Ed Sprague
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1991-2001)
Ed Sprague was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1991 to 2001 for 6 teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 11 seasons. In 1,203 career games, he hit .247 with 1,010 hits, 152 home runs, and 558 RBI. Ed Sprague was an All-Star.
- 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 215 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1991-05-07
- Last Game
- 2001-10-07
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Edward Nelson Sprague
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,203 | 4,095 | 506 | 1,010 | 225 | 12 | 152 | 558 | 6 | 358 | 833 | .247 | .318 | .419 | .737 | -1,549 |
Career AVG .247 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 7.2% below league average.
Career OBP .318 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 5.1% below league average.
Career SLG .419 vs. league average .416 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .737 vs. league average .752 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | TOR | AL | 61 | 160 | 17 | 44 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 19 | 43 | .275 | .255 (+8%) | .323 (+12%) | .384 (+2%) | .708 (+7%) | 244.9 |
| 1992 | TOR | AL | 22 | 47 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | .234 | — | — | — | — | -85.9 |
| 1993 | TOR | AL | 150 | 546 | 50 | 142 | 31 | 1 | 12 | 73 | 1 | 32 | 85 | .260 | .265 (-2%) | .332 (-7%) | .403 (-4%) | .735 (-5%) | -536.6 |
| 1994 | TOR | AL | 109 | 405 | 38 | 97 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 44 | 1 | 23 | 95 | .240 | .269 (-11%) | .338 (-13%) | .424 (-12%) | .763 (-12%) | -872.1 |
| 1995 | TOR | AL | 144 | 521 | 77 | 127 | 27 | 2 | 18 | 74 | 0 | 58 | 96 | .244 | .266 (-9%) | .337 (-1%) | .417 (-2%) | .755 (-2%) | -150.9 |
| 1996 | TOR | AL | 159 | 591 | 88 | 146 | 35 | 2 | 36 | 101 | 0 | 60 | 146 | .247 | .269 (-8%) | .340 (-4%) | .426 (+16%) | .767 (+7%) | 749.3 |
| 1997 | TOR | AL | 138 | 504 | 63 | 115 | 29 | 4 | 14 | 48 | 0 | 51 | 102 | .228 | .266 (-14%) | .336 (-9%) | .419 (-8%) | .756 (-9%) | -739.2 |
| 1998 | TOR | AL | 105 | 382 | 49 | 91 | 20 | 0 | 17 | 51 | 0 | 24 | 73 | .238 | .266 (-11%) | .335 (-10%) | .420 (+1%) | .755 (-4%) | -295.9 |
| 1998 | OAK | AL | 27 | 87 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 17 | .149 | .266 (-44%) | .335 (-44%) | .420 (-26%) | .755 (-34%) | -295.9 |
| 1999 | PIT | NL | 137 | 490 | 71 | 131 | 27 | 2 | 22 | 81 | 3 | 50 | 93 | .267 | .271 (-1%) | .344 (+2%) | .433 (+7%) | .778 (+5%) | 536.8 |
| 2000 | SDN | NL | 53 | 117 | 17 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 25 | 0 | 10 | 28 | .274 | .270 (+1%) | .344 (-3%) | .437 (+41%) | .782 (+22%) | 411.8 |
| 2000 | BOS | AL | 33 | 111 | 11 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 18 | .216 | .270 (-20%) | .344 (-15%) | .437 (-30%) | .782 (-23%) | 411.8 |
| 2000 | SDN | NL | 20 | 40 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 12 | .225 | — | — | — | — | 411.8 |
| 2001 | SEA | AL | 45 | 94 | 9 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 18 | .298 | .263 (+13%) | .332 (+13%) | .426 (+2%) | .758 (+7%) | 136.6 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,203 | 4,095 | 506 | 1,010 | 225 | 12 | 152 | 558 | 6 | 358 | 833 | .247 | — | — | — | — | -73 | ||
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 (1203 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 595 | 1989 | 236 | 495 | 77 | 279 | .249 |
| Away | 608 | 2106 | 270 | 515 | 75 | 279 | .245 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-10-07 | SEA | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-10-06 | SEA | TEX | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-10-04 | SEA | TEX | W | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-10-03 | SEA | LAA | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2001-10-02 | SEA | LAA | W | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2001-09-29 | SEA | OAK | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-09-28 | SEA | OAK | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-09-25 | SEA | TEX | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-09-24 | SEA | TEX | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-09-23 | SEA | OAK | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 77 | 52 | 464 | 29 | 9 | 37 |
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 1019 | 1002 | 806 | 1609 | 150 | 143 |
