	21	92	0	34	112	.252	.268 (-6%)	.335 (-8%)	.422 (+11%)	.758 (+3%)	95.9
Career · 19 seasons			2,354	8,813	1,475	2,408	379	45	609	1,667	234	929	2,306	.273	—	—	—	—	29,542

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

Sammy Sosa — Playoff Career Batting
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
15	53	8	13	3	0	2	7	13	17	.245

Playoff Batting by Year

Sammy Sosa — Playoff Batting by Year
Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
2003	NLCS	CHN	7	26	7	8	1	2	6	6	9	.308
2003	NLDS2	CHN	5	16	1	3	1	0	1	6	4	.188
1998	NLDS1	CHN	3	11	0	2	1	0	0	1	4	.182

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (2353 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Sammy Sosa — Batting — Home / Away
Split	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	AVG
Home	1183	4329	736	1197	321	853	.277
Away	1170	4480	737	1209	288	814	.270

Last 10 Games — Batting

Sammy Sosa — Last 10 Games — Batting
Date	Tm	Opp	Res	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO
2007-09-29	TEX	SEA	L	4	0	1	0	0	0	0
2007-09-26	TEX	LAA	W	3	2	1	1	2	1	2
2007-09-21	TEX	BAL	W	2	1	0	0	0	2	1
2007-09-19	TEX	MIN	L	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
2007-09-16	TEX	OAK	W	5	0	1	0	2	0	2
2007-09-15	TEX	OAK	L	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
2007-09-14	TEX	OAK	L	5	2	2	1	5	0	1
2007-09-11	TEX	DET	L	4	0	1	0	0	0	0
2007-09-09	TEX	OAK	W	5	2	3	1	4	0	0
2007-09-07	TEX	OAK	W	1	0	0	0	0	0	0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Sammy Sosa — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	2203	2138	4522	143	128	26

Season-by-Season Fielding

Sammy Sosa — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1989	TEX	OF	19	17	33	1	2	0
1989	CHA	OF	33	29	61	1	2	0
1990	CHA	OF	152	137	315	14	13	1
1991	CHA	OF	111	76	214	6	6	0
1992	CHN	OF	67	65	145	4	6	1
1993	CHN	OF	158	153	344	17	9	4
1994	CHN	OF	105	105	248	5	7	2
1995	CHN	OF	143	142	320	13	13	4
1996	CHN	OF	124	124	253	15	10	1
1997	CHN	OF	161	161	325	16	8	1
1998	CHN	OF	159	159	334	14	9	2
1999	CHN	OF	162	162	399	8	9	3
2000	CHN	OF	156	156	318	3	10	1
2001	CHN	OF	160	160	326	8	6	1
2002	CHN	OF	150	150	284	7	6	1
2003	CHN	OF	137	136	212	2	5	1
2004	CHN	OF	124	124	238	5	4	2
2005	BAL	OF	66	66	121	3	3	1
2007	TEX	OF	16	16	32	1	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Sammy Sosa Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position	Games
Left Field	14
Center Field	234
Right Field	2015
Designated Hitter	133

Awards & Honors

Sammy Sosa — Awards & Honors
Year	Award	Notes
2003	Player of the Week	Week of 2003-04-19
2002	Player of the Week	Week of 2002-08-10
2002	Silver Slugger	OF
2002	TSN All-Star	OF
2001	Player of the Month	August
2001	Player of the Week	Week of 2001-08-25
2001	Silver Slugger	OF
2001	TSN All-Star	OF
2000	Player of the Month	July
2000	Silver Slugger	OF
2000	TSN All-Star	OF
1999	Hank Aaron Award	OF
1999	MLB Players Choice Man of the Year
1999	Player of the Month	May
1999	Silver Slugger	OF
1999	TSN All-Star	OF
1998	MLB Players Choice Outstanding Player
1998	Most Valuable Player
1998	Player of the Month	June
1998	Player of the Week	Week of 1998-06-20
1998	Player of the Week	Week of 1998-09-12
1998	Player of the Week	Week of 1998-06-06
1998	Roberto Clemente Award
1998	Silver Slugger	OF
1998	TSN All-Star	OF
1998	TSN Major League Player of the Year
1997	Player of the Week	Week of 1997-05-17
1996	Player of the Month	July
1996	Player of the Week	Week of 1996-07-27
1995	Player of the Week	Week of 1995-08-19
1995	Player of the Week	Week of 1995-09-02
1995	Silver Slugger	OF
1995	TSN All-Star	OF
1993	Player of the Week	Week of 1993-07-03

Salary History

Sammy Sosa's recorded salaries total $124,068,000 over 18 seasons, 1989 to 2007. Sosa's career, 1989 to 2007, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.

