Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael Griffin
Mike Piazza was baseball’s Cinderella story. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 62nd Round of the ’88 Draft as a favor to his father, a close friend of manager Tommy Lasorda, he was an afterthought. After being drafted as a first baseman, he made the switch to catcher. By the time ’93 rolled around, he was in the Majors and never left, making his mark as one of the greatest catchers of all time. Here are 10 examples of his excellence.
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The Rookie of the Year Stunner: Piazza’s 35 Homers Out of Nowhere
In 1993, Mike Piazza exploded onto the scene with 35 home runs and a Rookie of the Year trophy, leaving Dodgers fans shaking their heads in disbelief. No one expected a 62nd-round pick to start mashing like this. It was only the start of his great run.
12-Time All-Star: When Piazza Was Baseball’s Perennial Party Guest
Piazza was invited to the midsummer classic 12 times—basically, he could have carpooled to the All-Star Game for over a decade. It wasn’t ballot-box stuffing either. He deserved each and every appearance.
Silver Slugger Swag: Ten Trophies, One Trophy Case Groaning
Ten Silver Slugger Awards. That’s not a typo. He probably needed to have several display cases to show off all his hardware. It was another sign of how dominant he was with a bat in his hands.
Most Home Runs by a Catcher Ever
In 2004, Piazza smashed his 352nd career home run as a catcher, passing Carlton Fisk to claim the all-time record. He earned every second of applause from the Shea crowd.
The .362 Batting Average Season: Catchers Aren’t Supposed to Do That
In 1997, Piazza hit .362. That’s amazing on its own, but to do it while squatting for hundreds of pitches over the course of a season was truly remarkable.
229 RBIs in Two Seasons? Piazza Made It Look Easy
Between 1996 and 1997, Piazza drove in a staggering 229 runs. That made anyone who drafted him in fantasy baseball quite happy.
Double-Digit Homers in Every Full Season but One
Piazza was a model of consistent power, hitting double-digit home runs in every full season of his career. The only exception was his final year in 2007. That’s the mark of a great power hitter.
Top 3 in MVP Voting Three Times
While Piazza never got to take home the MVP award, he finished in the Top 3 three times. The voters just decided that someone else had a slightly better season. Mike was the MVP of his fans’ hearts, though.
427 Total Homers: Catcher Power, Redefined
By the end of his career, Piazza had racked up 427 big-league home runs. He accomplished this while playing catcher for the vast majority of his career—a testament to his unique power at a demanding position.
The Post-9/11 Homer
It was Sept. 21, 2001, a mere 10 days since people had witnessed the most horrific attack on American soil. There was a grim recovery going on at Ground Zero, located mere miles from Shea Stadium. A capacity crowd, still emotionally shell-shocked, came to the game hoping for a brief respite from the terror. Both the Mets and Braves wore caps with the logos of the New York Firefighters, Police, and Port Authority on them. The Mets were trailing, 2-1, in the eighth when Piazza lofted a mammoth shot off Steve Karsay that hit the camera stand in center field. It was a moment that started the healing for the city.