| C | 18 | 8 | 70 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| OF | 16 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | TOR | 1B | 22 | 18 | 143 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| 1991 | TOR | 3B | 35 | 31 | 19 | 61 | 12 | 2 |
| 1991 | TOR | C | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | TOR | 1B | 4 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1992 | TOR | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | TOR | C | 15 | 8 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 | TOR | 3B | 150 | 150 | 127 | 232 | 17 | 21 |
| 1994 | TOR | 1B | 3 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1994 | TOR | 3B | 107 | 107 | 98 | 147 | 14 | 19 |
| 1995 | TOR | 1B | 7 | 4 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1995 | TOR | 3B | 139 | 138 | 133 | 234 | 16 | 20 |
| 1996 | TOR | 3B | 148 | 148 | 108 | 218 | 15 | 29 |
| 1997 | TOR | 3B | 129 | 129 | 106 | 202 | 18 | 19 |
| 1998 | TOR | 3B | 105 | 104 | 87 | 157 | 20 | 8 |
| 1998 | OAK | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | OAK | 3B | 23 | 22 | 23 | 37 | 6 | 2 |
| 1999 | PIT | 3B | 134 | 132 | 79 | 254 | 29 | 22 |
| 2000 | SDN | 1B | 24 | 19 | 175 | 10 | 7 | 14 |
| 2000 | SDN | 3B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | SDN | OF | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | BOS | 1B | 3 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | BOS | 3B | 30 | 30 | 19 | 50 | 2 | 1 |
| 2000 | SDN | 1B | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | SDN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | SDN | 3B | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | SDN | OF | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | SEA | 1B | 12 | 6 | 51 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2001 | SEA | 3B | 8 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | SEA | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | SEA | OF | 9 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 18 |
| First Base | 77 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 1019 |
| Left Field | 14 |
| Right Field | 2 |
| Designated Hitter | 34 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | SDN | NL | $800,000 |
| 1999 | PIT | NL | $1,300,000 |
| 1998 | TOR | AL | $2,350,000 |
| 1997 | TOR | AL | $1,900,000 |
| 1996 | TOR | AL | $1,450,000 |
| 1995 | TOR | AL | $760,000 |
| 1994 | TOR | AL | $500,000 |
| 1993 | TOR | AL | $182,500 |
| 1992 | TOR | AL | $117,500 |
| 1991 | TOR | AL | $100,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $9,460,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | Palo Alto | CA | 1986, 1987, 1988 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ed Sprague (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ed Sprague: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 7, 1991 and the final game on October 7, 2001, Ed Sprague built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Toronto Blue Jays (1991 through 1998), the Oakland Athletics (1998), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1999), the San Diego Padres (2000), the Boston Red Sox (2000), and the Seattle Mariners (2001). Sprague, born on July 25, 1967, in Castro Valley, CA, USA, is listed as a third baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. The given name on file is Edward Nelson Sprague.
The batting record for Sprague: 1,203 games, 1,010 hits in 4,095 at bats, and a .247 average, along with 152 homers and 558 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .318 and .419 give Sprague a career OPS of .737. Over the seasons Sprague played, league hitters batted .266; the .247 career figure is 7.2% below that. 1996 was Sprague's biggest home run year, with 36. 1996 produced Sprague's most hits, 146 of them for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Sprague
- What years did Ed Sprague play?
- Ed Sprague played in Major League Baseball from 1991 to 2001.
- Was Ed Sprague a pitcher?
- No. Ed Sprague was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ed Sprague hit?
- Ed Sprague hit 152 career home runs with 1010 hits.
- What was Ed Sprague's career batting average?
- Ed Sprague batted .247 over his career, with 1,010 hits in 4,095 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ed Sprague have?
- Ed Sprague drove in 558 runs in his career.
- Is Ed Sprague in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ed Sprague has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.