Two of the Best: Kirby Puckett vs. Tim Raines

Published: July 27, 2024

Share With Other Baseball Fans:

Last Updated: July 27th, 2024 by Jake Cain

Kirby Puckett and Tim Raines were two of the most electrifying players of their generation. Whether you rooted for the Minnesota Twins or the Montreal Expos, these two stars made baseball exciting. Join us as we take a closer look at their careers, using statistics and accolades to see how these legends stack up against each other.

Kirby Puckett vs Tim Raines — via Stathead

From Humble Beginnings to Star Status

Kirby Puckett: Kirby Puckett grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago, one of the city’s housing projects. Despite the odds, he made a name for himself in baseball. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1982, Puckett’s journey to the majors was swift. He debuted on May 8, 1984, and instantly became a fan favorite with his infectious enthusiasm and remarkable talent.

Tim Raines: Tim Raines, nicknamed “Rock,” hailed from Sanford, Florida, where he excelled in baseball, football, and track. Drafted by the Montreal Expos in the fifth round of the 1977 MLB draft, Raines quickly rose through the ranks. He made his MLB debut on September 11, 1979, and soon became known for his blistering speed and sharp batting eye.

Batting Excellence

Puckett’s Offensive Contributions: Puckett was a hitting machine, finishing his career with a .318 batting average. Over 12 seasons, he amassed 2,304 hits, 207 home runs, and 1,085 RBIs. His ability to consistently get on base and drive in runs made him a cornerstone of the Twins’ lineup. Puckett was a 10-time All-Star and won six Silver Slugger Awards, showcasing his prowess at the plate.

Raines’ Offensive Prowess: Raines was a master at reaching base. With a career batting average of .294 and an on-base percentage of .385, he was a constant threat. Over 23 seasons, Raines collected 2,605 hits, 170 home runs, and 980 RBIs. He was also a prolific base stealer, tallying 808 stolen bases, making him one of the most effective leadoff hitters in history.

Defensive Skills

Puckett the Glove: Kirby Puckett’s defensive skills were just as impressive as his batting. He won six Gold Glove Awards, proving his excellence in center field. Puckett’s range and arm strength made him a feared defender, often robbing hitters of extra bases with his spectacular catches.

Raines in the Outfield: Tim Raines may not have won a Gold Glove, but he was an excellent left fielder. Known for his speed and strong arm, Raines led the National League in outfield assists in 1983. His ability to turn double plays and his fielding percentage of .987 reflect his defensive reliability.

Awards and Accolades

Kirby Puckett:

10× All-Star (1986–1995)
2× World Series champion (1987, 1991)
ALCS MVP (1991)
6× Gold Glove Award (1986–1989, 1991, 1992)
6× Silver Slugger Award (1986–1989, 1992, 1994)
Roberto Clemente Award (1996)
AL batting champion (1989)
AL RBI leader (1994)
Minnesota Twins No. 34 retired
Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Inducted 2001, 82.1% on first ballot)

Standard Batting
Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	Pos	Awards
1984	24	MIN	AL	128	583	557	63	165	12	5	0	31	14	7	16	69	.296	.320	.336	.655	79	187	11	4	4	2	1	*8	RoY-3
1985	25	MIN	AL	161	744	*691*	80	199	29	13	4	74	21	12	41	87	.288	.330	.385	.715	92	266	9	4	5	3	0	*8/H	MVP-21
1986	26	MIN	AL	161	723	680	119	223	37	6	31	96	20	12	34	99	.328	.366	.537	.903	142	365	14	7	2	0	4	*8/H	AS,MVP-6,GG,SS
1987	27	MIN	AL	157	668	624	96	207	32	5	28	99	12	7	32	91	.332	.367	.534	.900	132	333	16	6	0	6	7	*8/DH	AS,MVP-3,GG,SS
1988	28	MIN	AL	158	691	*657*	109	*234*	42	5	24	121	6	7	23	83	.356	.375	.545	.920	153	*358*	17	2	0	9	4	*8/H	AS,MVP-3,GG,SS
1989	29	MIN	AL	159	684	635	75	*215*	45	4	9	85	11	4	41	59	*.339*	.379	.465	.843	131	295	21	3	0	5	9	*8/HD	AS,MVP-7,GG,SS
1990	30	MIN	AL	146	615	551	82	164	40	3	12	80	5	4	57	73	.298	.365	.446	.811	121	246	15	3	1	3	11	*8/79D45H6	AS
1991	31	MIN	AL	152	661	611	92	195	29	6	15	89	11	5	31	78	.319	.352	.460	.812	119	281	27	4	8	7	4	*89	AS,MVP-7,GG
1992	32	MIN	AL	160	696	639	104	*210*	38	4	19	110	17	7	44	97	.329	.374	.490	.864	139	313	17	6	1	6	13	*8/DH456	AS,MVP-2,GG,SS
1993	33	MIN	AL	156	682	622	89	184	39	3	22	89	8	6	47	93	.296	.349	.474	.824	120	295	15	7	1	5	7	*89D/7	AS
1994	34	MIN	AL	108	482	439	79	139	32	3	20	112	6	3	28	47	.317	.362	.540	.902	129	237	11	7	1	7	7	*9D/8	AS,MVP-7,SS
1995	35	MIN	AL	137	602	538	83	169	39	0	23	99	3	2	56	89	.314	.379	.515	.894	130	277	15	3	0	5	18	*9D/845H6	AS,MVP-21
12 Yrs				1783	7831	7244	1071	2304	414	57	207	1085	134	76	450	965	.318	.360	.477	.837	124	3453	188	56	23	58	85
162 Game Avg.				162	712	658	97	209	38	5	19	99	12	7	41	88	.318	.360	.477	.837	124	314	17	5	2	5	8

