Julio Cruz
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1986)
Julio Cruz was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1986 for the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 10 seasons. In 1,156 career games, he hit .237 with 916 hits, 23 home runs, and 279 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 165 lb
- Died
- 2/22/2022 in Redmond, WA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1977-07-04
- Last Game
- 1986-08-31
Full name: Julio Louis Cruz
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,156 | 3,859 | 557 | 916 | 113 | 27 | 23 | 279 | 343 | 478 | 508 | .237 | .321 | .299 | .620 | -6,765 |
Career AVG .237 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 8.9% below league average.
Career OBP .321 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .299 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 23.2% below league average.
Career OPS .620 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 13.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SEA | AL | 60 | 199 | 25 | 51 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 24 | 29 | .256 | .264 (-3%) | .329 (+2%) | .401 (-26%) | .730 (-13%) | -341.0 |
| 1978 | SEA | AL | 147 | 550 | 77 | 129 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 59 | 69 | 66 | .235 | .257 (-9%) | .323 (-1%) | .378 (-29%) | .702 (-16%) | -1191.0 |
| 1979 | SEA | AL | 107 | 414 | 70 | 112 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 49 | 62 | 61 | .271 | .265 (+2%) | .329 (+10%) | .397 (-18%) | .727 (-5%) | -141.0 |
| 1980 | SEA | AL | 119 | 422 | 66 | 88 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 45 | 59 | 49 | .209 | .264 (-21%) | .326 (-6%) | .387 (-33%) | .714 (-21%) | -1247.0 |
| 1981 | SEA | AL | 94 | 352 | 57 | 90 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 43 | 39 | 40 | .256 | .255 (avg) | .320 (+4%) | .368 (-12%) | .688 (-5%) | -169.5 |
| 1982 | SEA | AL | 154 | 549 | 83 | 133 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 49 | 46 | 57 | 71 | .242 | .261 (-7%) | .324 (-3%) | .388 (-11%) | .712 (-7%) | -571.7 |
| 1983 | SEA | AL | 61 | 181 | 24 | 46 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 33 | 20 | 22 | .254 | .260 (-3%) | .324 (+2%) | .389 (-9%) | .714 (-4%) | -88.8 |
| 1983 | CHA | AL | 99 | 334 | 47 | 84 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 24 | 29 | 44 | .251 | .260 (-4%) | .324 (-4%) | .389 (-20%) | .714 (-13%) | -88.8 |
| 1984 | CHA | AL | 143 | 415 | 42 | 92 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 43 | 14 | 45 | 58 | .222 | .259 (-15%) | .322 (-9%) | .384 (-19%) | .707 (-14%) | -927.9 |
| 1985 | CHA | AL | 91 | 234 | 28 | 46 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 32 | 40 | .197 | .257 (-24%) | .323 (-8%) | .390 (-41%) | .714 (-26%) | -873.2 |
| 1986 | CHA | AL | 81 | 209 | 38 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 7 | 42 | 28 | .215 | .257 (-16%) | .325 (+5%) | .395 (-43%) | .720 (-21%) | -549.1 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 1,156 | 3,859 | 557 | 916 | 113 | 27 | 23 | 279 | 343 | 478 | 508 | .237 | — | — | — | — | -6,189 | ||
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 (1156 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 587 | 1922 | 314 | 460 | 14 | 160 | .239 |
| Away | 569 | 1937 | 243 | 456 | 9 | 119 | .235 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-08-31 | CHW | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-27 | CHW | KCR | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-08-26 | CHW | KCR | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-24 | CHW | TEX | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-23 | CHW | TEX | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-21 | CHW | TOR | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-20 | CHW | TOR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-19 | CHW | TOR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-08-17 | CHW | MIL | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-08-16 | CHW | MIL | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1123 | 1065 | 2393 | 3435 | 103 | 780 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 8 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SEA | 2B | 54 | 52 | 114 | 171 | 5 | 29 |
| 1978 | SEA | 2B | 141 | 136 | 286 | 472 | 10 | 101 |
