Benny Distefano

First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1984-1992)

Benny Distefano was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1992 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros, a span of 9 seasons. In 240 career games, he hit .228 with 82 hits, 7 home runs, and 42 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

AVG .228
HR 7
RBI 42
H 82
OPS .646
PIV -409
Position
First Baseman
Bats / Throws
L / L
Height / Weight
6'1" / 195 lb
Born
1/23/1962 in Brooklyn, NY, USA
MLB Debut
1984-05-18
Last Game
1992-08-05

Full name: Benito James Distefano

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Career Batting Statistics

Benny Distefano — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
240 360 35 82 13 5 7 42 1 31 66 .228 .296 .350 .646 -409

Career AVG .228 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.

Career OBP .296 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — 8.1% below league average.

Career SLG .350 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 8.4% below league average.

Career OPS .646 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons — 8.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Benny Distefano — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1984 PIT NL 45 78 10 13 1 2 3 9 0 5 13 .167 .259 (-36%) .322 (-30%) .384 (-10%) .707 (-19%) -257.1
1986 PIT NL 31 39 3 7 1 0 1 5 0 1 5 .179 — — — — 0.0
1988 PIT NL 16 29 6 10 3 1 1 6 0 3 4 .345 — — — — 0.0
1989 PIT NL 96 154 12 38 8 0 2 15 1 17 30 .247 .254 (-3%) .319 (+4%) .375 (-10%) .694 (-3%) -28.5
1992 HOU NL 52 60 4 14 0 2 0 7 0 5 14 .233 .255 (-9%) .322 (-6%) .377 (-20%) .699 (-14%) -123.1
Career · 5 seasons 240 360 35 82 13 5 7 42 1 31 66 .228 — — — — -409

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 (240 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Benny Distefano — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1171621429214.179
Away1231982153528.268

Last 10 Games — Batting

Benny Distefano — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1992-08-05 HOULADW 000000000
1992-08-04 HOULADL 100000001
1992-08-02 HOUCINW 000000010
1992-07-27 HOUATLW 100000001
1992-07-26 HOUCHCL 100000001
1992-07-21 HOUPITW 101000000
1992-07-20 HOUPITW 100000000
1992-07-19 HOUATLL 100000000
1992-07-18 HOUATLL 100000001
1992-07-12 HOUNYNW 000000010

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Benny Distefano — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 77 39 418 28 7 31
C 3 0 2 0 0 0
OF 44 23 66 3 2 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Benny Distefano — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1984 PIT 1B 17 2 55 7 1 5
1984 PIT OF 20 11 33 2 2 1
1986 PIT 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1986 PIT OF 9 5 13 0 0 0
1988 PIT 1B 5 5 38 3 0 1
1988 PIT OF 2 1 3 0 0 0
1989 PIT 1B 48 30 302 16 6 21
1989 PIT C 3 0 2 0 0 0
1989 PIT OF 1 1 1 0 0 0
1992 HOU 1B 6 2 23 2 0 4
1992 HOU OF 12 5 16 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Benny Distefano — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 3
First Base 77
Left Field 14
Right Field 32

Salary History

Benny Distefano's recorded salaries total $151,000 over 2 seasons, 1986 to 1989. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Distefano's career ran from 1984 to 1992. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1988 and 1992.

Benny Distefano — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1989 PIT NL $85,000
1986 PIT NL $66,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $151,000

College History

Benny Distefano — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Alvin Community College Alvin TX 1981

Benny Distefano: the record in brief

Benny Distefano's major league career runs from a debut on May 18, 1984 to a final game on August 5, 1992. By club, Distefano's seasons break down as the Pittsburgh Pirates (1984 to 1989) and the Houston Astros (1992). Distefano is listed as a first baseman at 6 feet, 1 inch and 195 pounds. The bio says Distefano batted and threw left-handed. Distefano was born on January 23, 1962, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Distefano's full given name, per the bio, is Benito James Distefano.

Distefano collected 82 hits in 360 at bats across 240 games, good for a .228 batting average, adding 7 homers and 42 RBI. Distefano's career OPS of .646 combines a .296 on-base mark with .350 slugging. Distefano's .228 average ran 11.1% below the .256 that the league posted over the same seasons. Distefano collected a career-high 38 hits in 1989. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .247 in 1989, did not top the league's .254.

Frequently Asked Questions about Benny Distefano

What years did Benny Distefano play?
Benny Distefano played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1992.
Was Benny Distefano a pitcher?
No. Benny Distefano was a position player (First Baseman).
How many home runs did Benny Distefano hit?
Benny Distefano hit 7 career home runs with 82 hits.
What teams did Benny Distefano play for?
Benny Distefano played for 2 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1984, 1986, 1988–1989) and the Houston Astros (1992).
What were Benny Distefano's career stats?
In 240 games, Benny Distefano had 82 hits, 7 home runs, 42 RBI, 35 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .228 batting average.
How much did Benny Distefano earn in his career?
Benny Distefano's recorded salaries total $151,000 over 2 seasons, 1986 to 1989. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Distefano's career ran from 1984 to 1992. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1988 and 1992.
What was Benny Distefano's salary?
Benny Distefano's last recorded salary was $85,000, in 1989. His highest recorded salary was $85,000, in 1989, and his lowest was $66,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1989.
What position did Benny Distefano play?
Benny Distefano played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Benny Distefano and how much did he weigh?
Benny Distefano was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 195 pounds.
How many home runs did Benny Distefano hit each season?
Benny Distefano's home runs by season: 3 in 1984, 1 in 1986, 1 in 1988, 2 in 1989, and 0 in 1992. His most in one season was 3, in 1984.
What was Benny Distefano's career batting average?
Benny Distefano batted .228 over his career, with 82 hits in 360 at bats.
How many RBI did Benny Distefano have?
Benny Distefano drove in 42 runs in his career.
Is Benny Distefano in the Hall of Fame?
No. Benny Distefano has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.