Dell Alston
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1980)
Dell Alston was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1980 for the New York Yankees, the Athletics, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 4 seasons. In 189 career games, he hit .238 with 79 hits, 3 home runs, and 35 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-05-17
- Last Game
- 1980-10-04
Full name: Wendell Alston
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189 | 332 | 48 | 79 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 20 | 28 | 44 | .238 | .297 | .310 | .607 | -828 |
Career AVG .238 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 9.5% below league average.
Career OBP .297 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.
Career SLG .310 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 20.7% below league average.
Career OPS .607 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — 15.5% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | NYA | AL | 22 | 40 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | .325 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | OAK | AL | 58 | 173 | 17 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 21 | .208 | .257 (-19%) | .323 (-23%) | .378 (-37%) | .702 (-31%) | 0.0 |
| 1979 | CLE | AL | 54 | 62 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 10 | .290 | .265 (+9%) | .329 (+16%) | .397 (+1%) | .727 (+8%) | 113.4 |
| 1980 | CLE | AL | 52 | 54 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | .222 | .264 (-16%) | .326 (-8%) | .387 (-19%) | .714 (-14%) | -127.4 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 189 | 332 | 48 | 79 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 20 | 28 | 44 | .238 | — | — | — | — | -14 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (189 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 91 | 157 | 21 | 38 | 0 | 19 | .242 |
| Away | 98 | 175 | 27 | 41 | 3 | 16 | .234 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-10-04 | CLE | BAL | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980-10-04 | CLE | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-10-01 | CLE | NYY | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-30 | CLE | NYY | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1980-09-28 | CLE | BAL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-27 | CLE | BAL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-26 | CLE | BAL | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-25 | CLE | NYY | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-22 | CLE | NYY | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-20 | CLE | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 9 |
| Left Field | 53 |
| Center Field | 4 |
| Right Field | 55 |
| Designated Hitter | 28 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concordia College-Bronxville | Bronxville | NY | 1971, 1972 |
Dell Alston: the record in brief
May 17, 1977 and October 4, 1980 bracket Dell Alston's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Alston played for the New York Yankees (1977 through 1978), the Oakland Athletics (1978), and the Cleveland Indians (1979 to 1980). Born on September 22, 1952, in Valhalla, NY, USA, Alston is listed as an outfielder and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds. Dell Alston was the playing name; the full given name is Wendell.
Alston's career batting table shows 189 games, 332 at bats and 79 hits, a .238 average, adding 3 homers, 35 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .297 and .310 give Alston a career OPS of .607. Over the seasons Alston played, league hitters batted .263; the .238 career figure is 9.5% below that. The OPS comparison is .607 to a league .719, 15.5% below average. Alston collected a career-high 36 hits in 1978. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .208 in 1978, did not top the league's .257.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dell Alston
- What years did Dell Alston play?
- Dell Alston played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1980.
- Was Dell Alston a pitcher?
- No. Dell Alston was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Dell Alston hit?
- Dell Alston hit 3 career home runs with 79 hits.
- What was Dell Alston's career batting average?
- Dell Alston batted .238 over his career, with 79 hits in 332 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dell Alston have?
- Dell Alston drove in 35 runs in his career.
- Is Dell Alston in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dell Alston has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.