What years did Leo Cardenas play?

Leo Cardenas played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1975.

Was Leo Cardenas a pitcher?

No. Leo Cardenas was a position player (Shortstop).

How many home runs did Leo Cardenas hit?

Leo Cardenas hit 118 career home runs with 1,725 hits.

What teams did Leo Cardenas play for?

Leo Cardenas played for 5 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1960–1968), the Minnesota Twins (1969–1971), the California Angels (1972), the Cleveland Indians (1973), and the Texas Rangers (1974–1975).

Did Leo Cardenas win an MVP award?

No. Leo Cardenas did not win the MVP award.

What awards did Leo Cardenas win?

Leo Cardenas won the Gold Glove (1965). He was selected to 5 All-Star Games.

What were Leo Cardenas's career stats?

In 1,941 games, Leo Cardenas had 1,725 hits, 118 home runs, 689 RBI, 662 runs, and 39 stolen bases, with a .257 batting average.

What position did Leo Cardenas play?

Leo Cardenas played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.

How tall was Leo Cardenas and how much did he weigh?

Leo Cardenas was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 160 pounds.

How many home runs did Leo Cardenas hit each season?

Leo Cardenas's home runs by season: 1 in 1960, 5 in 1961, 10 in 1962, 7 in 1963, 9 in 1964, 11 in 1965, 20 in 1966, 2 in 1967, 7 in 1968, 10 in 1969, 11 in 1970, 18 in 1971, 6 in 1972, 0 in 1973, 0 in 1974, and 1 in 1975. His most in one season was 20, in 1966.

What was Leo Cardenas's career batting average?

Leo Cardenas batted .257 over his career, with 1,725 hits in 6,707 at bats.

How many RBI did Leo Cardenas have?

Leo Cardenas drove in 689 runs in his career.

Is Leo Cardenas in the Hall of Fame?

No. Leo Cardenas has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

How many All-Star Games did Leo Cardenas make?

Leo Cardenas was selected to 5 All-Star Games.

Leo Cardenas

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1960-1975)

Leo Cardenas was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1975 for 5 teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,941 career games, he hit .257 with 1,725 hits, 118 home runs, and 689 RBI. Leo Cardenas was a 5-time All-Star and a Gold Glove.

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 October 15, 2026

AVG .257

HR 118

RBI 689

H 1,725

OPS .679

PIV -717

Position: Shortstop
Bats / Throws: R / R
Height / Weight: 5'11" / 160 lb
Born: 12/17/1938 in Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba
MLB Debut: 1960-07-25
Last Game: 1975-09-26
Awards: 5× All-Star · Gold Glove

Full name: Leonardo Lazaro Cardenas

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Career Batting Statistics

Leo Cardenas — Career Batting Statistics
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1,941	6,707	662	1,725	285	49	118	689	39	522	1,135	.257	.311	.367	.679	-717