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/26/2024.

Tim Raines:

7× All-Star (1981–1987)
3× World Series champion (1996, 1998, 2005)
Silver Slugger Award (1986)
NL batting champion (1986)
4× NL stolen base leader (1981–1984)
Montreal Expos No. 30 retired
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Inducted 2017, 86.0% on tenth ballot)

Standard Batting
Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	Pos	Awards
1979	19	MON	NL	6	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0						0	0	0	0	0	0	/H
1980	20	MON	NL	15	27	20	5	1	0	0	0	0	5	0	6	3	.050	.269	.050	.319	-5	1	0	0	1	0	0	H/47
1981	21	MON	NL	88	363	313	61	95	13	7	5	37	71	11	45	31	.304	.391	.438	.829	135	137	7	2	0	3	5	*7/H4	AS,MVP-19,RoY-2
1982	22	MON	NL	156	731	647	90	179	32	8	4	43	78	16	75	83	.277	.353	.369	.723	101	239	6	2	6	1	9	*74	AS
1983	23	MON	NL	156	720	615	*133*	183	32	8	11	71	90	14	97	70	.298	.393	.429	.822	129	264	12	2	2	4	9	*7/48H9	AS,MVP-5
1984	24	MON	NL	160	718	622	106	192	38	9	8	60	75	10	87	69	.309	.393	.437	.830	138	272	7	2	3	4	7	*8/4H	AS,MVP-11
1985	25	MON	NL	150	665	575	115	184	30	13	11	41	70	9	81	60	.320	.405	.475	.880	151	273	9	3	3	3	13	*7/H	AS,MVP-12
1986	26	MON	NL	151	664	580	91	194	35	10	9	62	70	9	78	60	.334	.413	.476	.889	145	276	6	2	1	3	9	*7/H	AS,MVP-6,SS
1987	27	MON	NL	139	627	530	*123*	175	34	8	18	68	50	5	90	52	.330	.429	.526	.955	149	279	9	4	0	3	26	*7	AS,MVP-7
1988	28	MON	NL	109	488	429	66	116	19	7	12	48	33	7	53	44	.270	.350	.431	.782	120	185	8	2	0	4	14	7/H
1989	29	MON	NL	145	618	517	76	148	29	6	9	60	41	9	93	48	.286	.395	.418	.813	132	216	8	3	0	5	18	*7/H	MVP-17
1990	30	MON	NL	130	538	457	65	131	11	5	9	62	49	16	70	43	.287	.379	.392	.771	117	179	9	3	0	8	8	*7/H
1991	31	CHW	AL	155	709	609	102	163	20	6	5	50	51	15	83	68	.268	.359	.345	.703	98	210	7	5	9	3	9	*7D/H89
1992	32	CHW	AL	144	644	551	102	162	22	9	7	54	45	6	81	48	.294	.380	.405	.784	122	223	5	0	4	8	4	*7D/H8
1993	33	CHW	AL	115	486	415	75	127	16	4	16	54	21	7	64	35	.306	.401	.480	.880	138	199	7	3	2	2	4	*7/H
1994	34	CHW	AL	101	453	384	80	102	15	5	10	52	13	0	61	43	.266	.365	.409	.774	102	157	10	1	4	3	3	*7/H
1995	35	CHW	AL	133	581	502	81	143	25	4	12	67	13	2	70	52	.285	.374	.422	.796	111	212	8	3	3	3	3	*7DH/9
1996	36	NYY	AL	59	240	201	45	57	10	0	9	33	10	1	34	29	.284	.383	.468	.851	114	94	5	1	0	4	1	7/HD
1997	37	NYY	AL	74	318	271	56	87	20	2	4	38	8	5	41	34	.321	.403	.454	.856	124	123	4	0	0	6	0	7D/H
1998	38	NYY	AL	109	382	321	53	93	13	1	5	47	8	3	55	49	.290	.395	.383	.778	107	123	5	3	0	3	1	D7H
1999	39	OAK	AL	58	164	135	20	29	5	0	4	17	4	1	26	17	.215	.337	.341	.678	79	46	5	0	1	2	1	7H/D8

