Steve Buechele

Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1995)

Steve Buechele was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1995 for the Texas Rangers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 11 seasons. In 1,334 career games, he hit .245 with 1,046 hits, 137 home runs, and 547 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

AVG .245
HR 137
RBI 547
H 1,046
OPS .710
PIV -43
Position
Third Baseman
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'2" / 190 lb
Born
9/26/1961 in Lancaster, CA, USA
MLB Debut
1985-07-19
Last Game
1995-07-29

Full name: Steven Bernard Buechele

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Career Batting Statistics

Steve Buechele — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,334 4,266 501 1,046 183 21 137 547 17 408 842 .245 .316 .394 .710 -43

Career AVG .245 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.

Career OBP .316 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .394 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .710 vs. league average .721 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Steve Buechele Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1985 TEX AL 69 219 22 48 6 3 6 21 3 14 38 .219 .257 (-15%) .323 (-16%) .390 (-9%) .714 (-12%) -457.6
1986 TEX AL 153 461 54 112 19 2 18 54 5 35 98 .243 .257 (-6%) .325 (-7%) .395 (+4%) .720 (-1%) -159.5
1987 TEX AL 136 363 45 86 20 0 13 50 2 28 66 .237 .262 (-10%) .331 (-12%) .415 (-4%) .746 (-8%) -526.9
1988 TEX AL 155 503 68 126 21 4 16 58 2 65 79 .250 .254 (-1%) .317 (+8%) .377 (+7%) .695 (+7%) 882.4
1989 TEX AL 155 486 60 114 22 2 16 59 1 36 107 .235 .254 (-8%) .319 (-8%) .375 (+3%) .694 (-2%) -206.7
1990 TEX AL 91 251 30 54 10 0 7 30 1 27 63 .215 .257 (-17%) .324 (-9%) .385 (-12%) .710 (-11%) -416.8
1991 TEX AL 121 416 58 111 17 2 18 66 0 39 69 .267 .255 (+4%) .323 (+4%) .384 (+16%) .708 (+11%) 832.2
1991 PIT NL 31 114 16 28 5 1 4 19 0 10 28 .246 .255 (-4%) .323 (-3%) .384 (+7%) .708 (+3%) 832.2
1992 PIT NL 80 285 27 71 14 1 8 43 0 34 61 .249 .255 (-3%) .322 (+3%) .377 (+3%) .699 (+3%) 189.1
1992 CHN NL 65 239 25 66 9 3 1 21 1 18 44 .276 .255 (+8%) .322 (+5%) .377 (-7%) .699 (-1%) 189.1
1993 CHN NL 133 460 53 125 27 2 15 65 1 48 87 .272 .265 (+3%) .332 (+4%) .403 (+8%) .735 (+6%) 604.3
1994 CHN NL 104 339 33 82 11 1 14 52 1 39 80 .242 .269 (-10%) .338 (-4%) .424 (-5%) .763 (-4%) -231.8
1995 CHN NL 32 106 10 20 2 0 1 9 0 11 19 .189 .266 (-29%) .337 (-22%) .417 (-43%) .755 (-34%) -574.5
1995 TEX AL 9 24 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 .125 — — — — -574.5
Career · 14 seasons 1,334 4,266 501 1,046 183 21 137 547 17 408 842 .245 — — — — 381

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

Steve Buechele — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 23 2 7 2 0 0 0 4 6 .304

Playoff Batting by Year

Steve Buechele — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1991 NLCS PIT 7 23 2 7 2 0 0 0 4 6 .304

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1334 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Steve Buechele — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home680211724952765255.249
Away654214925251972292.242

Last 10 Games — Batting

Steve Buechele — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1995-07-29 TEXBOSL 400000001
1995-07-28 TEXBOSL 300000010
1995-07-27 TEXBALW 200000001
1995-07-26 TEXBALL 100000010
1995-07-25 TEXBALL 100000010
1995-07-24 TEXNYYL 401000001
1995-07-22 TEXNYYL 400000000
1995-07-20 TEXCLEL 402000000
1995-07-17 TEXBALL 100000010
1995-06-11 CHCCOLL 200000001

