1989–2003 · LF

Greg Vaughn

6' 0", 195 lbs·Lived to 61·Bats R / Throws R

Silver SluggerAll-Star

The Almanac's Take

Vaughn's 1998 season with San Diego stands as one of the great power surges in National League history. His 50 home runs that year tied him with Ken Griffey Jr. for the major league lead, making him just the 17th player ever to reach that milestone. The achievement was particularly stunning given his career .242 average — few players have combined such prolific power with such modest batting averages.

The consistency of Vaughn's pop was remarkable across 15 seasons. He cleared 30 homers six times and finished with 355 career long balls despite never hitting higher than .281 in any season. His four All-Star selections and Silver Slugger award reflected his value as a pure run producer, the type of middle-of-the-order threat who could change games with one swing.

That 1998 peak represented the perfect storm: career-high contact rate, launching pad Qualcomm Stadium, and the tail end of baseball's offensive explosion. His OPS+ of 127 that season was 21 points above his career mark, showing just how special that 50-homer campaign truly was.

Career Highs

.960

Best OPS · 1998

Most HR · 1998

119

Most RBI · 1998

.272

Best AVG · 1998

Career Arc · OPS

15 seasons

Statistical Comps

Shohei Ohtani

99%

2025 season

ISO .340 · K% 25.8 · BB% 15.0 · HR% 7.6

Ben Rice

99%

2025 season

ISO .244 · K% 18.9 · BB% 9.5 · HR% 4.9

Career · Batting

15 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1989	ML4	38	113	5	23	.265	.761	110
1990	ML4	120	382	17	61	.220	.712	100
1991	ML4	145	542	27	98	.244	.774	109
1992	ML4	141	501	23	78	.228	.723	103
1993	ML4	154	569	30	97	.267	.850	116
1994	ML4	95	370	19	55	.254	.824	108
1995	ML4	108	392	17	59	.224	.725	96
1996	ML4	145	516	41	117	.260	.903	118
1997	SD	120	361	18	57	.216	.716	95
1998	SD	158	573	50	119	.272	.960	127
1999	CIN	153	550	45	118	.245	.881	113
2000	TB	127	461	28	74	.254	.864	110
2001	TB	136	485	24	82	.233	.766	101
2002	TB	69	251	8	29	.163	.601	80
2003	COL	22	37	3	5	.189	.840	111
Career		1731	6103	355	1072	.242	—	—

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