2001	41	TOT	MLB	51	109	89	14	27	8	1	1	9	1	0	18	9	.303	.413	.449	.862	124	40	2	0	0	2	0	H7/D
2001	41	MON	NL	47	97	78	13	24	8	1	0	4	1	0	18	6	.308	.433	.436	.869	126	34	2	0	0	1	0	H7
2001	41	BAL	AL	4	12	11	1	3	0	0	1	5	0	0	0	3	.273	.250	.545	.795	106	6	0	0	0	1	0	/7HD
2002	42	FLA	NL	98	114	89	9	17	3	0	1	7	0	0	22	19	.191	.351	.258	.609	66	23	3	1	0	2	4	H7/D
23 Yrs				2502	10359	8872	1571	2605	430	113	170	980	808	146	1330	966	.294	.385	.425	.810	123	3771	142	42	39	76	148
162 Game Avg.				162	671	574	102	169	28	7	11	63	52	9	86	63	.294	.385	.425	.810	123	244	9	3	3	5	10
				G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	Pos	Awards
MON (13 yrs)				1452	6256	5383	947	1622	281	82	96	556	635	106	793	569	.301	.391	.437	.829	131	2355	83	25	16	39	118
CHW (5 yrs)				648	2873	2461	440	697	98	28	50	277	143	30	359	246	.283	.375	.407	.781	113	1001	37	12	22	19	23
NYY (3 yrs)				242	940	793	154	237	43	3	18	118	26	9	130	112	.299	.395	.429	.823	115	340	14	4	0	13	2
FLA (1 yr)				98	114	89	9	17	3	0	1	7	0	0	22	19	.191	.351	.258	.609	66	23	3	1	0	2	4
BAL (1 yr)				4	12	11	1	3	0	0	1	5	0	0	0	3	.273	.250	.545	.795	106	6	0	0	0	1	0
OAK (1 yr)				58	164	135	20	29	5	0	4	17	4	1	26	17	.215	.337	.341	.678	79	46	5	0	1	2	1

NL (14 yrs)				1550	6370	5472	956	1639	284	82	97	563	635	106	815	588	.300	.390	.435	.825	130	2378	86	26	16	41	122
AL (10 yrs)				952	3989	3400	615	966	146	31	73	417	173	40	515	378	.284	.377	.410	.787	112	1393	56	16	23	35	26

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/26/2024.

Memorable Moments and Impact

Puckett’s Iconic Moments: Kirby Puckett’s career is filled with unforgettable highlights. One of his most legendary moments came in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series. With the Twins down 3-2 in the series against the Braves, Puckett hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning, forcing a Game 7, which the Twins eventually won. This heroics earned him the ALCS MVP award and solidified his place in World Series lore.

Raines’ Electrifying Plays: Tim Raines also had his share of dramatic moments. Known for his incredible speed, Raines once set a rookie record with 71 stolen bases in 1981. His return to the Expos in 1987 after the collusion scandal was another significant moment. In his first game back, Raines went 4-for-5, hit a grand slam, and led the Expos to a victory, a triumphant return that highlighted his resilience and talent.

Legacy and Post-Career Contributions

Puckett’s Lasting Impact: Kirby Puckett’s impact on the game goes beyond his impressive stats. His charisma and joy for the game made him a beloved figure in Minnesota and throughout baseball. After his career was cut short by glaucoma, Puckett still found ways to contribute to the sport, working with the Twins as an executive vice president and staying active in the community. His sudden passing in 2006 was a significant loss to the baseball world, but his legacy lives on through the Kirby Puckett Eye Mobile, which provides eye care to underserved communities.

Raines’ Continued Influence: Tim Raines has remained active in baseball long after his retirement. He has served as a coach and mentor to younger players, sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience. Raines’ induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017 was a testament to his impact on the game. His fight against lupus and his advocacy for health awareness have also left an indelible mark.

Conclusion

Comparing Kirby Puckett and Tim Raines reveals two players who made significant contributions to baseball in different ways. Puckett’s power, consistency, and defensive brilliance contrasted with Raines’ speed, on-base skills, and baserunning prowess. Both players left lasting legacies, not only through their performance on the field but also through their character and contributions off it. Whether you admire Puckett’s joyful approach to the game or Raines’ relentless drive and resilience, there is no denying that both have earned their place among baseball’s greats.