JD Drew Career Overview and MLB Performance
JD Drew was a left-handed hitting outfielder and first baseman who played 14 MLB seasons between 1998 and 2011. His career stats include a .274 batting average, 308 home runs, 1,041 RBIs, and a .961 on-base plus slugging percentage across 2,238 games. He debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals on April 3, 1998, and his final game was on October 3, 2011, with the Washington Nationals. His full MLB performance data is documented on Baseball Reference and the MLB official stats page JD Drew MLB stats.
Drew was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the fifth overall pick in the 1997 MLB Draft but did not sign, instead enrolling at Florida State University. He was then selected by the Cardinals with the fifth overall pick again in the 1998 draft. His early career was interrupted by shoulder surgery in 1999, and he missed the entire 2000 season recovering. He returned in 2001 and posted a .284 average with 27 home runs and 84 RBIs in 131 games, establishing himself as a productive power hitter in the National League.
JD Drew Contract History and Earnings
JD Drew signed a six-year, $55 million contract with the Boston Red Sox on December 13, 2003. The deal included a no-trade clause and made him one of the highest-paid outfielders in the American League at the time. He later signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Atlanta Braves on December 6, 2006, which included a $16 million vesting option for a sixth year based on plate appearances. His total career earnings across MLB were estimated at over $120 million, according to Spotrac and Over the Cap JD Drew contract details.
During his time with the Red Sox, Drew posted a .276 average with 91 home runs and 332 RBIs over five seasons from 2004 to 2008. He won a World Series ring with Boston in 2007, batting .333 in the series against the Colorado Rockies. With the Braves from 2007 to 2011, he accumulated a .260 average, 140 home runs, and 448 RBIs in 661 games. His final contract year with the Washington Nationals in 2011 saw him hit .228 with 12 home runs in 101 games before retiring at age 36.
JD Drew Post-Career Life and Legacy
After retiring, JD Drew has maintained a low public profile, with no front office or coaching roles reported in MLB organizations. His legacy is primarily defined by his on-field production and the financial terms of his contracts, which were considered team-friendly relative to his peak performance years. His career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) total is 34.5 according to Baseball Reference, placing him among the more valuable position players of his era MLB WAR leaders.
JD Drew comes from a baseball family; his younger brother, Stephen Drew, also had a 12-year MLB career as a shortstop and second baseman. The brothers were teammates briefly on the 2012 New York Yankees and 2