Andre Thornton
Designated Hitter · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1973-1987)
Andre Thornton was a designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1987 for the Chicago Cubs, the Montreal Expos, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,565 career games, he hit .254 with 1,342 hits, 253 home runs, and 895 RBI. Andre Thornton was a 2-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger, and a Roberto Clemente Award. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 16,790.
- 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
- Designated Hitter
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1973-07-28
- Last Game
- 1987-08-31
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · Silver Slugger · Roberto Clemente Award
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,565 | 5,291 | 792 | 1,342 | 244 | 22 | 253 | 895 | 48 | 876 | 851 | .254 | .360 | .452 | .811 | 16,790 |
Career AVG .254 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .360 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +10.6% above league average.
Career SLG .452 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — +17.0% above league average.
Career OPS .811 vs. league average .711 across their career seasons — +14.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | CHN | NL | 17 | 35 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 9 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | CHN | NL | 107 | 303 | 41 | 79 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 46 | 2 | 48 | 50 | .261 | .256 (+2%) | .324 (+13%) | .369 (+19%) | .693 (+16%) | 1020.6 |
| 1975 | CHN | NL | 120 | 372 | 70 | 109 | 21 | 4 | 18 | 60 | 3 | 88 | 63 | .293 | .257 (+14%) | .327 (+31%) | .374 (+38%) | .701 (+35%) | 2810.2 |
| 1976 | CHN | NL | 27 | 85 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 14 | .200 | .255 (-22%) | .320 (+13%) | .360 (-5%) | .681 (+3%) | 120.0 |
| 1976 | MON | NL | 69 | 183 | 20 | 35 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 24 | 2 | 28 | 32 | .191 | .255 (-25%) | .320 (-5%) | .360 (+7%) | .681 (+2%) | 120.0 |
| 1977 | CLE | AL | 131 | 433 | 77 | 114 | 20 | 5 | 28 | 70 | 3 | 70 | 82 | .263 | .264 (avg) | .329 (+15%) | .401 (+31%) | .730 (+24%) | 2233.1 |
| 1978 | CLE | AL | 145 | 508 | 97 | 133 | 22 | 4 | 33 | 105 | 4 | 93 | 72 | .262 | .257 (+2%) | .323 (+17%) | .378 (+36%) | .702 (+27%) | 2915.0 |
| 1979 | CLE | AL | 143 | 515 | 89 | 120 | 31 | 1 | 26 | 93 | 5 | 90 | 93 | .233 | .265 (-12%) | .329 (+5%) | .397 (+13%) | .727 (+9%) | 1108.5 |
| 1981 | CLE | AL | 69 | 226 | 22 | 54 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 3 | 23 | 37 | .239 | .255 (-7%) | .320 (-5%) | .368 (+1%) | .688 (-2%) | -106.8 |
| 1982 | CLE | AL | 161 | 589 | 90 | 161 | 26 | 1 | 32 | 116 | 6 | 109 | 81 | .273 | .261 (+5%) | .324 (+19%) | .388 (+24%) | .712 (+22%) | 3019.4 |
| 1983 | CLE | AL | 141 | 508 | 78 | 143 | 27 | 1 | 17 | 77 | 4 | 87 | 72 | .281 | .260 (+8%) | .324 (+18%) | .389 (+13%) | .714 (+15%) | 1810.7 |
| 1984 | CLE | AL | 155 | 587 | 91 | 159 | 26 | 0 | 33 | 99 | 6 | 91 | 79 | .271 | .259 (+4%) | .322 (+13%) | .384 (+26%) | .707 (+20%) | 2526.1 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 124 | 461 | 49 | 109 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 88 | 3 | 47 | 75 | .236 | .257 (-8%) | .323 (-6%) | .390 (+4%) | .714 (avg) | -75.2 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | 120 | 401 | 49 | 92 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 66 | 4 | 65 | 67 | .229 | .257 (-11%) | .325 (+2%) | .395 (-1%) | .720 (avg) | 112.2 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | 36 | 85 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 25 | .118 | .262 (-55%) | .331 (-38%) | .415 (-66%) | .746 (-53%) | -759.6 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 1,565 | 5,291 | 792 | 1,342 | 244 | 22 | 253 | 895 | 48 | 876 | 851 | .254 | — | — | — | — | 16,854 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1565 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 788 | 2612 | 415 | 687 | 138 | 492 | .263 |
