1981–2000 · 3B

Gary Gaetti

6' 0", 180 lbs·Lived to 68·Bats R / Throws R

4×Gold GloveSilver SluggerAll-Star

The Almanac's Take

Gaetti's glove work at third base was elite, but his 1988 breakout revealed untapped offensive potential that never quite resurfaced. That career-best .301 average and .905 OPS came out of nowhere for a player who'd previously maxed out at .272, suggesting he briefly unlocked something special before reverting to his norm.

Those four Gold Gloves tell the real story. Gaetti anchored the Twins' hot corner during their 1987 and 1991 World Series runs with steady defense and just enough pop to matter. His 360 career homers spread across two decades show remarkable durability for a third baseman in an era when the position wasn't known for offensive production.

The 96 career OPS+ captures Gaetti perfectly — slightly below average offensively but valuable enough when combined with his glove to stick around for 20 seasons. He was the definition of a steady, reliable corner infielder.

Career Highs

.905

Best OPS · 1988

Most HR · 1995

109

Most RBI · 1987

.301

Best AVG · 1988

Career Arc · OPS

19 seasons

Statistical Comps

Jorge Polanco

99%

2025 season

ISO .229 · K% 15.7 · BB% 8.1 · HR% 5.0

Shohei Ohtani

99%

2024 season

ISO .336 · K% 22.3 · BB% 11.1 · HR% 7.4

Bobby Witt

99%

2024 season

ISO .256 · K% 15.0 · BB% 8.0 · HR% 4.5

Career · Batting

20 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1981	MIN	9	26	2	3	.192	.615	89
1982	MIN	145	508	25	84	.230	.723	101
1983	MIN	157	584	21	78	.245	.724	101
1984	MIN	162	588	5	65	.262	.665	94
1985	MIN	160	560	20	63	.246	.710	99
1986	MIN	157	596	34	108	.287	.865	120
1987	MIN	154	584	31	109	.257	.788	106
1988	MIN	133	468	28	88	.301	.905	130
1989	MIN	130	498	19	75	.251	.690	99
1990	MIN	154	577	16	85	.229	.650	92
1991	CAL	152	586	18	66	.246	.672	95
1992	CAL	130	456	12	48	.226	.610	87
1993	KC	102	331	14	50	.245	.738	100
1994	KC	90	327	12	57	.287	.789	103
1995	KC	137	514	35	96	.261	.846	112
1996	STL	141	522	23	80	.274	.799	104
1997	STL	148	502	17	69	.251	.710	94
1998	STL	128	434	19	70	.281	.852	113
1999	CHC	113	280	9	46	.204	.599	77
2000	BOS	5	10	0	1	.000	.000	0
Career		2507	8951	360	1341	.255	—	—

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