| Matt Stairs | |
|---|---|
 Stairs with the Washington Nationals in 2011 | |
| Outfielder / Designated hitter / First baseman | |
| Born: February 27, 1968 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: May 29, 1992, for the Montreal Expos | |
| NPB: June 15, 1993, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| Last appearance | |
| NPB: October 18, 1993, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| MLB: July 22, 2011, for the Washington Nationals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .262 |
| Home runs | 265 |
| Runs batted in | 899 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 6 |
| Runs batted in | 23 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2015 |
Matthew Wade Stairs (born February 27, 1968) is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter, who holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB) history with 23.[1] His pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of Game 4 in the 2008 National League Championship Series off the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton was called "one of the most memorable home runs in Phillies history".[2]
In his career, Stairs played for more teams than any position player in MLB history (12 – technically 13 teams, but 12 franchises, as he played for the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals); Edwin Jackson holds the record for pitchers and all players at 14.[3] Additionally he is one of only four Canadians to have played for both the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos, the others being Denis Boucher, Rob Ducey, and Shawn Hill.
He was the second Canadian-born player ever to hit more than thirty-five home runs in a season, and only the second to hit more than 25 home runs and drive in more than 100 runs in back-to-back seasons. He ranks either first or second in power hitting categories for Canadian major leaguers. Stairs also holds the all-time MLB record of home runs hit as a pinch-hitter with 23. His ability to pinch hit made him a valuable asset to several teams and earned him the nickname "Matt Stairs – Professional Hitter". Stairs, Larry Walker, Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, and Joey Votto are the only Canadian MLB players to hit at least 200 career home runs.[4] On February 4, 2015, Stairs was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.[5]
- ^ "Stairs sets record for pinch hit home runs". Reuters. August 21, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ^ Zolecki, Todd (May 11, 2009). "Revisiting top 10 moments of '08 NLCS". Philadelphia Phillies. MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- ^ Stark, Jayson (March 13, 2012). "Stark: Dotel knows all about changing places". ESPN. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
- ^ "Players by birthplace: Canada Baseball Stats and Info". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ Chisholm, Gregor (February 4, 2015). "Delgado, Stairs highlight '15 Canadian Hall class". Toronto Blue Jays. MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.