One of the things that makes baseball (and sports in general) great is that no two journeys are the same. Even if two players finish their respective careers with a similar number of home runs, they each do it in their own special way. Gary Sheffield knows a thing or two about that.
There are currently 28 players in the 500 home run club. The road for each player in the club was unique, and some found a way to distinguish themselves within an already exclusive club. But nobody has done it quite like Sheffield did during his 22-year career.
Editor’s Note: Looking to Sell Sports Cards? Here’s How to Do It Quickly & Easily
Gary Sheffield Was a Well-Traveled Slugger
Sheffield is an iconic ballplayer for many ’90s and early-2000s baseball fans because of his incredible batting stance. Seriously—if you told me you’ve never once imitated his batting stance in the backyard, your bedroom, or anywhere else, then I’d find that hard to believe.
Another thing that makes Sheffield unique within the 500-homer club is the sheer number of teams he suited up for. He suited up for eight organizations before his player days were through. Nobody with at least 500 homers has played for more teams than him.
Here’s a quick breakdown of who Sheffield played for and how many homers he slugged during his time with them:
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 129 homers in four seasons
- Florida Marlins: 122 homers in six seasons
- New York Yankees: 76 homers in three seasons
- Atlanta Braves: 64 homers in two seasons
- Detroit Tigers: 44 homers in two seasons
- San Diego Padres: 43 homers in two seasons
- Milwaukee Brewers: 21 homers in four seasons
- New York Mets: 10 homers in one season
Sheffield finished his career with 509 home runs. And to make things even more fun, his 500th homer was the first time he went deep with the Mets in 2009 at age 40.
Pinpointing Sheffield’s Power Prime
Reaching a career milestone like 500 homers means a player had to be a consistently good hitter for the majority of their time in the big leagues. That’s exactly what Sheffield did—the 162-game average for his entire career included a .907 OPS with 32 homers and 105 RBI.
But still, there’s a period that stands out above the rest. It started in 1999, his first full season with the Dodgers, and lasted until 2005 with the Yankees.
These seven seasons included six performances of at least 30 homers and 100 RBI. The only time he didn’t reach those numbers was in 2002 with the Braves, when he slugged 25 homers with 84 RBI while appearing in just 135 games. Sheffield’s overall performance was worth at least 3.2 bWAR in each season.
Overall, he produced 33.2 bWAR during this stretch, which accounts for about 55% of his career total (60.5). And in case you’re wondering (I know you are!), an average year from Sheffield between 1999 and 2005 included a .307/.408/.558 line with 35 homers, 27 doubles, 110 RBI, and 105 runs scored.
Sheffield was named an All-Star five times during this stretch. He also took home three of his five Silver Slugger Awards and finished within the top 20 of MVP voting five times. This included four top-10 finishes and three straight from 2003-05 (third in ‘03, second in ‘04, and eighth in ‘05).
Gary Sheffield Baseball Cards Worth Adding to Your Collection
A career like Sheffield’s deserves some cardboard representation. Here are three cards worth tracking down.
1989 Upper Deck #13 (Star Rookie)
This card comes from the same 1989 Upper Deck checklist that gave us Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, and John Smoltz. Raw copies are nearly free, and even a PSA 10 will only run you less than $100, according to Sports Cards Pro. The error variant with the “SS” position label printed upside down can carry a small premium, too.
1994 Topps Finest #225 Refractor
The early Finest Refractors are a genuine piece of hobby history — the rainbow shimmer was unlike anything collectors had seen at the time. There isn’t a lot of sales data available here, but Sports Cards Pro data shows that a PSA 9 example sold in February for $37.79.
1989 Topps #343 (Future Star) — Tiffany Version
The base version of this card costs almost nothing, but the glossy Tiffany parallel — distributed exclusively through hobby shops — can fly under the radar. Graded copies in nice condition can fetch $50 to a few hundred dollars, making it a solid sleeper pick for a guy in the 500-homer club.
Love home runs? Sign up for my Substack today and start getting interesting home run-related observations straight to your inbox! And if you’re new to MLB Daily Dingers, it’s probably best to start here.
