1971–1986 · 1B

Dave Kingman

6' 6", 210 lbs·Lived to 78·Bats R / Throws R

All-Star

The Almanac's Take

Kingman embodied baseball's ultimate boom-or-bust hitter, launching 442 home runs while hitting just .236 — a gap between power and contact that remains staggering even by today's standards. His 1979 season with the Cubs showcased both sides: 48 homers and 115 RBIs alongside a career-high .288 average that proved he could make contact when locked in.

The towering first baseman's career OPS+ of 112 tells the story of a player who provided above-average offensive value despite the batting average that made pitchers confident and fans nervous. His three All-Star selections came during an era when 30-homer seasons still turned heads, making his consistent power production genuinely rare.

Kingman's legacy lives in the tension between spectacular and frustrating — a precursor to modern three-true-outcomes hitters, but without the plate discipline that makes today's sluggers more palatable to traditional fans.

Career Highs

.956

Best OPS · 1979

Most HR · 1979

118

Most RBI · 1984

.288

Best AVG · 1979

Career Arc · OPS

16 seasons

Statistical Comps

Junior Caminero

99%

2025 season

ISO .271 · K% 19.1 · BB% 6.3 · HR% 6.9

Shohei Ohtani

99%

2024 season

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

Kerry Carpenter

99%

2025 season

ISO .245 · K% 23.0 · BB% 3.9 · HR% 5.7

Career · Batting

16 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1971	SF	41	115	6	24	.278	.885	130
1972	SF	135	472	29	83	.225	.765	115
1973	SF	112	305	24	55	.203	.779	111
1974	SF	121	350	18	55	.223	.742	107
1975	NYM	134	502	36	88	.231	.778	111
1976	NYM	123	474	37	86	.238	.793	116
1977	NYM	132	439	26	78	.221	.720	99
1978	CHC	119	395	28	79	.266	.878	125
1979	CHC	145	532	48	115	.288	.956	131
1980	CHC	81	255	18	57	.278	.850	119
1981	NYM	100	353	22	59	.221	.782	114
1982	NYM	149	535	37	99	.204	.717	101
1983	NYM	100	248	13	29	.198	.648	91
1984	ATH	147	549	35	118	.268	.826	117
1985	ATH	158	592	30	91	.238	.726	102
1986	ATH	144	561	35	94	.210	.686	95
Career		1941	6677	442	1210	.236	—	—

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