| 1978 | SEA | SS | 5 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| 1979 | SEA | 2B | 107 | 107 | 258 | 361 | 13 | 87 |
| 1980 | SEA | 2B | 115 | 110 | 269 | 355 | 11 | 85 |
| 1981 | SEA | 2B | 92 | 86 | 239 | 294 | 10 | 72 |
| 1981 | SEA | SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | SEA | 2B | 151 | 146 | 320 | 434 | 10 | 98 |
| 1982 | SEA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | SEA | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | SEA | 2B | 60 | 58 | 131 | 173 | 5 | 41 |
| 1983 | CHA | 2B | 97 | 96 | 213 | 298 | 9 | 71 |
| 1984 | CHA | 2B | 141 | 128 | 273 | 452 | 18 | 92 |
| 1985 | CHA | 2B | 87 | 74 | 158 | 220 | 7 | 59 |
| 1986 | CHA | 2B | 78 | 72 | 132 | 205 | 5 | 45 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 1126 |
| Shortstop | 8 |
| Designated Hitter | 15 |
Salary History
Julio Cruz's recorded salaries total $1,842,333 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Cruz's career ran from 1977 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | CHA | AL | $600,000 |
| 1985 | CHA | AL | $1,242,333 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $1,842,333 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Valley College | San Bernardino | CA | 1973, 1974 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 24th | 1.0 | 392 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Julio Cruz (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Julio Cruz: the record in brief
July 4, 1977 and August 31, 1986 bracket Julio Cruz's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Seattle Mariners (1977 to 1983) and the Chicago White Sox (1983 to 1986). Cruz, born on December 2, 1954, in Brooklyn, NY, USA, is listed as a second baseman and switch-hit and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5 feet, 9 inches and 165 pounds. Cruz's death is recorded on February 22, 2022, in Redmond, WA, USA. The given name on file is Julio Louis Cruz.
Cruz finished with 916 hits from 3,859 at bats in 1,156 games, which works out to .237; the totals also include 23 homers, 279 runs batted in, and 343 stolen bases. Cruz got on base at a .321 rate and slugged .299 (.620 OPS). The league as a whole hit .261 across Cruz's seasons, which puts the .237 career mark 8.9% below average. By OPS the gap is 13.2% below league average (.620 against .714). Cruz collected a career-high 133 hits in 1982. On the bases, the high point was 59 steals in 1978.
Frequently Asked Questions about Julio Cruz
- What years did Julio Cruz play?
- Julio Cruz played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1986.
- Was Julio Cruz a pitcher?
- No. Julio Cruz was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Julio Cruz hit?
- Julio Cruz hit 23 career home runs with 916 hits.
- What teams did Julio Cruz play for?
- Julio Cruz played for 2 teams: the Seattle Mariners (1977–1983) and the Chicago White Sox (1983–1986).
- What were Julio Cruz's career stats?
- In 1,156 games, Julio Cruz had 916 hits, 23 home runs, 279 RBI, 557 runs, and 343 stolen bases, with a .237 batting average.
- How much did Julio Cruz earn in his career?
- Julio Cruz's recorded salaries total $1,842,333 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Cruz's career ran from 1977 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Julio Cruz's salary?
- Julio Cruz's last recorded salary was $600,000, in 1986. His highest recorded salary was $1,242,333, in 1985, and his lowest was $600,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1986.
- What position did Julio Cruz play?
- Julio Cruz played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Julio Cruz and how much did he weigh?
- Julio Cruz was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Julio Cruz hit each season?
- Julio Cruz's home runs by season: 1 in 1977, 1 in 1978, 1 in 1979, 2 in 1980, 2 in 1981, 8 in 1982, 3 in 1983, 5 in 1984, 0 in 1985, and 0 in 1986. His most in one season was 8, in 1982.
- What was Julio Cruz's career batting average?
- Julio Cruz batted .237 over his career, with 916 hits in 3,859 at bats.
- How many RBI did Julio Cruz have?
- Julio Cruz drove in 279 runs in his career.
- Is Julio Cruz in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Julio Cruz has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.