What is Jeff Bagwell's Net Worth?
Jeff Bagwell is a former professional baseball player and coach who has a net worth of $45 million. Jeff Bagwell played 15 seasons in MLB from 1991 to 2005, all with the Houston Astros. After being named the NL Rookie of the Year in 1991, he went on to win the NL MVP Award, a Gold Glove Award, and his first of three Silver Slugger Awards in 1994. Bagwell set numerous Astros franchise records during his career, including for home runs (449) and RBI (1,529).
Career Earnings
During his baseball career, Jeff Bagwell earned $130 million in salary. In his final seasons he earned $16-$18 million per season.
Early Life and High School
Jeff Bagwell was born on May 27, 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts as the only son of Janice and Robert. The family soon moved to Killingworth, Connecticut. When Bagwell was 11 years old, his parents divorced. As a teenager, he attended Xavier High School, where he excelled in baseball, soccer, and basketball. Bagwell also played in American Legion Baseball, and was named the American Legion Baseball Graduate of the Year in 2003.
Collegiate Career
For college, Bagwell went to the University of Hartford on a baseball scholarship. He played three seasons at the school, batting a school-record .413 and recording further school records of 31 home runs and 126 RBI. Moreover, Bagwell was a two-time Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Year. During the summers of 1987 and 1988, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cape Cod Baseball League's Chatham A's.
Minor League Career
In the 1989 MLB draft, Bagwell was chosen by the Boston Red Sox. He began his career in the minors, first with the Florida State League's Winter Haven Red Sox. In 1990, Bagwell played for the New Britain Red Sox, and was named the Eastern League MVP.
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Houston Astros
Late in the 1990 season, the Red Sox traded Bagwell to the Houston Astros for Larry Andersen; the trade would later become known as one of the most lopsided in baseball history. Bagwell made his MLB debut with the Astros in 1991, and finished his rookie season with a .294 batting average, 15 home runs, and 82 RBI. For his impressive season, in which he led the Astros in a number of offensive categories, Bagwell was named the NL Rookie of the Year. He went on to have another strong season in 1992, batting .273 with 18 home runs and 96 RBI. Although Bagwell was performing well again in 1993, his season ended early after his hand was injured by a pitch. He returned in 1994 to play the greatest season of his career. Although the season was shortened by the MLB strike, Bagwell set numerous Astros franchise records, and batted .368 with 39 home runs and 116 RBI. He led the majors in SLG, OPS+, RBI, and total bases, and was unanimously voted the NL MVP. Additionally, Bagwell won a Gold Glove Award and his first of three Silver Slugger Awards. Although his 1995 season was less productive, as he missed 30 games due to another hand injury, Bagwell still managed to bat .290 with 21 home runs. Following the season, he began an intensive training program to increase his endurance.
In 1996, Bagwell and his teammates Craig Biggio, Sean Berry, and Derek Bell became collectively known as the "Killer B's." The group would go on to guide the Astros to some of the franchise's most prodigious seasons, starting in 1997 with its first playoff appearance in over a decade. Ultimately, the Astros lost to the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. Bagwell and the Astros returned to the playoffs in 1998 after winning a franchise-best 102 games. Once again, however, the team lost the NLDS, this time to the San Diego Padres. In 1999, Bagwell recorded his 224th career home run, making him the Astros' all-time home run leader. He finished the season with a .304 batting average, 42 home runs, and 126 RBI as the Astros won their third consecutive NL Central title. In the 1999 NLDS, the team again lost to the Braves. Bagwell went on to have one of his best seasons in 2000, when he recorded his 300th career home run and finished the season with career highs of 47 home runs and 152 runs scored. The next season, he became only the fourth MLB player ever with at least 30 home runs, 100 RBI, and 100 runs scored in six consecutive seasons. Once again, the Astros reached the NLDS, where they lost to the Braves.
Bagwell had a bit of a career lull in the 2002 season due to his continuing recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. He performed better in 2003, when he recorded his 2,000th career hit and 400th career home run. In 2004, Bagwell hit his sixth career grand slam, tying the Astros franchise record. He also recorded his 200th career stolen base, 1,500th career RBI, and 1,500th career run scored. For the fourth time in Bagwell's career, the Astros went up against the Braves in the NLDS. This time, they emerged victorious, giving the Astros their first-ever playoff series win. In the subsequent NLCS, the team fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Returning for the 2005 season, Bagwell experienced worsening arthritis in his shoulder that severely hampered his performance, and which eventually ended his season in early May. Although he underwent surgery that made him unable to throw, he was activated by the Astros in September as a pinch hitter. The team went on to win its first-ever NL pennant and make its first-ever World Series appearance. Ultimately, the Chicago White Sox won the World Series. Despite being deemed unfit to play baseball again, Bagwell attempted a comeback in 2006, without much success. After the season, he announced his retirement.
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Post-retirement
Bagwell returned to the Astros in 2007 as a coach during spring training. A few years later, he became the team's hitting coach. Following a five-year absence from the team, Bagwell came back in 2015 as a guest instructor during spring training. He later became a special advisor to team owner Jim Crane. In 2017, Bagwell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
In 1992, Bagwell wed his first wife, model Shaune Stauffer. He later married Ericka, with whom he had two daughters named Blake and Bryce. With his third wife, Rachel, Bagwell has five children.
Houston Mansion
In 2007, Jeff bought a 16,000-square-foot mansion in Houston. He performed an extension renovation, which was completed in 2009. Jeff listed the home for sale in 2012 for $15 million and ultimately accepted $12 million in December 2014.
