Benny Ayala
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1974-1985)
Benny Ayala was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1985 for 4 teams, including the New York Mets, a span of 12 seasons. In 425 career games, he hit .251 with 217 hits, 38 home runs, and 145 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 640.
- 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1974-08-27
- Last Game
- 1985-10-02
Full name: Benigno Ayala
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 425 | 865 | 114 | 217 | 42 | 1 | 38 | 145 | 2 | 71 | 136 | .251 | .305 | .434 | .739 | 640 |
Career AVG .251 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .305 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 6.0% below league average.
Career SLG .434 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — +12.7% above league average.
Career OPS .739 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | NYN | NL | 23 | 68 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 17 | .235 | .256 (-8%) | .324 (-5%) | .369 (-8%) | .693 (-7%) | -74.2 |
| 1976 | NYN | NL | 22 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .115 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | SLN | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | BAL | AL | 42 | 86 | 15 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 9 | .256 | .265 (-4%) | .329 (-10%) | .397 (+32%) | .727 (+13%) | 138.9 |
| 1980 | BAL | AL | 76 | 170 | 28 | 45 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 19 | 21 | .265 | .264 (avg) | .326 (+3%) | .387 (+29%) | .714 (+17%) | 484.1 |
| 1981 | BAL | AL | 44 | 86 | 12 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 9 | .279 | .255 (+9%) | .320 (+14%) | .368 (+10%) | .688 (+12%) | 201.2 |
| 1982 | BAL | AL | 64 | 128 | 17 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 14 | .305 | .261 (+17%) | .324 (+2%) | .388 (+27%) | .712 (+15%) | 312.0 |
| 1983 | BAL | AL | 47 | 104 | 12 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 18 | .221 | .260 (-15%) | .324 (-14%) | .389 (+4%) | .714 (-4%) | -111.5 |
| 1984 | BAL | AL | 60 | 118 | 9 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 1 | 8 | 24 | .212 | .259 (-18%) | .322 (-20%) | .384 (-5%) | .707 (-12%) | -262.5 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 46 | 76 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 17 | .250 | .257 (-3%) | .323 (-12%) | .390 (+8%) | .714 (-1%) | -48.1 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 425 | 865 | 114 | 217 | 42 | 1 | 38 | 145 | 2 | 71 | 136 | .251 | — | — | — | — | 640 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (425 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 219 | 458 | 62 | 123 | 22 | 86 | .269 |
| Away | 206 | 407 | 52 | 94 | 16 | 59 | .231 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-10-02 | CLE | SEA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-10-01 | CLE | SEA | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-25 | CLE | OAK | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-24 | CLE | OAK | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-21 | CLE | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-17 | CLE | OAK | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-13 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-09 | CLE | SEA | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-08 | CLE | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-09-05 | CLE | BOS | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 3 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| OF | 157 | 131 | 218 | 8 | 10 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | NYN | OF | 20 | 18 | 37 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1976 | NYN | OF | 7 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | SLN | OF | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979 | BAL | OF | 24 | 21 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980 | BAL | OF | 19 | 15 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1981 | BAL | OF | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | BAL | 1B | 3 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1982 | BAL | OF | 25 | 22 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | BAL | OF | 24 | 21 | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984 | BAL | OF | 13 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | CLE | OF | 20 | 19 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 3 |
| Left Field | 139 |
| Right Field | 17 |
| Designated Hitter | 145 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | CLE | AL | $303,333 |
| Total Career Earnings | $303,333 | ||
Benny Ayala: the record in brief
Benny Ayala's major league career runs from a debut on August 27, 1974 to a final game on October 2, 1985. The team column moves through the New York Mets (1974 to 1976), the St. Louis Cardinals (1977), the Baltimore Orioles (1979 through 1984), and the Cleveland Indians (1985). Ayala is listed as an outfielder at 6'1" and 185 pounds. Ayala both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is February 7, 1951, in Yauco, P.R. Benny Ayala was the playing name; the full given name is Benigno.
The batting record for Ayala: 425 games, 217 hits in 865 at bats, and a .251 average, along with 38 homers and 145 runs batted in. Ayala got on base at a .305 rate and slugged .434 (.739 OPS). The .251 career average is close to the .260 the league hit across the same seasons. Ayala's most home runs in a season came in 1980, when the total reached 10 for the Baltimore Orioles. The hits column peaks at 45, in 1980.
Frequently Asked Questions about Benny Ayala
- What years did Benny Ayala play?
- Benny Ayala played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1985.
- Was Benny Ayala a pitcher?
- No. Benny Ayala was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Benny Ayala hit?
- Benny Ayala hit 38 career home runs with 217 hits.
- What was Benny Ayala's career batting average?
- Benny Ayala batted .251 over his career, with 217 hits in 865 at bats.
- How many RBI did Benny Ayala have?
- Benny Ayala drove in 145 runs in his career.
- Is Benny Ayala in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Benny Ayala has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.