Ray Burris
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1973-1987)
Ray Burris was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1987 for 7 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 15 seasons. Across 480 career appearances, he went 108-134 with a 4.17 ERA and 1,065 strikeouts. He also batted .151 with 1 home runs.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'5" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1973-04-08
- Last Game
- 1987-09-27
Full name: Bertram Ray Burris
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | CHN | NL | 1 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64.7 | 65 | 21 | 27 | 57 | 2.92 | 3.75 (+22%) | 2110.9 |
| 1974 | CHN | NL | 3 | 5 | 40 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 75.0 | 91 | 55 | 26 | 40 | 6.60 | 3.63 (-82%) | -882.9 |
| 1975 | CHN | NL | 15 | 10 | 36 | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 238.3 | 259 | 109 | 73 | 108 | 4.12 | 3.71 (-11%) | -1805.2 |
| 1976 | CHN | NL | 15 | 13 | 37 | 36 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 249.0 | 251 | 86 | 70 | 112 | 3.11 | 3.51 (+12%) | -1687.1 |
| 1977 | CHN | NL | 14 | 16 | 39 | 39 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 221.0 | 270 | 116 | 67 | 105 | 4.72 | 4.00 (-18%) | -2460.9 |
| 1978 | CHN | NL | 7 | 13 | 40 | 32 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 199.0 | 210 | 105 | 79 | 94 | 4.75 | 3.69 (-29%) | -1366.9 |
| 1979 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.7 | 23 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 6.23 | 4.00 (-56%) | 188.7 |
| 1979 | NYA | AL | 1 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.7 | 40 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 6.18 | 4.00 (-54%) | -546.7 |
| 1979 | NYN | NL | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.7 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 3.32 | 4.00 (+17%) | 12.9 |
| 1980 | NYN | NL | 7 | 13 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.3 | 181 | 76 | 54 | 83 | 4.02 | 3.84 (-5%) | -2060.8 |
| 1981 | MON | NL | 9 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 135.7 | 117 | 46 | 41 | 52 | 3.05 | 3.58 (+15%) | -290.1 |
| 1982 | MON | NL | 4 | 14 | 37 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 123.7 | 143 | 65 | 53 | 55 | 4.73 | 3.86 (-22%) | -2380.8 |
| 1983 | MON | NL | 4 | 7 | 40 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 154.0 | 139 | 63 | 56 | 100 | 3.68 | 3.87 (+5%) | 749.7 |
| 1984 | OAK | AL | 13 | 10 | 34 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 211.7 | 193 | 74 | 90 | 93 | 3.15 | 3.81 (+17%) | -2056.9 |
| 1985 | ML4 | AL | 9 | 13 | 29 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 170.3 | 182 | 91 | 53 | 81 | 4.81 | 3.89 (-23%) | -3126.0 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | 4 | 5 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82.0 | 92 | 51 | 32 | 34 | 5.60 | 3.97 (-41%) | -2762.0 |
| 1987 | ML4 | AL | 2 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 | 33 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 5.87 | 4.29 (-37%) | -982.1 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 108 | 134 | 480 | 302 | 47 | 10 | 4 | 2,188.2 | 2,310 | 1,015 | 764 | 1,065 | 4.17 | — | -19,346 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 490 | 502 | 30 | 76 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 31 | 160 | .151 | .201 | .191 | .393 | -2,656 |
Career AVG .151 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 41.7% below league average.
Career OBP .201 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 38.1% below league average.
Career SLG .191 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 50.5% below league average.
Career OPS .393 vs. league average .711 across their career seasons — 44.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | CHN | NL | 31 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | CHN | NL | 41 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .077 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | CHN | NL | 38 | 82 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 24 | .183 | .257 (-29%) | .327 (-24%) | .374 (-45%) | .701 (-35%) | -439.3 |
| 1976 | CHN | NL | 39 | 81 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 28 | .111 | .255 (-57%) | .320 (-62%) | .360 (-69%) | .681 (-66%) | -817.3 |
| 1977 | CHN | NL | 40 | 69 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 22 | .174 | .264 (-34%) | .329 (-30%) | .401 (-31%) | .730 (-31%) | -349.7 |
| 1978 | CHN | NL | 41 | 61 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | .115 | .257 (-56%) | .323 (-56%) | .378 (-48%) | .702 (-52%) | -509.2 |
| 1979 | CHN | NL | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | NYA | AL | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | NYN | NL | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | NYN | NL | 29 | 51 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 | .098 | .264 (-63%) | .326 (-60%) | .387 (-75%) | .714 (-68%) | -540.4 |
| 1981 | MON | NL | 22 | 37 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | .189 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | MON | NL | 37 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | MON | NL | 40 | 39 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1984 | OAK | AL | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | ML4 | AL | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | 23 | 27 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .148 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | ML4 | AL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 490 | 502 | 30 | 76 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 31 | 160 | .151 | — | — | — | — | -2,656 | ||
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 (970 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 261 | 246 | 15 | 36 | 0 | 20 | .146 |
| Away | 229 | 256 | 15 | 40 | 1 | 7 | .156 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 255 | 1168.2 | 1227 | 539 | 392 | 561 | 4.15 |
| Away | 225 | 1020.0 | 1083 | 476 | 372 | 504 | 4.20 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-09-27 | MIL | BOS | W | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-09 | MIL | TOR | — | 0.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-08-29 | MIL | MIN | — | 1.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-08-25 | MIL | CLE | — | 1.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-08-22 | MIL | KCR | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-08-20 | MIL | CLE | — | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1987-08-18 | MIL | CLE | L | 0.2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-08-12 | MIL | TEX | L | 5.0 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-08-08 | MIL | CHW | W | 5.2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1987-07-31 | MIL | CHW | — | 3.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | CHN | P | 31 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| 1974 | CHN | P | 40 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | CHN | P | 36 | 35 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| 1976 | CHN | P | 37 | 36 | 15 | 42 | 5 | 3 |
| 1977 | CHN | P | 39 | 39 | 16 | 46 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978 | CHN | P | 40 | 32 | 23 | 38 | 4 | 2 |
| 1979 | CHN | P | 14 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | NYA | P | 15 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | NYN | P | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980 | NYN | P | 29 | 29 | 13 | 22 | 2 | 1 |
| 1981 | MON | P | 22 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 2 |
| 1982 | MON | P | 37 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| 1983 | MON | P | 40 | 17 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984 | OAK | P | 34 | 28 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 1985 | ML4 | P | 29 | 28 | 18 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 1986 | SLN | P | 23 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | ML4 | P | 10 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 480 |
| Designated Hitter | 3 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Pitcher of the Month | August |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | ML4 | AL | $100,000 |
| 1985 | ML4 | AL | $581,250 |
| Total Career Earnings | $681,250 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University | Weatherford | OK | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ray Burris (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ray Burris
- What years did Ray Burris play?
- Ray Burris played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1987.
- Was Ray Burris a pitcher?
- Yes. Ray Burris pitched in the major leagues, recording 108 wins and 1065 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Ray Burris hit?
- Ray Burris hit 1 career home runs with 76 hits.
- What was Ray Burris's career batting average?
- Ray Burris batted .151 over his career, with 76 hits in 502 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ray Burris have?
- Ray Burris drove in 27 runs in his career.
- What was Ray Burris's career ERA?
- Ray Burris finished with a 4.17 career ERA, going 108-134 with 1,065 strikeouts.