A Third Round Pick from Washington State, John Olerud is one of a handful of players who never played in the Minors before tasting the Majors.

Playing only a handful of games in 1989, the First Baseman was used in a platoon in 1990 and 1991, but it was evident that Olerud was ready to take it over full-time.  Olerud was their everyday First Baseman when they won their first World Series in 1992, and he was one of the best players in the AL the following season when the Blue Jays repeated as champions.  

Olerud was still good over the next three seasons, though he was not as offensively potent.  Olerud won the 1993 Batting Title (.363) and led the league in OBP (.473), OPS (1.072), OPS+ (186), and Doubles (54).  He finished third in MVP voting, and this was his only season as a Jay where he went to an All-Star Game.  Toronto traded Olerud to the Mets as part of an overhaul, leaving the organization with 910 Hits, 109 Home Runs, and a Batting Average of .293.  Olerud was also inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

There are many people who think of John Olerud only as the guy who wore a batting helmet in the field, which he did so to protect his skull, as he had a brain aneurysm as a teenager.  He was undoubtedly a lot more than that!

Olerud came up through the Blue Jays system and would become their starting First Baseman in 1992, after platooning for three years.  Having never played a game in the minors, Olerud would help Toronto win the World Series in back-to-back seasons (1992 & 1993), with 1993 being incredibly impressive.  In that season, he would win the Batting Title (.363) and would also lead the American League in On Base Percentage (.473), OPS (1.072), and Doubles (54). 

Olerud would not have another year like that, but there was a lot left for him to offer.  He had three more .300 Seasons (one with the New York Mets and two with Seattle), was an All-Star for a second time in 2001, and overall had five 20 Home Run Seasons, with 255.  

Defensively speaking, Olerud was one of the best at his position.  He would win the Gold Glove three times and would finish either first or second in Total Zone Runs for First Basemen seven times.

By December 1999, when John Olerud became a free agent, his achievements were already outstanding. He had secured an American League batting title and earned two consecutive World Series championships with Toronto, followed by three highly effective seasons with the New York Mets. However, the pull of returning to his roots in the Pacific Northwest—where he had established himself as a legendary, multi-talented All-American at Washington State University—was too strong. The Seattle Mariners signed the graceful first baseman to a three-year deal, aligning his arrival to replace star Ken Griffey Jr., and to help stabilize a franchise nearing an unprecedented competitive phase.

Olerud’s homecoming immediately yielded defensive dividends that national writers had long overlooked during his time on the East Coast. Standing a flexible 6-foot-5, his pristine positioning, soft hands, and uncanny ability to scoop off-target throws turned the Seattle infield dirt into an absolute clinic. In his inaugural summer with the club in 2000, he captured his first career Gold Glove Award, an accolade he would win twice more in 2002 and 2003. He transformed first base defense into an art form, providing a vital safety net for a star-studded coaching staff and a young pitching core that relied heavily on his level-headed execution.

Olerud's impeccable glove established a perfect baseline, but his flawless left-handed swing remained a powerful weapon in Lou Piniella's lineup. His technique reached a remarkable peak during the notable 2001 and 2002 seasons. In those summers, he consistently maintained above a .300 batting average while displaying a top-tier, walk-focused approach that kept his on-base percentage over .400. He combined disciplined plate discipline with an unexpected increase in raw power, hitting exactly 21 home runs in 2001 and 22 in 2002.

His outstanding 2001 regular season was the driving force behind a historic roster that captivated the baseball world. Olerud played all 159 games, driving in 95 runs and achieving a remarkable 136 OPS+, leading a lineup that set an American League record with 116 wins. That summer, he received his only career American League All-Star nod, reinforcing his role as the steady, professional core of the most dominant regular-season team of the modern era.

The veteran finally faced the effects of aging and ongoing lower-body problems during the 2004 season. His offensive stats declined sharply, and as the Mariners shifted to a younger roster, the front office decided to release the popular first baseman in July. He had brief stints with the Yankees and Red Sox before retiring, ending a highly successful 17-year Major League career.

Olerud walked away from Safeco Field having compiled 709 hits, 72 home runs, and a phenomenal .285/.388/.439 slash line across his 717 games in a Mariners uniform.

John Olerud was only with the New York Mets for three seasons, but the already two time World Series Champion subtly racked up a lot of hits, including a 1998 season where he batted .354 and finished 12th in MVP voting.  Overall, Olerud had an excellent Slash Line as a Met of .315/.425/.501, which is an incredible number that propelled him to this rank.