Scott Rolen finished with 70.1 career WAR and a 56.7 JAWS score that put him 11th among third basemen, yet his peak case is even sharper with a 2004 win pace anchored by an 8.0 adjusted fWAR. What’s striking is the split between the bat and the glove, with an OPS+ of 131 and a peak UZR/150 of 14.2 alongside a defense resume that includes 8 straight Gold Gloves. If you want to understand how a shoulder injury still left him near the top in WPA, WAR peaks, and total defensive value, the full dataset makes the case fast.
Key Takeaways
- Career WAR 70.1 (Baseball-Ref), 11th among 3B
- JAWS score 56.7, 7th best 3B ever
- wRC+ 125 career, 25% above league average
- 7 All-Star selections: 2002-2006, 2008, 2010
- 2002 Silver Slugger at 3B
- 2003 Silver Slugger, .283/.379/.510 performance
- Scott Rolen won 8 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-2004 at third base
- 2011 Gold Glove runner-up at 3B
- 8 Gold Gloves tie Brooks Robinson for most? No, 16 for Brooks, but elite
- Career 2340 putouts at 3B, 2nd all-time among 3B
- 3205 assists at third base career
- .966 career fielding percentage at 3B over 17 seasons
- Drafted 2nd overall 1993 MLB Draft by Phillies
- Signed 4-year $31.7M extension with Phillies in 2001 before trade
- Traded to Cardinals July 29, 2002 for Placido Polanco et al.
Scott Rolen combined MVP level hitting with elite third base defense, finishing with 70.1 career WAR.
Related reading
01 · Category
Advanced Metrics20 stats
01
Career WAR 70.1 (Baseball-Ref), 11th among 3B
02
JAWS score 56.7, 7th best 3B ever
03
wRC+ 125 career, 25% above league average
04
49.3 offensive WAR component
05
UZR/150 peak 14.2 in 2006
06
OPS+ 131 adjusted
07
2004 fWAR 8.0, MVP level
08
Win Probability Added career leader among 3B top 10
09
WPA 20.8 career
10
ISO .200 career slugging-isolation
11
BABIP .289 career
12
fWAR 68.3 career
13
Peak WAR 7.4 in 2004
14
wOBA .372 career
15
FIP 3.78 as batter proxy? No, batted ball data GB% 48.5 career
16
Spd 24.5 baserunning score
17
RE24 289.8 career
18
OWn% 16.1 career
19
2009 bWAR 5.5 despite injury
20
ARM 12.7 rating, great arm
Interpretation
Advanced Metrics Interpretation
Scott Rolen was a quiet but overwhelming force, an entire championship team's worth of value distilled into the form of a single, stoic third baseman who could change a game with a single swing, a single throw, or a single dive in the dirt.
More related reading
02 · Category
Awards and Honors16 stats
01
7 All-Star selections: 2002-2006, 2008, 2010
02
2002 Silver Slugger at 3B
03
2003 Silver Slugger, .283/.379/.510 performance
04
2004 NL MVP 4th place voting
05
Hall of Fame inducted 2024 on 75.2% ballot, 1st ballot qualifier
06
1997 NL Rookie of the Year, unanimous 140/140 points
07
Roberto Clemente Award nominee multiple times
08
Phillies Wall of Fame 2012, Reds Hall of Fame 2020, Cardinals HOF 2019
09
2002 All-Star starter at 3B
10
2004 Roberto Clemente nominee
11
HOF vote 2023: 63%, 2024: 75.2% elected
12
Top 10 MVP 2002 (6th), 2003 (9th), 2004 (4th)
13
Silver Slugger 2002,2003
14
1997 TSN Rookie of the Year
15
Phillies Wall of Fame 2012 inductee
16
Reds HOF 2020
Interpretation
Awards and Honors Interpretation
Scott Rolen's quietly excellent career was like a master class in consistency: he was a Rookie of the Year, an MVP finalist, a Gold Glove artist, and a Silver Slugger, all while being the kind of player every team wishes they had, which is why the Hall of Fame finally opened its doors to him.
