Stars of The ’90s: Paul O’Neill vs. David Justice

Published: July 25, 2024

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Last Updated: July 25th, 2024 by Jake Cain

The 1990s were stacked with some of the best players to ever play the game. Two of them, while not immediately considered “superstars” but who still enjoyed immense success, were Paul O’Neill and David Justice. Both had careers brimming with accomplishments, dramatic moments, and unwavering commitment to the game. Let’s dive into these players’ career, comparing their stats, awards, and impact on the game.

Paul ONeill vs David Justice — via Stathead

The Early Days and Career Beginnings

Paul O’Neill: The Warrior in Right Field

Paul O’Neill, born in Columbus, Ohio, had a solid foundation in baseball, starting with the Cincinnati Reds. Drafted in the fourth round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft, O’Neill made his MLB debut on September 3, 1985. Though his initial seasons saw him shuffling between the minors and the Show, he gradually found his stride. O’Neill’s best years with the Reds included a memorable 1990 season when the team captured the World Series title.

Stats with the Reds:

Batting Average: .259
Home Runs: 96
RBIs: 411

His move to the New York Yankees in 1993, via a trade for Roberto Kelly, transformed his career. O’Neill’s fiery passion and consistent performance made him a key player during the Yankees’ late-90s dynasty. Known for his grit and never-satisfied demeanor, O’Neill played his heart out every game.

David Justice: The Power-Hitting Outfielder

David Justice, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, took a slightly different path. After attending high school at Covington Latin School and receiving a basketball scholarship to Thomas More College, he found his way to the Atlanta Braves, making his MLB debut on May 24, 1989. Justice quickly made an impact, winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1990.

Stats with the Braves:

Batting Average: .281
Home Runs: 160
RBIs: 519

Justice’s bat was a force to be reckoned with, especially during the Braves’ dominant years in the early ’90s. His 1995 World Series-winning home run against the Cleveland Indians is still remembered by Braves fans as a defining moment.

Prime Years and Statistical Profiles

O’Neill’s Consistent Power and Grit

Paul O’Neill’s numbers in New York cemented his legacy as a clutch performer and a team leader. His best season came in the strike-shortened 1994 when he won the American League batting title with a .359 average. Over his career, O’Neill maintained impressive stats:

Career Stats:

Batting Average: .288
Home Runs: 281
RBIs: 1,269
Hits: 2,107
All-Star Appearances: 5 (1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998)

O’Neill’s role in the Yankees’ four World Series titles (1996, 1998-2000) during his tenure cannot be understated. His ability to deliver in crucial moments and his emotional connection with the fans earned him the nickname “The Warrior.”

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
1985	22	CIN	NL	5	12	12	1	4	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	.333	.333	.417	.750	106	5	0	0	0	0	0	/H7
1986	23	CIN	NL	3	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000	.333	.000	.333	-1	0	0	0	0	0	0	/H
1987	24	CIN	NL	84	178	160	24	41	14	1	7	28	2	1	18	29	.256	.331	.488	.819	111	78	3	0	0	0	1	H978/31
1988	25	CIN	NL	145	533	485	58	122	25	3	16	73	8	6	38	65	.252	.306	.414	.720	102	201	7	2	3	5	5	*93H/8
1989	26	CIN	NL	117	480	428	49	118	24	2	15	74	20	5	46	64	.276	.346	.446	.792	122	191	7	2	0	4	8	*9/8H
1990	27	CIN	NL	145	564	503	59	136	28	0	16	78	13	11	53	103	.270	.339	.421	.761	105	212	12	2	1	5	13	*9H/8	MVP-19
1991	28	CIN	NL	152	607	532	71	136	36	0	28	91	12	7	73	107	.256	.346	.481	.827	127	256	8	1	0	1	14	*9/H	AS
1992	29	CIN	NL	148	584	496	59	122	19	1	14	66	6	3	77	85	.246	.346	.373	.719	101	185	10	2	3	6	15	*9H
1993	30	NYY	AL	141	547	498	71	155	34	1	20	75	2	4	44	69	.311	.367	.504	.871	136	251	13	2	0	3	5	*97H/D
1994	31	NYY	AL	103	443	368	68	132	25	1	21	83	5	4	72	56	.359	.460	.603	1.064	177	222	16	0	0	3	13	*97H/D	AS,MVP-5
1995	32	NYY	AL	127	543	460	82	138	30	4	22	96	1	2	71	76	.300	.387	.526	.913	137	242	25	1	0	11	8	*97/HD	AS,MVP-15
1996	33	NYY	AL	150	660	546	89	165	35	1	19	91	0	1	102	76	.302	.411	.474	.885	123	259	21	4	0	8	8	*9/DH3
1997	34	NYY	AL	149	637	553	89	179	42	0	21	117	10	7	75	92	.324	.399	.514	.912	137	284	16	0	0	9	8	*9/H3D	AS,MVP-12
1998	35	NYY	AL	152	672	602	95	191	40	2	24	116	15	1	57	103	.317	.372	.510	.882	130	307	22	2	0	11	2	*9/HD	AS,MVP-12
1999	36	NYY	AL	153	675	597	70	170	39	4	19	110	11	9	66	89	.285	.353	.459	.812	107	274	24	2	0	10	1	*9/H
2000	37	NYY	AL	142	628	566	79	160	26	0	18	100	14	9	51	90	.283	.336	.424	.760	92	240	17	0	0	11	2	*9/DH
2001	38	NYY	AL	137	563	510	77	136	33	1	21	70	22	3	48	59	.267	.330	.459	.789	105	234	20	2	0	3	4	*9/DH
17 Yrs				2053	8329	7318	1041	2105	451	21	281	1269	141	73	892	1166	.288	.363	.470	.833	120	3441	221	22	7	90	107
162 Game Avg.				162	657	577	82	166	36	2	22	100	11	6	70	92	.288	.363	.470	.833	120	272	17	2	1	7	8
				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
NYY (9 yrs)				1254	5368	4700	720	1426	304	14	185	858	80	40	586	710	.303	.377	.492	.869	125	2313	174	13	0	69	51
CIN (8 yrs)				799	2961	2618	321	679	147	7	96	411	61	33	306	456	.259	.336	.431	.767	111	1128	47	9	7	21	56