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .311 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .367 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .679 vs. league average .690 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Leo Cardenas 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
1960	CIN	NL	48	142	13	33	2	4	1	12	0	6	32	.232	.255 (-9%)	.323 (-19%)	.387 (-16%)	.711 (-17%)	-421.1
1961	CIN	NL	74	198	23	61	18	1	5	24	1	15	39	.308	.258 (+19%)	.328 (+8%)	.399 (+21%)	.727 (+15%)	491.1
1962	CIN	NL	153	589	77	173	31	4	10	60	2	39	99	.294	.257 (+14%)	.326 (+4%)	.393 (+4%)	.719 (+4%)	482.8
1963	CIN	NL	158	565	42	133	22	4	7	48	3	23	101	.235	.246 (-4%)	.308 (-13%)	.371 (-12%)	.680 (-13%)	-1134.2
1964	CIN	NL	163	597	61	150	32	2	9	69	4	41	110	.251	.250 (avg)	.312 (-4%)	.377 (-6%)	.690 (-5%)	-525.8
1965	CIN	NL	156	557	65	160	25	11	11	57	1	60	100	.287	.245 (+17%)	.310 (+14%)	.371 (+16%)	.682 (+15%)	1657.3
1966	CIN	NL	160	568	59	145	25	4	20	81	9	45	87	.255	.248 (+3%)	.309 (avg)	.376 (+11%)	.685 (+6%)	582.3
1967	CIN	NL	108	379	30	97	14	3	2	21	4	34	77	.256	.242 (+6%)	.306 (+4%)	.357 (-9%)	.663 (-3%)	-107.3
1968	CIN	NL	137	452	45	106	13	2	7	41	2	36	83	.235	.236 (-1%)	.298 (-2%)	.340 (-6%)	.638 (-4%)	-275.7
1969	MIN	AL	160	578	67	162	24	4	10	70	5	66	96	.280	.248 (+13%)	.320 (+10%)	.369 (+5%)	.689 (+7%)	919.4
1970	MIN	AL	160	588	67	145	34	4	11	65	2	42	101	.247	.253 (-3%)	.325 (-8%)	.385 (-3%)	.711 (-5%)	-572.2
1971	MIN	AL	153	554	59	146	25	4	18	75	3	51	69	.264	.249 (+6%)	.316 (+1%)	.365 (+15%)	.682 (+9%)	761.0
1972	CAL	AL	150	551	25	123	11	2	6	42	1	35	73	.223	.243 (-8%)	.310 (-13%)	.353 (-20%)	.664 (-17%)	-1342.8
1973	CLE	AL	72	195	9	42	4	0	0	12	1	13	42	.215	.256 (-16%)	.325 (-19%)	.378 (-38%)	.703 (-29%)	-856.3
1974	TEX	AL	34	92	5	25	3	0	0	7	1	2	14	.272	.256 (+6%)	.324 (-11%)	.369 (-18%)	.693 (-15%)	-215.6
1975	TEX	AL	55	102	15	24	2	0	1	5	0	14	12	.235	.257 (-9%)	.327 (avg)	.374 (-24%)	.701 (-13%)	-159.5
Career · 16 seasons			1,941	6,707	662	1,725	285	49	118	689	39	522	1,135	.257	—	—	—	—	-717

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

Leo Cardenas — Playoff Career Batting
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
9	27	1	5	1	1	0	1	1	9	.185

Playoff Batting by Year

Leo Cardenas — Playoff Batting by Year
Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1970	ALCS	MIN	3	11	1	2	0	0	1	1	1	.182
1969	ALCS	MIN	3	13	0	2	0	1	0	0	7	.154
1961	WS	CIN	3	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	.333

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1941 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Leo Cardenas — Batting — Home / Away
Split	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	AVG
Home	971	3274	372	877	57	353	.268
Away	970	3433	290	848	61	336	.247

Last 10 Games — Batting

Leo Cardenas — Last 10 Games — Batting
Date	Tm	Opp	Res	AB	H	BB	SO
1975-09-26	TEX	KCR	L	0	0	0	0
1975-09-23	TEX	KCR	L	1	0	0	1
1975-09-19	TEX	CHW	W	1	1	0	0
1975-09-17	TEX	LAA	L	3	0	0	0
1975-09-16	TEX	OAK	L	1	0	0	0
1975-09-14	TEX	CHW	W	1	0	0	0
1975-09-13	TEX	CHW	W	0	0	0	0
1975-09-09	TEX	MIN	W	2	1	0	0
1975-09-07	TEX	OAK	L	1	0	0	1
1975-09-05	TEX	OAK	W	2	1	1	0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Leo Cardenas — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	3	0	1	2	0	0
3B	69	48	52	124	7	14
SS	1843	1783	3218	5303	259	1036