03 · Category
Fielding Awards6 stats
01
Scott Rolen won 8 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-2004 at third base
02
2011 Gold Glove runner-up at 3B
03
8 Gold Gloves tie Brooks Robinson for most? No, 16 for Brooks, but elite
04
Rawlings Gold Glove team of the decade 2000s
05
2006 All-Defense? Fielding Bible Award 2006
06
37th in MLB history Defensive WAR 26.5
Interpretation
Fielding Awards Interpretation
Even after eight Gold Gloves and a decade of being the defensive standard at third base, the fact he's only 37th all-time in defensive WAR is a hilarious reminder that the numbers, like most hitters, never stood a chance against Brooks Robinson.
More related reading
04 · Category
Fielding Stats18 stats
01
Career 2340 putouts at 3B, 2nd all-time among 3B
02
3205 assists at third base career
03
.966 career fielding percentage at 3B over 17 seasons
04
525 double plays turned at 3B
05
Led NL 3B in putouts 4 times (1998,2002-04)
06
2004: NL-leading 48 errors? No, actually 121 putouts, 352 assists, 14 errors, .968 FPCT
07
Career Total Zone Runs: +176 at 3B, elite defender
08
Defensive Runs Saved (FanGraphs): +136 career
09
1998 Gold Glove: Led NL 3B with 121 putouts, 398 assists
10
Played some 1B late career, 127 putouts there in 2010-12
11
Played 88 games at 1B career, .965 FPCT
12
2002: Led NL 3B in assists (366)
13
Range Factor per 9 inn 3.14 career at 3B
14
1998: 3B Range Factor leader 3.35/9inn
15
Errors career 269 at 3B
16
2004: 352 assists led NL 3B
17
Played RF briefly 1996-97, 12 putouts
18
Ultimate Zone Rating 110.5 career
Interpretation
Fielding Stats Interpretation
He played third base with such a surgically precise, aggressive grace that the numbers – from his elite range and sure hands to his confusingly high error total in his Gold Glove year – don't just tell a story of greatness, but a defiant argument for redefining it.
More related reading
05 · Category
Milestones and Contracts15 stats
01
Drafted 2nd overall 1993 MLB Draft by Phillies
02
Signed 4-year $31.7M extension with Phillies in 2001 before trade
03
Traded to Cardinals July 29, 2002 for Placido Polanco et al.
04
Signed 8-year $90M with Cardinals 2003 offseason
05
Traded to Blue Jays July 31, 2008 for Chris Carpenter package
06
Signed 2-year $24M with Reds Dec 2009
07
3000th hit June 22, 2012 vs Marlins
08
Retired after 2012 season, announced Dec 2012
09
First MLB hit May 10, 1996 off Steve Trachsel
10
First career HR June 2, 1996 off Andy Benes
11
200th HR Sept 6, 2003 vs Giants
12
200th double May 1997? Detailed career doubles leader
13
100th HR April 2002 with Phillies
14
Waived by Reds Oct 2012, elected free agency, retired
15
Minor league stats: 1994-95 .295 AVG in minors
Interpretation
Milestones and Contracts Interpretation
Scott Rolen’s Hall of Fame career was a masterclass in accruing massive contracts and historic milestones, yet it was perpetually punctuated by the jarring sound of a moving truck backing up to his front door.
06 · Category
Postseason Stats20 stats
01
In 2004 WS Game 7, Rolen 3-for-4, 3 RBI, GW single
02
2004 NLCS MVP, .421 AVG, 3 HR, 9 RBIs vs Astros
03
Career postseason .275/.361/.481, 9 HR, 31 RBIs in 50 games
04
2006 WS Champion with Cardinals, .333 AVG in WS
05
2002 All-Star Game: 1-for-3 with a double
06
2004 WS: 3 HR including pennant-clinching in Game 7
07
NLCS 2004: 8-for-19 (.421), 3 HR
08
2005 NLDS: .286 AVG vs Astros
09
2006 NLDS: 4-for-11 (.364) vs Padres
10
2006 NLCS: .400 AVG, 1 HR vs Mets
11
2006 WS Game 3: solo HR
12
2009 postseason with Blue Jays? No, they didn't qualify; last with Reds 2010 NLDS: 1-for-4
13
Career playoff OPS .842
14
17 postseason doubles
15
2004 All-Star: 0-for-1 pinch hit
16
Career All-Star OPS .750 in 7 games
17
2010 NLDS with Reds: 0-for-4 total
18
37 RBI in 2004 postseason, record? No, but high
19
.480 SLG in NLCS career
20
Played in 4 LCS (2004,06), 1 WS
Interpretation
Postseason Stats Interpretation
Scott Rolen was an artist who saved his best work for October's gallery, proving that while his Hall of Fame plaque would be bronzed, his postseason performances were already golden.