AL (9 yrs)				1254	5368	4700	720	1426	304	14	185	858	80	40	586	710	.303	.377	.492	.869	125	2313	174	13	0	69	51
NL (8 yrs)				799	2961	2618	321	679	147	7	96	411	61	33	306	456	.259	.336	.431	.767	111	1128	47	9	7	21	56

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/3/2024.

Justice’s Power and Postseason Prowess

David Justice, known for his power-hitting capabilities, also enjoyed a stellar career, particularly noted for his postseason success. Justice played pivotal roles for the Braves, Indians, Yankees, and Athletics, always showing up when it mattered most.

Career Stats:

Batting Average: .279
Home Runs: 305
RBIs: 1,017
Hits: 1,571
All-Star Appearances: 3 (1993, 1994, 1997)

Justice’s career was marked by a consistent power output and an ability to get on base, with a .378 on-base percentage. His two World Series titles, one with the Braves (1995) and another with the Yankees (2000), showcase his clutch performance in October.

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
1989	23	ATL	NL	16	56	51	7	12	3	0	1	3	2	1	3	9	.235	.291	.353	.644	82	18	1	1	1	0	1	9/7H
1990	24	ATL	NL	127	504	439	76	124	23	2	28	78	11	6	64	92	.282	.373	.535	.908	143	235	2	0	0	1	4	39/H7	MVP-24,RoY-1
1991	25	ATL	NL	109	469	396	67	109	25	1	21	87	8	8	65	81	.275	.377	.503	.880	140	199	4	3	0	5	9	9/H	MVP-12
1992	26	ATL	NL	144	571	484	78	124	19	5	21	72	2	4	79	85	.256	.359	.446	.805	121	216	1	2	0	6	8	*9/H
1993	27	ATL	NL	157	670	585	90	158	15	4	40	120	3	5	78	90	.270	.357	.515	.871	131	301	9	3	0	4	12	*9	AS,MVP-3,SS
1994	28	ATL	NL	104	424	352	61	110	16	2	19	59	2	4	69	45	.313	.427	.531	.958	147	187	8	2	0	1	5	*9/H	AS
1995	29	ATL	NL	120	491	411	73	104	17	2	24	78	4	2	73	68	.253	.365	.479	.844	118	197	5	2	0	5	5	*9
1996	30	ATL	NL	40	164	140	23	45	9	0	6	25	1	1	21	22	.321	.409	.514	.923	137	72	5	1	0	2	1	9
1997	31	CLE	AL	139	582	495	84	163	31	1	33	101	3	5	80	79	.329	.418	.596	1.013	158	295	12	0	0	7	11	7D/9H	AS,MVP-5,SS
1998	32	CLE	AL	146	625	540	94	151	39	2	21	88	9	3	76	98	.280	.363	.476	.839	114	257	9	0	0	9	7	*D7H/9
1999	33	CLE	AL	133	530	429	75	123	18	0	21	88	1	3	94	90	.287	.413	.476	.889	124	204	14	2	0	5	11	7D9/H
2000	34	TOT	AL	146	606	524	89	150	31	1	41	118	2	1	77	91	.286	.377	.584	.961	139	306	13	1	0	3	3	79D/H8	MVP-13
2000	34	CLE	AL	68	288	249	46	66	14	1	21	58	1	1	38	49	.265	.361	.582	.943	133	145	7	0	0	1	2	79D/8H
2000	34	NYY	AL	78	318	275	43	84	17	0	20	60	1	0	39	42	.305	.391	.585	.977	145	161	6	1	0	2	1	79D/H8
2001	35	NYY	AL	111	439	381	58	92	16	1	18	51	1	2	54	83	.241	.333	.430	.763	99	164	6	0	0	4	5	D79/H
2002	36	OAK	AL	118	471	398	54	106	18	3	11	49	4	1	70	66	.266	.376	.410	.785	111	163	12	1	0	2	3	7D9H
14 Yrs				1610	6602	5625	929	1571	280	24	305	1017	53	46	903	999	.279	.378	.500	.878	129	2814	101	18	1	54	85
162 Game Avg.				162	664	566	93	158	28	2	31	102	5	5	91	101	.279	.378	.500	.878	129	283	10	2	0	5	9

