Keith Hernandez Biography

Keith Hernandez was born on October 20, 1953, and played as a professional baseball first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played 17 seasons in MLB, representing the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Cleveland Indians. Hernandez was a five-time All-Star and shared the 1979 NL MVP award, winning two World Series titles with the Cardinals and Mets. A contact hitter, he posted a .296 career batting average with a 12.5% walk rate, and his hitting productivity was 31% above league average. Since 2006, he has served as a color commentator on Mets games for SNY, working alongside Ron Darling and Gary Cohen. Hernandez was the final player selected and signed in the 1971 MLB draft to reach the Major Leagues. His batting average was around .250 during most of his minor league career, before improving significantly after his promotion to the Tulsa Oilers in the second half of 1973.