Frank Thomas

Designated Hitter · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1990-2008)

Frank Thomas was a designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2008 for the Chicago White Sox, the Athletics, and the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 19 seasons. In 2,322 career games, he hit .301 with 2,468 hits, 521 home runs, and 1,704 RBI. Frank Thomas was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 and was a 5-time All-Star, a 2-time MVP, and a 4-time Silver Slugger. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 56,456.

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

⭐ Hall of Fame 2014
AVG .301
HR 521
RBI 1,704
H 2,468
OPS .974
PIV 56,456
Position
Designated Hitter
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'5" / 240 lb
Born
5/27/1968 in Columbus, GA, USA
MLB Debut
1990-08-02
Last Game
2008-08-29
Hall of Fame
Inducted 2014 (BBWAA)
Awards
5× All-Star · 2× MVP · 4× Silver Slugger

Full name: Frank Edward Thomas

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Career Batting Statistics

Frank Thomas — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2,322 8,199 1,494 2,468 495 12 521 1,704 32 1,667 1,397 .301 .419 .555 .974 56,456

Career AVG .301 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — +13.5% above league average.

Career OBP .419 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — +25.4% above league average.

Career SLG .555 vs. league average .417 across their career seasons — +33.0% above league average.

Career OPS .974 vs. league average .751 across their career seasons — +29.6% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Frank Thomas (b. 1968) 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
1990 CHA AL 60 191 39 63 11 3 7 31 0 44 54 .330 .257 (+28%) .324 (+40%) .385 (+37%) .710 (+38%) 1489.4
1991 CHA AL 158 559 104 178 31 2 32 109 1 138 112 .318 .255 (+25%) .323 (+40%) .384 (+44%) .708 (+42%) 5546.1
1992 CHA AL 160 573 108 185 46 2 24 115 6 122 88 .323 .255 (+26%) .322 (+36%) .377 (+42%) .699 (+39%) 5086.9
1993 CHA AL 153 549 106 174 36 0 41 128 4 112 54 .317 .265 (+20%) .332 (+28%) .403 (+50%) .735 (+40%) 4901.9
1994 CHA AL 113 399 106 141 34 1 38 101 2 109 61 .353 .269 (+31%) .338 (+44%) .424 (+72%) .763 (+59%) 5280.2
1995 CHA AL 145 493 102 152 27 0 40 111 3 136 74 .308 .266 (+16%) .337 (+35%) .417 (+45%) .755 (+40%) 4832.1
1996 CHA AL 141 527 110 184 26 0 40 134 1 109 70 .349 .269 (+29%) .340 (+35%) .426 (+47%) .767 (+41%) 5108.2
1997 CHA AL 146 530 110 184 35 0 35 125 1 109 69 .347 .266 (+30%) .336 (+35%) .419 (+46%) .756 (+41%) 5064.1
1998 CHA AL 160 585 109 155 35 2 29 109 7 110 93 .265 .266 (avg) .335 (+14%) .420 (+14%) .755 (+14%) 1992.9
1999 CHA AL 135 486 74 148 36 0 15 77 3 87 66 .305 .271 (+12%) .344 (+20%) .433 (+9%) .778 (+14%) 1726.1
2000 CHA AL 159 582 115 191 44 0 43 143 1 112 94 .328 .270 (+21%) .344 (+26%) .437 (+43%) .782 (+36%) 4899.1
2001 CHA AL 20 68 8 15 3 0 4 10 0 10 12 .221 .263 (-16%) .332 (-5%) .426 (+3%) .758 (avg) -5.9
2002 CHA AL 148 523 77 132 29 1 28 92 3 88 115 .252 .261 (-3%) .331 (+9%) .416 (+13%) .747 (+11%) 1379.8
2003 CHA AL 153 546 87 146 35 0 42 105 0 100 115 .267 .264 (+1%) .332 (+17%) .422 (+33%) .754 (+26%) 3294.5
2004 CHA AL 74 240 53 65 16 0 18 49 0 64 57 .271 .266 (+2%) .335 (+30%) .427 (+31%) .762 (+31%) 1688.4
2005 CHA AL 34 105 19 23 3 0 12 26 0 16 31 .219 .264 (-17%) .330 (-5%) .418 (+41%) .749 (+21%) 332.6
2006 OAK AL 137 466 77 126 11 0 39 114 0 81 81 .270 .269 (avg) .336 (+13%) .431 (+26%) .768 (+21%) 2194.0
2007 TOR AL 155 531 63 147 30 0 26 95 0 81 94 .277 .268 (+3%) .335 (+12%) .422 (+14%) .758 (+13%) 1674.2
2008 TOR AL 16 60 7 10 1 0 3 11 0 11 13 .167 .263 (-37%) .333 (-8%) .416 (-20%) .749 (-15%) -124.1
2008 OAK AL 55 186 20 49 6 1 5 19 0 28 44 .263 .263 (avg) .333 (+9%) .416 (-7%) .749 (avg) -124.1
Career · 20 seasons 2,322 8,199 1,494 2,468 495 12 521 1,704 32 1,667 1,397 .301 — — — — 56,236

