Mike Caruso
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1998-2002)
Mike Caruso was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2002 for the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals, a span of 5 seasons. In 281 career games, he hit .274 with 294 hits, 7 home runs, and 90 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 172 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1998-03-31
- Last Game
- 2002-08-09
Full name: Michael John Caruso
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 281 | 1,072 | 144 | 294 | 28 | 10 | 7 | 90 | 34 | 35 | 76 | .274 | .302 | .339 | .641 | -2,745 |
Career AVG .274 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .302 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 10.3% below league average.
Career SLG .339 vs. league average .424 across their career seasons — 20.1% below league average.
Career OPS .641 vs. league average .761 across their career seasons — 15.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | CHA | AL | 133 | 523 | 81 | 160 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 55 | 22 | 14 | 38 | .306 | .266 (+15%) | .335 (-1%) | .420 (-7%) | .755 (-5%) | -427.9 |
| 1999 | CHA | AL | 136 | 529 | 60 | 132 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 12 | 20 | 36 | .250 | .271 (-8%) | .344 (-19%) | .433 (-32%) | .778 (-26%) | -2317.2 |
| 2002 | KCA | AL | 12 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 281 | 1,072 | 144 | 294 | 28 | 10 | 7 | 90 | 34 | 35 | 76 | .274 | — | — | — | — | -2,745 | ||
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 (281 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 137 | 516 | 74 | 133 | 3 | 46 | .258 |
| Away | 144 | 556 | 70 | 161 | 4 | 44 | .290 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-08-09 | KCR | TBR | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-08-01 | KCR | TOR | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-07-31 | KCR | TOR | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-07-30 | KCR | TOR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-07-23 | KCR | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002-07-20 | KCR | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-07-16 | KCR | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-07-15 | KCR | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-07-14 | KCR | LAA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-07-06 | KCR | OAK | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 4 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 268 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Salary History
Mike Caruso's recorded salaries total $445,000 over 2 seasons, 1998 to 1999. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Caruso's career ran from 1998 to 2002. No salary is recorded for 2002.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | CHA | AL | $275,000 |
| 1998 | CHA | AL | $170,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $445,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 3rd | 34.0 | 140 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Mike Caruso (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Mike Caruso: the record in brief
According to the bio, Mike Caruso debuted on March 31, 1998 and played a final game on August 9, 2002. The team column moves through the Chicago White Sox (1998 through 1999) and the Kansas City Royals (2002). The bio lists Caruso as a shortstop who batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6 feet, 1 inch and 172 pounds. Caruso was born on May 27, 1977, in Queens, NY, USA. Mike Caruso was the playing name; the full given name is Michael John.
Caruso's career batting table shows 281 games, 1,072 at bats and 294 hits, a .274 average, along with 7 home runs, 90 runs batted in, and 34 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .302 clip and slugging .339, Caruso finished with a .641 OPS. Against a .266 league average for those years, Caruso's .274 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .641 to a league .761, 15.7% below average. No season topped the 160 hits of 1998. Caruso stole 22 bases in 1998, the most of any season listed.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mike Caruso
- What years did Mike Caruso play?
- Mike Caruso played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2002.
- Was Mike Caruso a pitcher?
- No. Mike Caruso was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Mike Caruso hit?
- Mike Caruso hit 7 career home runs with 294 hits.
- What teams did Mike Caruso play for?
- Mike Caruso played for 2 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1998–1999) and the Kansas City Royals (2002).
- What were Mike Caruso's career stats?
- In 281 games, Mike Caruso had 294 hits, 7 home runs, 90 RBI, 144 runs, and 34 stolen bases, with a .274 batting average.
- How much did Mike Caruso earn in his career?
- Mike Caruso's recorded salaries total $445,000 over 2 seasons, 1998 to 1999. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Caruso's career ran from 1998 to 2002. No salary is recorded for 2002.
- What was Mike Caruso's salary?
- Mike Caruso's last recorded salary was $275,000, in 1999. His highest recorded salary was $275,000, in 1999, and his lowest was $170,000, in 1998. The Salary History table lists each season from 1998 to 1999.
- What position did Mike Caruso play?
- Mike Caruso played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Mike Caruso and how much did he weigh?
- Mike Caruso was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 172 pounds.
- How many home runs did Mike Caruso hit each season?
- Mike Caruso's home runs by season: 5 in 1998, 2 in 1999, and 0 in 2002. His most in one season was 5, in 1998.
- What was Mike Caruso's career batting average?
- Mike Caruso batted .274 over his career, with 294 hits in 1,072 at bats.
- How many RBI did Mike Caruso have?
- Mike Caruso drove in 90 runs in his career.
- Is Mike Caruso in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mike Caruso has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.