ATL (8 yrs)				817	3349	2858	475	786	127	16	160	522	33	31	452	492	.275	.374	.499	.873	132	1425	35	14	1	24	45
CLE (4 yrs)				486	2025	1713	299	503	102	4	96	335	14	12	288	316	.294	.392	.526	.918	132	901	42	2	0	22	31
NYY (2 yrs)				189	757	656	101	176	33	1	38	111	2	2	93	125	.268	.357	.495	.853	119	325	12	1	0	6	6
OAK (1 yr)				118	471	398	54	106	18	3	11	49	4	1	70	66	.266	.376	.410	.785	111	163	12	1	0	2	3

AL (6 yrs)				793	3253	2767	454	785	153	8	145	495	20	15	451	507	.284	.381	.502	.883	126	1389	66	4	0	30	40
NL (8 yrs)				817	3349	2858	475	786	127	16	160	522	33	31	452	492	.275	.374	.499	.873	132	1425	35	14	1	24	45

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/3/2024.

Awards and Accolades

Paul O’Neill

5× All-Star (1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998)
5× World Series Champion (1990, 1996, 1998–2000)
AL Batting Champion (1994)
New York Yankees No. 21 Retired
Monument Park Honoree

O’Neill’s career is filled with accolades that highlight his contribution to the game, especially during the Yankees’ reign in the late ’90s. His blend of power, batting average, and leadership made him a fan favorite and a cornerstone of multiple championship teams.

David Justice

3× All-Star (1993, 1994, 1997)
2× World Series Champion (1995, 2000)
NL Rookie of the Year (1990)
ALCS MVP (2000)
2× Silver Slugger Award (1993, 1997)
Braves Hall of Fame

Justice’s career highlights his excellence as a power hitter and key player in critical moments. His Rookie of the Year award and Silver Slugger Awards affirm his offensive prowess, while his ALCS MVP in 2000 underscores his ability to perform under pressure.

Impact on Teams and the Game

O’Neill’s Yankee Legacy

Paul O’Neill’s tenure with the Yankees is legendary. His intense competitive spirit and clutch performances were vital in the Yankees’ playoff successes. O’Neill was known for his fiery temper and passion for the game, often seen slamming bats and water coolers when things didn’t go his way—a testament to his commitment and desire to win.

His role in the team’s chemistry and leadership on and off the field helped push the Yankees to four World Series titles during his time.

Justice’s Postseason Heroics

David Justice’s career is equally notable for his contributions to several teams’ postseason runs. His knack for delivering in clutch situations made him a valuable player during his stints with the Braves, Indians, Yankees, and Athletics. Justice’s impactful home run in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series and his strong performance in the 2000 ALCS underscore his ability to rise to the occasion.

Justice’s influence extended beyond his play, as he was often a vocal leader in the clubhouse, helping to guide younger players and maintain team morale during long seasons.

Comparing Career Arcs

Longevity and Consistency

O’Neill enjoyed a lengthy career spanning 17 seasons, maintaining a high level of play throughout. His ability to stay consistent, especially in high-pressure situations, made him a reliable figure in the lineup.

Justice, on the other hand, had a 14-year career that, while slightly shorter, was marked by significant contributions to multiple playoff teams. His career numbers are impressive, particularly his 305 home runs, which showcase his power-hitting capabilities.

Versatility and Adaptability

Both players demonstrated versatility and adaptability throughout their careers. O’Neill transitioned smoothly from the Reds to the Yankees, adapting to a new environment and becoming an integral part of a championship team. Justice, similarly, adapted to different teams and roles, finding success with the Braves, Indians, Yankees, and Athletics.

Intangibles and Leadership

O’Neill’s leadership was characterized by his passion and intensity, often setting the tone for his teammates. His willingness to play through pain and his visible emotional investment in the game endeared him to fans and teammates alike.

Justice brought a slightly different style of leadership, often using his experience and confidence to guide and mentor younger players. His ability to perform in clutch situations provided a steadying presence in the lineup.

Conclusion: Two Legends, One Love for the Game

Comparing the careers of Paul O’Neill and David Justice is like comparing two sides of the same coin. Both players brought unique strengths to the game—O’Neill with his fiery passion and consistent performance, and Justice with his power-hitting and postseason heroics. Their careers overlapped in the late ’90s and early 2000s, a period fondly remembered by baseball fans for its dramatic moments and unforgettable games.

O’Neill’s legacy with the Yankees and Justice’s impact across multiple teams highlight their importance in baseball history. They may have taken different paths, but both left a lasting impression on the game and its fans.