Rich Chiles
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1971-1978)
Rich Chiles was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1978 for the Houston Astros, the New York Mets, and the Minnesota Twins, a span of 8 seasons. In 284 career games, he hit .254 with 157 hits, 6 home runs, and 76 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1971-04-20
- Last Game
- 1978-09-30
Full name: Richard Francis Chiles
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 284 | 618 | 68 | 157 | 37 | 2 | 6 | 76 | 1 | 50 | 65 | .254 | .310 | .350 | .659 | -583 |
Career AVG .254 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .310 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .350 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 6.5% below league average.
Career OPS .659 vs. league average .695 across their career seasons — 5.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | HOU | NL | 67 | 119 | 12 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 20 | .227 | .249 (-9%) | .316 (-15%) | .365 (-8%) | .682 (-11%) | -237.7 |
| 1972 | HOU | NL | 9 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1973 | NYN | NL | 8 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .120 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | HOU | NL | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | MIN | AL | 108 | 261 | 31 | 69 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 23 | 17 | .264 | .264 (avg) | .329 (-2%) | .401 (-8%) | .730 (-5%) | -243.4 |
| 1978 | MIN | AL | 87 | 198 | 22 | 53 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 20 | 25 | .268 | .257 (+4%) | .323 (+3%) | .378 (-9%) | .702 (-4%) | -102.2 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 284 | 618 | 68 | 157 | 37 | 2 | 6 | 76 | 1 | 50 | 65 | .254 | — | — | — | — | -583 | ||
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 (284 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 142 | 310 | 32 | 77 | 1 | 43 | .248 |
| Away | 142 | 308 | 36 | 80 | 5 | 33 | .260 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-09-30 | MIN | KCR | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-27 | MIN | TEX | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978-09-26 | MIN | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978-09-25 | MIN | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-22 | MIN | KCR | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978-09-19 | MIN | LAA | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978-09-18 | MIN | LAA | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978-09-17 | MIN | MIL | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978-09-04 | MIN | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978-09-03 | MIN | CLE | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 87 |
| Center Field | 8 |
| Right Field | 26 |
| Designated Hitter | 71 |
Rich Chiles: the record in brief
Rich Chiles played a first major league game on April 20, 1971 and a last one on September 30, 1978. The season rows list, in order, the Houston Astros (1971 to 1976), the New York Mets (1973), and the Minnesota Twins (1977 through 1978). Chiles, an outfielder by primary position, both batted and threw left-handed. Chiles is listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds. The birth record reads November 22, 1949, in Sacramento, CA, USA. Chiles's full given name, per the bio, is Richard Francis Chiles.
Across 284 games at the plate, Chiles's career line reads 157 hits in 618 at bats for a .254 average; the totals also include 6 homers and 76 RBI. Reaching base at a .310 clip and slugging .350, Chiles finished with a .659 OPS. Against a .255 league average for those years, Chiles's .254 average was near the norm. The hits column peaks at 69, in 1977. The Lg AVG column puts Chiles's 1978 at .268 against .257, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 4%.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rich Chiles
- What years did Rich Chiles play?
- Rich Chiles played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1978.
- Was Rich Chiles a pitcher?
- No. Rich Chiles was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Rich Chiles hit?
- Rich Chiles hit 6 career home runs with 157 hits.
- What teams did Rich Chiles play for?
- Rich Chiles played for 3 teams: the Houston Astros (1971–1972, 1976), the New York Mets (1973), and the Minnesota Twins (1977–1978).
- What were Rich Chiles's career stats?
- In 284 games, Rich Chiles had 157 hits, 6 home runs, 76 RBI, 68 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .254 batting average.
- What position did Rich Chiles play?
- Rich Chiles played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rich Chiles and how much did he weigh?
- Rich Chiles was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Rich Chiles hit each season?
- Rich Chiles's home runs by season: 2 in 1971, 0 in 1972, 0 in 1973, 0 in 1976, 3 in 1977, and 1 in 1978. His most in one season was 3, in 1977.
- What was Rich Chiles's career batting average?
- Rich Chiles batted .254 over his career, with 157 hits in 618 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rich Chiles have?
- Rich Chiles drove in 76 runs in his career.
- Is Rich Chiles in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rich Chiles has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.