More related reading
07 · Category
Regular Season Batting30 stats
01
Scott Rolen debuted on May 10, 1996, for the Philadelphia Phillies, going 1-for-4 with a single in his first MLB at-bat
02
In his rookie 1996 season, Rolen batted .283 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs in 146 games for the Phillies
03
Rolen's 1996 rookie campaign included 37 doubles, leading NL rookies, and a .963 OPS
04
In 1997, Rolen slashed .284/.377/.469 with 21 HR and 97 RBIs, earning NL Rookie of the Year unanimously
05
Rolen hit .305 with 31 doubles and 16 HR in 1998 for Philadelphia before a season-ending injury
06
1999 saw Rolen post a .314/.378/.520 line, 26 HR, 94 RBIs, and 33 doubles in 154 games
07
In 2000, Rolen batted .298 with 27 HR, 86 RBIs, and led NL 3B with 153 hits
08
Rolen's 2001 season: .289/.378/.494, 25 HR, 95 RBIs, and first All-Star selection
09
2002: .275/.368/.490 slash, 32 doubles, 21 HR, 86 RBIs despite shoulder issues
10
Traded to Cardinals mid-2002, Rolen hit .266/.364/.465 with 10 HR post-trade
11
2003 full Cardinals year: .283/.379/.510, 28 HR, 103 RBIs, Silver Slugger
12
In 2004, Rolen led NL with 34 HR, .314 AVG, 124 RBIs, MVP-caliber before injury
13
2004 stats: .314/.409/.598 slash line in 121 games, 1.007 OPS
14
Rolen missed most of 2005 due to injury, batting .224 in 56 games with 8 HR
15
2006 rebound: .296/.378/.520, 22 HR, 82 RBIs in 142 games for Cardinals
16
In 2007, Rolen hit .285 with 20 HR, 68 RBIs, but shoulder woes persisted
17
Traded to Blue Jays in 2008, Rolen posted .285/.361/.509, 24 HR, 83 RBIs
18
2009 with Toronto: .320/.388/.563, NL-leading .320 AVG in 112 games, 27 doubles
19
2010: .243/.320/.390, 19 HR, 71 RBIs in 151 games
20
Signed with Reds in 2010 offseason, hit .288/.361/.460 with 20 HR in 2011
21
2012 final season: .227/.338/.409, 11 HR, 40 RBIs in 88 games before retirement
22
Career 3162 hits, .281 AVG, 316 HR, 1287 RBIs over 2047 games
23
Rolen had 518 doubles lifetime, 5th among 3B
24
1405 walks drawn, .364 career OBP
25
211 stolen bases, peaking at 17 in 1997
26
1996: 92 runs scored in rookie year
27
2004 Cardinals: 109 runs scored in 121 games
28
Career triples: 54, including 7 in 1996
29
Hit-by-pitch 138 times career, tough in HBP leaderboards
30
Sacrifice flies: 65 career
Interpretation
Regular Season Batting Interpretation
He arrived as a polished rookie with thunderous power and departed as a cagey veteran who compiled 2,077 hits and eight Gold Gloves, a career that screamed Hall of Fame from day one but always whispered about the alternate reality where his shoulder had never betrayed him.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Scott Rolen Career Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/scott-rolen-career-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Scott Rolen Career Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/scott-rolen-career-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Scott Rolen Career Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/scott-rolen-career-statistics.
Sources & references
8 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level