Ivan Cruz
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1997-2002)
Ivan Cruz was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2002 for the New York Yankees, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 6 seasons. In 41 career games, he hit .273 with 15 hits, 2 home runs, and 8 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 210 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1997-07-18
- Last Game
- 2002-09-27
Full name: Luis Ivan Cruz
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 55 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 17 | .273 | .310 | .400 | .710 | 0 |
Career AVG .273 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .310 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 8.6% below league average.
Career SLG .400 vs. league average .427 across their career seasons — 6.3% below league average.
Career OPS .710 vs. league average .766 across their career seasons — 7.3% 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 | NYA | AL | 11 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1999 | PIT | NL | 5 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2000 | PIT | NL | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2002 | SLN | NL | 17 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .357 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 41 | 55 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 17 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (41 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 27 | 38 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 3 | .289 |
| Away | 14 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | .235 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-09-27 | STL | MIL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-09-26 | STL | MIL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-09-25 | STL | AZ | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-09-24 | STL | AZ | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002-09-23 | STL | AZ | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-09-21 | STL | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-09-20 | STL | HOU | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002-09-19 | STL | COL | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-09-18 | STL | COL | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-09-15 | STL | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 12 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 4 |
Salary History
Ivan Cruz's recorded salaries total $205,000 over 1 season, in 1999. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Cruz's career ran from 1997 to 2002. No salary is recorded for 1997, 2000, and 2002.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | PIT | NL | $205,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $205,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville University | Jacksonville | FL | 1987, 1988, 1989 |
Ivan Cruz: the record in brief
July 18, 1997 and September 27, 2002 bracket Ivan Cruz's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Cruz played for the New York Yankees (1997), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1999 through 2000), and the St. Louis Cardinals (2002). Cruz, born on May 3, 1968, in Fajardo, P.R., is listed as a first baseman and batted and threw left-handed. Size on record: 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. Cruz's full given name, per the bio, is Luis Ivan Cruz.
The batting record for Cruz: 41 games, 15 hits in 55 at bats, and a .273 average, adding 2 home runs and 8 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .310 clip and slugging .400, Cruz finished with a .710 OPS. Cruz hit .273 while the league hit .267 over the same span, a figure close to average. By OPS the gap is 7.3% below league average (.710 against .766). No season topped the 5 hits of 1997. The best average in the busiest seasons was .357, in 2002.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ivan Cruz
- What years did Ivan Cruz play?
- Ivan Cruz played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2002.
- Was Ivan Cruz a pitcher?
- No. Ivan Cruz was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ivan Cruz hit?
- Ivan Cruz hit 2 career home runs with 15 hits.
- What teams did Ivan Cruz play for?
- Ivan Cruz played for 3 teams: the New York Yankees (1997), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1999–2000), and the St. Louis Cardinals (2002).
- What were Ivan Cruz's career stats?
- In 41 games, Ivan Cruz had 15 hits, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, and 5 runs, with a .273 batting average.
- How much did Ivan Cruz earn in his career?
- Ivan Cruz's recorded salaries total $205,000 over 1 season, in 1999. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Cruz's career ran from 1997 to 2002. No salary is recorded for 1997, 2000, and 2002.
- What was Ivan Cruz's salary?
- Ivan Cruz's recorded salary was $205,000 in 1999.
- What position did Ivan Cruz play?
- Ivan Cruz played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ivan Cruz and how much did he weigh?
- Ivan Cruz was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 210 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ivan Cruz hit each season?
- Ivan Cruz's home runs by season: 0 in 1997, 1 in 1999, 0 in 2000, and 1 in 2002. His most in one season was 1, in 1999 and 2002.
- What was Ivan Cruz's career batting average?
- Ivan Cruz batted .273 over his career, with 15 hits in 55 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ivan Cruz have?
- Ivan Cruz drove in 8 runs in his career.
- Is Ivan Cruz in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ivan Cruz has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.