Season-by-Season Fielding

Leo Cardenas — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1960	CIN	SS	47	43	76	128	9	32
1961	CIN	SS	63	46	83	133	6	21
1962	CIN	SS	149	147	273	443	21	84
1963	CIN	SS	157	152	270	420	20	84
1964	CIN	SS	163	163	336	436	32	87
1965	CIN	SS	155	155	292	440	19	92
1966	CIN	SS	160	160	279	446	15	87
1967	CIN	SS	108	108	190	316	15	57
1968	CIN	SS	136	129	221	388	29	66
1969	MIN	SS	160	159	310	570	32	126
1970	MIN	SS	160	158	280	487	17	91
1971	MIN	SS	153	152	266	445	11	89
1972	CAL	SS	150	149	241	471	22	82
1973	CLE	3B	5	3	3	13	2	4
1973	CLE	SS	67	56	87	154	9	33
1974	TEX	3B	21	17	17	35	0	1
1974	TEX	SS	10	4	9	19	2	2
1975	TEX	2B	3	0	1	2	0	0
1975	TEX	3B	43	28	32	76	5	9
1975	TEX	SS	5	2	5	7	0	3

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Leo Cardenas Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position	Games
Second Base	3
Third Base	69
Shortstop	1843
Designated Hitter	4

Awards & Honors

Leo Cardenas — Awards & Honors
Year	Award	Notes
1971	TSN All-Star	SS
1965	Gold Glove	SS

Award Voting History

Leo Cardenas — Award Voting History
Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max
1971	Most Valuable Player	AL	21th	5.0	336
1969	Most Valuable Player	AL	12th	27.0	336
1965	Most Valuable Player	NL	21th	7.0	280

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Leo Cardenas (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

Leo Cardenas: the record in brief

Leo Cardenas played a first major league game on July 25, 1960 and a last one on September 26, 1975. By club, Cardenas's seasons break down as the Cincinnati Reds (1960 to 1968), the Minnesota Twins (1969 to 1971), the California Angels (1972), the Cleveland Indians (1973), and the Texas Rangers (1974 through 1975). Cardenas is listed as a shortstop at 5 feet, 11 inches and 160 pounds. Cardenas both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Cardenas was born on December 17, 1938, in Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba. The given name on file is Leonardo Lazaro Cardenas.

Cardenas collected 1,725 hits in 6,707 at bats across 1,941 games, good for a .257 batting average, along with 118 homers, 689 runs batted in, and 39 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .311 clip and slugging .367, Cardenas finished with a .679 OPS. Cardenas hit .257 while the league hit .251 over the same span, a figure close to average. 1966 was Cardenas's biggest home run year, with 20. Cardenas collected a career-high 173 hits in 1962.

Frequently Asked Questions about Leo Cardenas

What years did Leo Cardenas play?: Leo Cardenas played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1975.
Was Leo Cardenas a pitcher?: No. Leo Cardenas was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Leo Cardenas hit?: Leo Cardenas hit 118 career home runs with 1,725 hits.
What teams did Leo Cardenas play for?: Leo Cardenas played for 5 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1960–1968), the Minnesota Twins (1969–1971), the California Angels (1972), the Cleveland Indians (1973), and the Texas Rangers (1974–1975).
Did Leo Cardenas win an MVP award?: No. Leo Cardenas did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Leo Cardenas win?: Leo Cardenas won the Gold Glove (1965). He was selected to 5 All-Star Games.
What were Leo Cardenas's career stats?: In 1,941 games, Leo Cardenas had 1,725 hits, 118 home runs, 689 RBI, 662 runs, and 39 stolen bases, with a .257 batting average.
What position did Leo Cardenas play?: Leo Cardenas played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Leo Cardenas and how much did he weigh?: Leo Cardenas was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 160 pounds.
How many home runs did Leo Cardenas hit each season?: Leo Cardenas's home runs by season: 1 in 1960, 5 in 1961, 10 in 1962, 7 in 1963, 9 in 1964, 11 in 1965, 20 in 1966, 2 in 1967, 7 in 1968, 10 in 1969, 11 in 1970, 18 in 1971, 6 in 1972, 0 in 1973, 0 in 1974, and 1 in 1975. His most in one season was 20, in 1966.
What was Leo Cardenas's career batting average?: Leo Cardenas batted .257 over his career, with 1,725 hits in 6,707 at bats.
How many RBI did Leo Cardenas have?: Leo Cardenas drove in 689 runs in his career.
Is Leo Cardenas in the Hall of Fame?: No. Leo Cardenas has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Leo Cardenas make?: Leo Cardenas was selected to 5 All-Star Games.