Rich Butler
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1997-1999)
Rich Butler was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 1999 for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays, a span of 3 seasons. In 86 career games, he hit .223 with 56 hits, 7 home runs, and 22 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
- 6'1" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1997-09-06
- Last Game
- 1999-08-04
Full name: Richard Dwight Butler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | 251 | 30 | 56 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 4 | 19 | 44 | .223 | .280 | .351 | .631 | -584 |
Career AVG .223 vs. league average .268 across their career seasons — 16.8% below league average.
Career OBP .280 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 17.4% below league average.
Career SLG .351 vs. league average .425 across their career seasons — 17.4% below league average.
Career OPS .631 vs. league average .763 across their career seasons — 17.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | TOR | AL | 7 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1998 | TBA | AL | 72 | 217 | 25 | 49 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 4 | 15 | 37 | .226 | .266 (-15%) | .335 (-17%) | .420 (-13%) | .755 (-15%) | -583.5 |
| 1999 | TBA | AL | 7 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .150 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 86 | 251 | 30 | 56 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 4 | 19 | 44 | .223 | — | — | — | — | -584 | ||
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 (86 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 47 | 139 | 21 | 32 | 6 | 16 | .230 |
| Away | 39 | 112 | 9 | 24 | 1 | 6 | .214 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-08-04 | TBR | SEA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1999-08-03 | TBR | SEA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999-07-30 | TBR | OAK | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999-07-25 | TBR | TEX | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1999-07-24 | TBR | TEX | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999-07-23 | TBR | TEX | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999-07-22 | TBR | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998-09-27 | TBR | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998-09-26 | TBR | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998-09-25 | TBR | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 44 |
| Right Field | 26 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | TBA | AL | $215,000 |
| 1998 | TBA | AL | $170,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $385,000 | ||
Frequently Asked Questions about Rich Butler
- What years did Rich Butler play?
- Rich Butler played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 1999.
- Was Rich Butler a pitcher?
- No. Rich Butler was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Rich Butler hit?
- Rich Butler hit 7 career home runs with 56 hits.
- What was Rich Butler's career batting average?
- Rich Butler batted .223 over his career, with 56 hits in 251 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rich Butler have?
- Rich Butler drove in 22 runs in his career.
- Is Rich Butler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rich Butler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.