Honestly, if you saw him walking down the street, you wouldn’t think "world-class athlete." You'd probably think "that guy knows where the best barbecue is." And he probably did. But baseball player Prince Fielder was a flat-out anomaly. Standing 5'11" and pushing 275 pounds—depending on the day—he looked more like a semi-pro bowler than a guy who would eventually hit 319 home runs.
He didn't just play baseball; he punished it.
The sound was different when he hit. Most players have a "crack." Prince had an "explosion." It was violent. It was beautiful. For a solid decade, he was the heartbeat of the Milwaukee Brewers and a cornerstone for the Detroit Tigers, proving that you didn't need a six-pack to be the scariest man in the batter's box.
The Prodigy with the Heavy Name
Life wasn't exactly quiet for Prince growing up. When your dad is Cecil Fielder, the man who famously hit 51 homers for the 1990 Tigers, people look at you. They expect things. Imagine being twelve years old and hitting a ball into the upper deck of the old Tiger Stadium during batting practice. Prince did that. It’s not a legend; it's a fact. Terry Francona was the one throwing the pitches.
The Brewers took him 7th overall in 2002. People worried about his weight. They worried about his "longevity."
Funny how that worked out.
By 23, he became the youngest player in National League history to hit 50 home runs in a single season. 2007 was his masterpiece. He slashed .288/.395/.618. He was a force of nature. But the weirdest part of his early career? The diet. For a while, he went vegetarian—even vegan for a stint—after reading about how meat is processed. A 270-pound vegan slugger? It sounds like a punchline, but he was dead serious. He eventually went back to eating meat, but it showed how much he actually cared about his body, despite the "big guy" narrative.
💡 You might also like: Jake Ehlinger Sign: The Real Story Behind the College GameDay Controversy
Why Prince Fielder Was Actually an Iron Man
We talk about Cal Ripken Jr. as the ultimate "show up every day" guy. But Prince Fielder was basically the modern equivalent. Between 2006 and 2013, the man barely missed a game.
Look at these numbers:
- 2009: 162 games
- 2011: 162 games
- 2012: 162 games
- 2013: 162 games
He played every single day. For five straight years, he missed a total of one game. One. That’s insane for a guy of his stature. He wasn't just standing at first base, either. He was hustling. Sorta.
The Inside-the-Park Legend
This is the best stat in baseball history. Prince Fielder has more career inside-the-park home runs than Ichiro Suzuki. He has two. Ichiro has zero. Let that sink in.
His first one happened in 2007 against the Twins. The ball hit a speaker in the Metrodome and the outfielders just... lost it. Prince chugged around the bases like a freight train with no brakes. His second was in 2008 against Toronto. Watching a man that size slide into home plate for an inside-the-parker is one of those things that makes baseball the best sport on earth. It was pure, unadulterated joy.
The Detroit Swap and the $214 Million Question
When Prince hit free agency after the 2011 season, the market was wild. The Tigers lost Victor Martinez to a torn ACL and panicked. They handed Prince a 9-year, $214 million contract. It was a massive deal.
📖 Related: What Really Happened With Nick Chubb: The Injury, The Recovery, and The Houston Twist
The pairing of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera was supposed to be illegal. It was back-to-back MVPs. In 2012, it worked. They went to the World Series. Prince hit .313 that year. He was worth every penny. But the postseason was... different. He struggled in October. People in Detroit started to sour on him after he made some comments about how losing "isn't the end of the world."
He wasn't wrong. It's just a game. But fans in a blue-collar city don't want to hear that when they're paying $40 for a beer and a hot dog.
Then came the trade. In 2013, the Tigers shipped him to Texas for Ian Kinsler. It was a "challenge trade"—two massive stars swapping places. Detroit wanted to get more athletic; Texas wanted the big bat.
The Tragic End: When the Body Finally Said No
The neck is a fickle thing. For a guy who swings as hard as Prince, the torque is incredible. In 2014, he started feeling weakness in his arm. He couldn't even pick up his kids without pain.
He had his first cervical fusion surgery in May 2014. He came back in 2015 and was actually great! He hit .305 and won the AL Comeback Player of the Year. It looked like he’d beat the odds. But the second surgery in 2016 was the deal-breaker. Doctors told him he couldn't play anymore. If he took another hit or twisted the wrong way, he risked permanent damage.
The press conference was heartbreaking. Seeing a guy who spent his whole life being the "tough guy" break down in tears next to his kids... it stays with you.
👉 See also: Men's Sophie Cunningham Jersey: Why This Specific Kit is Selling Out Everywhere
By the Numbers: The Fielder Legacy
- 319 Home Runs: The exact same number as his father, Cecil.
- 1,028 RBIs: Just beating his dad's 1,008.
- 6-time All-Star: Recognized across both leagues.
- 2-time Home Run Derby Champ: He’s one of only four players to win it multiple times (joining Griffey Jr., Cespedes, and Alonso).
Was He a Hall of Famer?
Probably not. If he hadn't gotten hurt? Maybe. His 23.8 bWAR is way too low for Cooperstown, mostly because his defense was, well, not great. He was basically a human pylon at first base. But the Hall of Fame isn't the only way to measure a career.
Prince Fielder mattered because he was a character. He was the guy who would do a belly flop after a walk-off homer. He was the guy who pretended to be blown up by a grenade during a home run celebration. He made the game fun during an era where things felt a little too corporate.
How to Appreciate the Prince Fielder Era Today
If you want to really understand why he was special, stop looking at the spreadsheets. Go to YouTube. Watch the 2009 Home Run Derby in St. Louis. Watch him hit a ball 503 feet.
Better yet, look at how the game changed. He was one of the last true "big man" sluggers before everyone started obsessing over launch angles and body fat percentages. He was a throwback.
What you can do now:
- Watch the "Grenade" celebration: Search for the Brewers' walk-off against the Giants in 2009. It's the peak of team chemistry.
- Compare the Father-Son stats: It’s still the most eerie coincidence in sports that they ended with the same HR count.
- Check out his son, Jadyn: He’s been carving out his own path in baseball, proving the Fielder DNA is real.
Prince Fielder didn't have the longest career, and it didn't end on his terms. But for those ten years? He was the most entertaining show in town. He played hard, he ate (mostly) what he wanted, and he never missed a day of work until he literally couldn't walk. You can't ask for much more than that.