Sammy Sosa — Salary History
Year	Team	League	Salary
2007	TEX	AL	$500,000
2005	BAL	AL	$17,000,000
2004	CHN	NL	$16,000,000
2003	CHN	NL	$16,000,000
2002	CHN	NL	$15,000,000
2001	CHN	NL	$12,500,000
2000	CHN	NL	$11,000,000
1999	CHN	NL	$9,000,000
1998	CHN	NL	$8,325,000
1997	CHN	NL	$5,500,000
1996	CHN	NL	$4,750,000
1995	CHN	NL	$4,300,000
1994	CHN	NL	$2,950,000
1993	CHN	NL	$745,000
1992	CHN	NL	$180,000
1991	CHA	AL	$150,000
1990	CHA	AL	$100,000
1989	TEX	AL	$68,000
Total recorded salary			$124,068,000

Award Voting History

Sammy Sosa — Award Voting History
Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max	Votes First
2003	Most Valuable Player	NL	8th	53.0	448	0
2002	Most Valuable Player	NL	9th	63.0	448	0
2001	Most Valuable Player	NL	2nd	278.0	448	2
2000	Most Valuable Player	NL	9th	71.0	448	0
1999	Most Valuable Player	NL	9th	87.0	448	0
1998	Most Valuable Player	NL	1st	438.0	448	30
1997	Most Valuable Player	NL	19th	5.0	392	0
1996	Most Valuable Player	NL	15th	12.0	392	0
1995	Most Valuable Player	NL	8th	81.0	392	0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Sammy Sosa (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

Compare Sammy Sosa

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Sammy Sosa: the record in brief

According to the bio, Sammy Sosa debuted on June 16, 1989 and played a final game on September 29, 2007. The team column moves through the Texas Rangers (1989 through 2007), the Chicago White Sox (1989 through 1991), the Chicago Cubs (1992 to 2004), and the Baltimore Orioles (2005). At 165 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame, Sosa is listed as an outfielder. Sosa threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is November 12, 1968, in San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macorís, D.R. The bio lists the given name Samuel Peralta.

Sosa collected 2,408 hits in 8,813 at bats across 2,354 games, good for a .273 batting average, adding 609 homers, 1,667 runs batted in, and 234 stolen bases. Sosa's career OPS of .878 combines a .344 on-base mark with .534 slugging. Against a .264 league average for those years, Sosa's .273 average was near the norm.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sammy Sosa

What years did Sammy Sosa play?: Sammy Sosa played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2007.
Was Sammy Sosa a pitcher?: No. Sammy Sosa was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Sammy Sosa hit?: Sammy Sosa hit 609 career home runs with 2,408 hits.
What teams did Sammy Sosa play for?: Sammy Sosa played for 4 teams: the Texas Rangers (1989, 2007), the Chicago White Sox (1989–1991), the Chicago Cubs (1992–2004), and the Baltimore Orioles (2005).
How many MVP awards did Sammy Sosa win?: Sammy Sosa won 1 MVP award, in 1998.
What awards did Sammy Sosa win?: Sammy Sosa won the MVP award (1998) and 6 Silver Slugger awards (1995, 1998–2002). He was selected to 7 All-Star Games.
What were Sammy Sosa's career stats?: In 2,354 games, Sammy Sosa had 2,408 hits, 609 home runs, 1,667 RBI, 1,475 runs, and 234 stolen bases, with a .273 batting average.
How much did Sammy Sosa earn in his career?: Sammy Sosa's recorded salaries total $124,068,000 over 18 seasons, 1989 to 2007. Sosa's career, 1989 to 2007, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
What was Sammy Sosa's salary?: Sammy Sosa's last recorded salary was $500,000, in 2007. His highest recorded salary was $17,000,000, in 2005, and his lowest was $68,000, in 1989. The Salary History table lists each season from 1989 to 2007.
What position did Sammy Sosa play?: Sammy Sosa played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Sammy Sosa and how much did he weigh?: Sammy Sosa was listed at 6 feet and 165 pounds.
How many home runs did Sammy Sosa hit each season?: Sammy Sosa's home runs by season: 4 in 1989, 15 in 1990, 10 in 1991, 8 in 1992, 33 in 1993, 25 in 1994, 36 in 1995, 40 in 1996, 36 in 1997, 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999, 50 in 2000, 64 in 2001, 49 in 2002, 40 in 2003, 35 in 2004, 14 in 2005, and 21 in 2007. His most in one season was 66, in 1998.
What was Sammy Sosa's career batting average?: Sammy Sosa batted .273 over his career, with 2,408 hits in 8,813 at bats.
How many RBI did Sammy Sosa have?: Sammy Sosa drove in 1,667 runs in his career.