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

Frank Thomas — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
16 49 5 11 1 0 3 5 18 10 .224

Playoff Batting by Year

Frank Thomas — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2006 ALCS OAK 4 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 .000
2006 ALDS2 OAK 3 10 3 5 1 0 2 2 2 1 .500
2000 ALDS2 CHA 3 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 .000
1993 ALCS CHA 6 17 2 6 0 0 1 3 10 5 .353

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (2322 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Frank Thomas — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home117340838101246312889.305
Away114941166841222209815.297

Last 10 Games — Batting

Frank Thomas — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
2008-08-29 OAKMINL 412000001
2008-08-28 OAKMINW 411100001
2008-08-27 OAKLAAW 303000010
2008-08-25 OAKLAAW 210000021
2008-08-24 OAKSEAL 400000000
2008-08-23 OAKSEAW 412000110
2008-08-22 OAKSEAL 410000002
2008-08-21 OAKSEAW 200000001
2008-08-20 OAKMINL 400000002
2008-08-19 OAKMINL 300000011

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Frank Thomas — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 971 969 7910 497 80 776

Season-by-Season Fielding

Frank Thomas — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1990 CHA 1B 51 51 428 26 5 53
1991 CHA 1B 56 56 459 27 2 43
1992 CHA 1B 158 157 1428 92 13 112
1993 CHA 1B 150 149 1222 83 15 128
1994 CHA 1B 99 99 735 45 7 74
1995 CHA 1B 90 89 738 34 7 67
1996 CHA 1B 139 139 1098 85 9 111
1997 CHA 1B 97 97 739 49 11 70
1998 CHA 1B 14 14 116 6 2 12
1999 CHA 1B 49 50 385 18 4 40
2000 CHA 1B 30 30 267 15 1 38
2001 CHA 1B 3 3 20 1 1 2
2002 CHA 1B 4 4 38 4 2 5
2003 CHA 1B 27 27 206 9 1 19
2004 CHA 1B 4 4 31 3 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Frank Thomas (b. 1968) Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
First Base 971
Designated Hitter 1310

Awards & Honors

Frank Thomas — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
2006 MLB Players Choice Comeback Player
2006 Player of the Week Week of 2006-09-09
2003 Player of the Week Week of 2003-08-23
2003 TSN All-Star DH
2000 MLB Players Choice Comeback Player
2000 Player of the Week Week of 2000-04-08
2000 Player of the Week Week of 2000-07-15
2000 Silver Slugger DH
2000 TSN Comeback Player of the Year
1999 Player of the Week Week of 1999-06-05
1997 Player of the Month May
1997 Player of the Week Week of 1997-05-31
1997 Player of the Week Week of 1997-07-12
1996 Player of the Month April
1996 Player of the Month September
1994 MLB Players Choice Outstanding Player
1994 Most Valuable Player
1994 Player of the Month July
1994 Player of the Month May
1994 Player of the Week Week of 1994-05-28
1994 Player of the Week Week of 1994-07-09
1994 Silver Slugger 1B
1994 TSN All-Star 1B
1993 MLB Players Choice Outstanding Player
1993 Most Valuable Player
1993 Player of the Month August
1993 Silver Slugger 1B
1993 TSN All-Star 1B
1993 TSN Major League Player of the Year
1992 Player of the Month September
1992 Player of the Week Week of 1992-05-09
1992 Player of the Week Week of 1992-07-25
1991 Player of the Month August
1991 Player of the Week Week of 1991-04-27
1991 Player of the Week Week of 1991-08-03
1991 Silver Slugger DH
1990 Player of the Week Week of 1990-09-22

