John Vander Wal

John Henry Vander Wal

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 197 lb.
• School Western Michigan University
• High School Hudsonville High School
• Debut September 6, 1991
• Final Game September 27, 2004
• Born April 29, 1966 in Grand Rapids, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

John Vander Wal was an outfielder for Team USA in the 1986 Amateur World Series, joining Steve Finley, Todd Azar and Bob Zupcic. He played 14 seasons in the majors, starting with the Montreal Expos in 1991, and finishing up with the Cincinnati Reds in 2004. In between, he appeared in games for the Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers.

He was an outstanding pinch-hitter, setting a major league record with the Rockies in 1995 by collecting 28 hits in the role. Because of that, it was not until 2000, when he was with the Pirates, that he had more than 300 at-bats in a season, even if he had six seasons in which he had played in 100 or more games before that. He hit .299 with 24 homers and slugged .563 that year, making observers wonder if maybe he should have been a regular all those years. He was already 34 years old at the time, and continued to hit well for the next three years before age caught up with him in his final season.

After his retirement as a player, he was a professional scout for the San Diego Padres from 2009-2013 and for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014-2017. He moved to the Detroit Tigers organization as a coach with the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2018 and became their hitting coach in 2019.

Notable Achievements

• 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2000)

Records Held

• Hits, as a pinch hitter, season, 28, 1995