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Steve Buechele — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 12 7 62 7 0 4
2B 92 68 120 169 1 41
3B 1269 1159 895 2281 104 184
OF 4 1 5 0 0 0
SS 5 0 1 2 0 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Steve Buechele — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1985 TEX 2B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1985 TEX 3B 69 68 52 137 6 17
1986 TEX 2B 33 30 59 66 1 25
1986 TEX 3B 137 109 111 226 11 17
1986 TEX OF 2 1 4 0 0 0
1987 TEX 2B 18 16 20 36 0 7
1987 TEX 3B 123 94 68 175 9 13
1987 TEX OF 2 0 1 0 0 0
1988 TEX 2B 2 2 4 3 0 0
1988 TEX 3B 153 149 110 297 16 25
1989 TEX 2B 18 7 21 23 0 6
1989 TEX 3B 145 131 106 264 12 22
1989 TEX SS 1 0 1 1 0 1
1990 TEX 2B 4 1 2 3 0 0
1990 TEX 3B 88 79 70 157 8 7
1991 TEX 2B 13 12 12 35 0 3
1991 TEX 3B 111 101 87 239 3 20
1991 TEX SS 4 0 0 1 0 0
1991 PIT 3B 31 31 22 64 4 5
1992 PIT 3B 80 79 52 169 10 10
1992 CHN 2B 2 0 1 1 0 0
1992 CHN 3B 63 61 50 119 7 6
1993 CHN 1B 6 2 18 0 0 3
1993 CHN 3B 129 126 79 232 8 24
1994 CHN 1B 6 5 44 7 0 1
1994 CHN 2B 1 0 1 1 0 0
1994 CHN 3B 99 95 55 136 5 13
1995 CHN 3B 32 30 26 55 5 3
1995 TEX 3B 9 6 7 11 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Steve Buechele Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
First Base 12
Second Base 92
Third Base 1269
Shortstop 5
Left Field 3
Designated Hitter 1

Salary History

Steve Buechele's recorded salaries total $10,205,000 over 9 seasons, 1986 to 1994. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Buechele's career ran from 1985 to 1995. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1995.

Steve Buechele — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1994 CHN NL $2,550,000
1993 CHN NL $2,900,000
1992 PIT NL $2,600,000
1991 TEX AL $775,000
1990 TEX AL $550,000
1989 TEX AL $430,000
1988 TEX AL $180,000
1987 TEX AL $135,000
1986 TEX AL $85,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $10,205,000

College History

Steve Buechele — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Stanford University Palo Alto CA 1980, 1981, 1982

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Steve Buechele (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Mike Pagliarulo
    .241 avg, 134 HR
  2. 89
    Ken McMullen
    .248 avg, 156 HR
  3. 87
    Ed Sprague
    .247 avg, 152 HR
  4. 87
    Enrique Hernandez
    .235 avg, 134 HR
  5. 87
    Geoff Blum
    .250 avg, 99 HR
  6. 84
    Jim Spencer
    .250 avg, 146 HR

Steve Buechele: the record in brief

Steve Buechele played a first major league game on July 19, 1985 and a last one on July 29, 1995. Club by club, the record runs the Texas Rangers (1985 to 1995), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1991 through 1992), and the Chicago Cubs (1992 to 1995). Buechele played primarily as a third baseman and threw and hit right-handed. Born on September 26, 1961, in Lancaster, CA, USA, Buechele was listed at 6'2" and 190 pounds. Steve Buechele was the playing name; the full given name is Steven Bernard.

In 1,334 games and 4,266 at bats, Buechele batted .245 with 1,046 hits, adding 137 home runs and 547 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .316 and the slugging percentage .394, for an OPS of .710. Buechele's .245 average ran 5.5% below the .260 that the league posted over the same seasons. Buechele's most home runs in a season came in 1986, when the total reached 18 for the Texas Rangers. 1988 produced Buechele's most hits, 126 of them for the Texas Rangers. Buechele drove in a season-high 66 runs in 1991.

Frequently Asked Questions about Steve Buechele

What years did Steve Buechele play?
Steve Buechele played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1995.
Was Steve Buechele a pitcher?
No. Steve Buechele was a position player (Third Baseman).
How many home runs did Steve Buechele hit?
Steve Buechele hit 137 career home runs with 1,046 hits.
What teams did Steve Buechele play for?
Steve Buechele played for 3 teams: the Texas Rangers (1985–1991, 1995), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1991–1992), and the Chicago Cubs (1992–1995).
What were Steve Buechele's career stats?
In 1,334 games, Steve Buechele had 1,046 hits, 137 home runs, 547 RBI, 501 runs, and 17 stolen bases, with a .245 batting average.
How much did Steve Buechele earn in his career?
Steve Buechele's recorded salaries total $10,205,000 over 9 seasons, 1986 to 1994. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Buechele's career ran from 1985 to 1995. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1995.
What was Steve Buechele's salary?
Steve Buechele's last recorded salary was $2,550,000, in 1994. His highest recorded salary was $2,900,000, in 1993, and his lowest was $85,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1994.
What position did Steve Buechele play?
Steve Buechele played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Steve Buechele and how much did he weigh?
Steve Buechele was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 190 pounds.
How many home runs did Steve Buechele hit each season?
Steve Buechele's home runs by season: 6 in 1985, 18 in 1986, 13 in 1987, 16 in 1988, 16 in 1989, 7 in 1990, 22 in 1991, 9 in 1992, 15 in 1993, 14 in 1994, and 1 in 1995. His most in one season was 22, in 1991.
What was Steve Buechele's career batting average?
Steve Buechele batted .245 over his career, with 1,046 hits in 4,266 at bats.
How many RBI did Steve Buechele have?
Steve Buechele drove in 547 runs in his career.
Is Steve Buechele in the Hall of Fame?
No. Steve Buechele has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.