| Away | 777 | 2679 | 377 | 655 | 115 | 403 | .244 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-08-31 | CLE | DET | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-08-16 | CLE | NYY | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1987-08-05 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-08-04 | CLE | NYY | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-08-03 | CLE | NYY | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-07-25 | CLE | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-07-21 | CLE | KCR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1987-07-20 | CLE | KCR | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-07-10 | CLE | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-07-08 | CLE | KCR | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 729 | 692 | 6223 | 501 | 51 | 558 |
| 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 11 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | CHN | 1B | 9 | 8 | 81 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| 1974 | CHN | 1B | 90 | 76 | 760 | 70 | 7 | 61 |
| 1974 | CHN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | CHN | 1B | 113 | 107 | 982 | 77 | 13 | 88 |
| 1975 | CHN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | CHN | 1B | 25 | 22 | 202 | 19 | 3 | 17 |
| 1976 | MON | 1B | 43 | 38 | 326 | 26 | 2 | 43 |
| 1976 | MON | OF | 11 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | CLE | 1B | 117 | 114 | 1026 | 71 | 6 | 97 |
| 1978 | CLE | 1B | 145 | 144 | 1327 | 106 | 7 | 106 |
| 1979 | CLE | 1B | 130 | 130 | 1089 | 82 | 7 | 100 |
| 1981 | CLE | 1B | 11 | 8 | 67 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 1982 | CLE | 1B | 8 | 8 | 76 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1983 | CLE | 1B | 27 | 26 | 201 | 21 | 2 | 20 |
| 1984 | CLE | 1B | 11 | 11 | 86 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 728 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Right Field | 11 |
| Designated Hitter | 738 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Silver Slugger | DH |
| 1983 | Player of the Week | Week of 1983-04-08 |
| 1982 | Hutch Award | |
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-07-30 |
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-04-16 |
| 1982 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1979 | Roberto Clemente Award | |
| 1978 | Player of the Week | Week of 1978-06-02 |
| 1977 | Player of the Week | Week of 1977-07-22 |
| 1975 | Player of the Month | September |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | CLE | AL | $1,100,000 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | $1,100,000 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | $1,100,000 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | $1,100,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $4,400,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 5.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1982 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 8.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 20th | 12.0 | 392 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Andre Thornton (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Andre Thornton
Andre Thornton: the record in brief
Andre Thornton's major league career runs from a debut on July 28, 1973 to a final game on August 31, 1987. By club, Thornton's seasons break down as the Chicago Cubs (1973 through 1976), the Montreal Expos (1976), and the Cleveland Indians (1977 to 1987). Thornton, a designated hitter by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. Thornton is listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 200 pounds. Thornton was born on August 13, 1949, in Tuskegee, AL, USA.
The batting record for Thornton: 1,565 games, 1,342 hits in 5,291 at bats, and a .254 average, adding 253 home runs, 895 runs batted in, and 48 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .360 and .452 give Thornton a career OPS of .811. Against a .259 league average for those years, Thornton's .254 average was near the norm. No season beat the 33 home runs Thornton hit in 1978. The hits column peaks at 161, in 1982. Thornton drove in a season-high 116 runs in 1982.
Frequently Asked Questions about Andre Thornton
- What years did Andre Thornton play?
- Andre Thornton played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1987.
- Was Andre Thornton a pitcher?
- No. Andre Thornton was a position player (Designated Hitter).
- How many home runs did Andre Thornton hit?
- Andre Thornton hit 253 career home runs with 1342 hits.
- What was Andre Thornton's career batting average?
- Andre Thornton batted .254 over his career, with 1,342 hits in 5,291 at bats.
- How many RBI did Andre Thornton have?
- Andre Thornton drove in 895 runs in his career.
- Is Andre Thornton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Andre Thornton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.