Salary History

Frank Thomas — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
2008 TOR AL $12,560,000
2007 TOR AL $5,560,000
2006 OAK AL $500,000
2005 CHA AL $8,000,000
2004 CHA AL $6,000,000
2003 CHA AL $5,000,000
2002 CHA AL $9,927,000
2001 CHA AL $9,927,000
2000 CHA AL $7,100,000
1999 CHA AL $7,000,000
1998 CHA AL $7,000,000
1997 CHA AL $7,150,000
1996 CHA AL $7,150,000
1995 CHA AL $7,150,000
1994 CHA AL $2,755,000
1993 CHA AL $1,115,000
1992 CHA AL $620,000
1991 CHA AL $120,000
Total Career Earnings $104,634,000

College History

Frank Thomas — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Auburn University Auburn AL 1987, 1988, 1989

Award Voting History

Frank Thomas — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2007 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 1.0 392 0
2006 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 174.0 392 0
2003 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 20.0 392 0
2000 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 285.0 392 10
1997 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 172.0 392 0
1996 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 88.0 392 0
1995 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 86.0 392 0
1994 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 372.0 392 24
1993 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 392.0 392 28
1992 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 108.0 392 0
1991 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 181.0 392 1

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Frank Thomas (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    David Ortiz HOF
    .286 avg, 541 HR
  2. 95
    Edgar Martinez HOF
    .312 avg, 309 HR
  3. 59
    Nelson Cruz
    .274 avg, 464 HR
  4. 54
    Harold Baines HOF
    .289 avg, 384 HR
  5. 51
    Shohei Ohtani
    .281 avg, 310 HR
  6. 49
    Mike Sweeney
    .297 avg, 215 HR

Compare Frank Thomas

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Thomas's closest peers by position and era.

vs Barry Bonds
vs Albert Pujols
vs Manny Ramirez
vs Alex Rodriguez
vs Jim Thome
vs Miguel Cabrera

Browse all MLB player comparisons →

See Frank Thomas in Another Era

What would Thomas's 1994 season look like in a different era's run environment? Try the cross-era translation with a live slider.

Translate Frank Thomas's peak season across eras →

Frank Thomas: the record in brief

The profile opens with Frank Thomas's first major league game on August 2, 1990; the last one listed came on August 29, 2008. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1990 through 2005), the Oakland Athletics (2006 through 2008), and the Toronto Blue Jays (2007 through 2008). Thomas played primarily as a designated hitter and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on May 27, 1968, in Columbus, GA, USA and a listed size of 240 pounds on a 6-foot-5 frame. Frank Thomas was the playing name; the full given name is Frank Edward.

Thomas's career batting table shows 2,322 games, 8,199 at bats and 2,468 hits, a .301 average, plus 521 homers, 1,704 RBI, and 32 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .419 clip and slugging .555, Thomas finished with a .974 OPS. The league as a whole hit .265 across Thomas's seasons, which puts the .301 career mark 13.5% above average.

Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Thomas

What years did Frank Thomas play?
Frank Thomas played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2008.
Was Frank Thomas a pitcher?
No. Frank Thomas was a position player (Designated Hitter).
How many home runs did Frank Thomas hit?
Frank Thomas hit 521 career home runs with 2468 hits.
Is Frank Thomas in the Hall of Fame?
Yes. Frank Thomas was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
What was Frank Thomas's career batting average?
Frank Thomas batted .301 over his career, with 2,468 hits in 8,199 at bats.
How many RBI did Frank Thomas have?
Frank Thomas drove in 1,704 runs in his career.