Steve Sax
Sax's 1986 season stands as one of the most underrated leadoff campaigns of the 1980s — that .332 average and .830 OPS from the top of the Dodgers' order helped fuel their division title run. For a middle infielder in the dead-ball 1980s, those numbers represented elite offensive production.
The five-time All-Star built his reputation on contact and speed rather than power, finishing with a respectable .281 career average despite never developing the home run stroke that defined later second basemen. His 54 career homers spread across 14 seasons tell the story of a different era, when middle infielders were valued for defense and getting on base rather than launching balls over the fence.
Sax's Rookie of the Year award and Silver Slugger recognition reflected his ability to maximize modest tools through smart hitting and aggressive baserunning. His OPS+ peaked at 115 in that magical 1986 season, showing he could compete with the game's elite hitters when everything clicked.
Career · Batting
14 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | LAD | 31 | 119 | 2 | 9 | .277 | .662 | 96 |
| 1982 | LAD | 150 | 638 | 4 | 47 | .282 | .694 | 97 |
| 1983 | LAD | 155 | 623 | 5 | 41 | .281 | .692 | 97 |
| 1984 | LAD | 145 | 569 | 1 | 35 | .243 | .604 | 85 |
| 1985 | LAD | 136 | 488 | 1 | 42 | .279 | .670 | 94 |
| 1986 | LAD | 157 | 633 | 6 | 56 | .332 | .830 | 115 |
| 1987 | LAD | 157 | 610 | 6 | 46 | .280 | .700 | 94 |
| 1988 | LAD | 160 | 632 | 5 | 57 | .277 | .668 | 96 |
| 1989 | NYY | 158 | 651 | 5 | 63 | .315 | .751 | 108 |
| 1990 | NYY | 155 | 615 | 4 | 42 | .260 | .641 | 90 |
| 1991 | NYY | 158 | 652 | 10 | 56 | .304 | .759 | 107 |
| 1992 | CWS | 143 | 567 | 4 | 47 | .236 | .607 | 87 |
| 1993 | CWS | 57 | 119 | 1 | 8 | .235 | .586 | 80 |
| 1994 | ATH | 7 | 24 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .583 | 76 |
| Career | 1769 | 6940 | 54 | 550 | .281 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.