Celebrate #BaseballDayAZ with our look at the best Wildcats to ever play in the big leagues
Saturday is Baseball Day in Arizona. Here's a look at the UA's contributions to the sport.
Home runs
Updated
San Francisco Giants' J.T.Snow (6) collects his 1,500th career hit in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at SBC Park on Oct. 2, 2005 in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Leader: J.T. Snow, 189 home runs
Years at UA: 1987-89
Years in MLB: 1992-2008
Second all-time: Kenny Lofton, 130 home runs
Third all-time: Jack Howell, 108 home runs
RBIs
Updated
Former Arizona Wildcat J.T. Snow racked up 1,509 hits in his 16-year MLB career, with most of that time spent with the San Francisco Giants.
Leader: J.T. Snow, 877 RBIs
Years at UA: 1987-89
Years in MLB: 1992-2008
Second all-time: Kenny Lofton, 781 RBIs
Third all-time: Milt Stock, 696 RBIs
Stolen bases
Updated
Philadelphia Phillies' Kenny Lofton (7) heads to second base in the first inning against the Florida Marlins on Sept. 16, 2005 at Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Fla. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
Leader: Kenny Lofton, 622 stolen bases
Years at UA: 1986-89 (note: Lofton played just five college baseball games, all coming in 1988; he played four years for the Wildcats' basketball team).
Years in MLB: 1991-2007
Second all-time: Milt Stock, 155 stolen bases
Third all-time: John Moses, 101 stolen bases
Hits
Updated
Clinic organizer Shelley Duncan, a native Tucsonan and former MLB player and current coach, addresses the estimated 600 youth players during the 2017 Tucson Youth Baseball Association Experience.
Leader: Kenny Lofton, 2,428 hits
Years at UA: 1986-89 (note: Lofton played just five college baseball games, all coming in 1988; he played four years for the Wildcats' basketball team).
Years in MLB: 1991-2007
Second all-time: Milt Stock, 1,806 hits
Third all-time: J.T. Snow, 1,509 hits
Runs scored
Updated
Cleveland Indians' Kenny Lofton tries to beat the throw to first on a bunt in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, May 4, 1995, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Leader: Kenny Lofton, 1,528 runs scored
Years at UA: 1986-89 (note: Lofton played just five college baseball games, all coming in 1988; he played four years for the Wildcats' basketball team).
Years in MLB: 1991-2007
Second all-time: Milt Stock, 839 runs scored
Third all-time: J.T. Snow, 798 runs scored
Walks
Updated
Former UA basketball player Kenny Lofton, second from left, gets some friendly ribbing from his new teammates on the Cleveland Indians during Spring Training at Hi Corbett Field in 1992. Rick Wiley / Tucson Citizen
Leader: Kenny Lofton, 945 walks
Years at UA: 1986-89 (note: Lofton played just five college baseball games, all coming in 1988; he played four years for the Wildcats' basketball team).
Years in MLB: 1991-2007
Second all-time: J.T. Snow, 760 walks
Third all-time: Milt Stock, 455 walks
Batting average (minimum 100 games played)
Updated
The Cleveland Indians' Kenny Lofton takes a curtain call after hitting a two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio, Monday, Oct. 15, 2007. (Ed Suba Jr/Akron Beacon Journal/MCT)
Leader: Kenny Lofton, .299 batting average
Years at UA: 1986-89 (note: Lofton played just five college baseball games, all coming in 1988; he played four years for the Wildcats' basketball team).
Years in MLB: 1991-2007
Second all-time: Milt Stock, .289 batting average
Third all-time: Hank Leiber, .288 batting average
Wins
Updated
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Scott Erickson throws against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 21, 2000. (AP Photo/Bill Janscha)
Leader: Scott Erickson, 142 wins
Year at UA: 1989
Years in MLB: 1990-2006
Second all-time: Trevor Hoffman, 61 wins
Third all-time: Craig Lefferts, 58 wins
ERA (minimum 100 innings pitched)
Updated
In this July 5, 2015 file photo, Pittsburgh Pirates closer Mark Melancon (35) delivers to Cleveland Indians' Carlos Santana during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh. Melancon finished the season with a major league-leading 51 saves. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Leader: Mark Melancon, 2.73 ERA
Years at UA: 2004-06
Years in MLB: 2009-present
Second all-time: Trevor Hoffman, 2.87 ERA
Third all-time: Dave Baldwin, 3.08 ERA
Shutouts
Updated
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Scott Erickson checks back a Boston Red Sox baserunner at first during the third inning Thursday, July 22, 1999, at Fenway Park in Boston. Erickson pitched eight innings in the Orioles 5-2 win. (AP Photo/William Plowman)
Leader: Scott Erickson, 17 shutouts
Year at UA: 1989
Years in MLB: 1990-2006
Second all-time: Joe Magrane, 10 shutouts
Third all-time: Don Lee, four shutouts
Saves
Updated
Trevor Hoffman poses in front of a picture of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s first class of inductees. The ex-Cat joins 322 other greats in the hall.
Leader: Trevor Hoffman, 601 saves
Years at UA: 1988-89
Years in MLB: 1993-2010
Second all-time: Mark Melancon, 182 saves
Third all-time: Craig Lefferts, 101 saves
Strikeouts
Updated
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Scott Erickson throws during the first inning of the first game of the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 1997, at Camden Yards in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)
Leader: Scott Erickson, 1,252 strikeouts
Year at UA: 1989
Years in MLB: 1990-2006
Second all-time: Trevor Hoffman, 1,133 strikeouts
Third all-time: Craig Lefferts, 719 strikeouts
All-Star Game appearances
Updated
Former Arizona player and MLB Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman signs autographs, including his own bobblehead, before the Wildcats game against UMass-Lowell at Hi Corbett Field, Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.
Leader: Trevor Hoffman, seven All-Star games appearances
Years at UA: 1988-89
Years in MLB: 1993-2010
Second all-time: Kenny Lofton, six All-Star games appearances
Third all-time: Hank Leiber, three All-Star games appearances
