Steve Grilli
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1975-1979)
Steve Grilli was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1979 for the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 5 seasons. Across 70 career appearances, he went 4-3 with a 4.51 ERA and 91 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 170 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1975-09-19
- Last Game
- 1979-09-17
Full name: Stephen Joseph Grilli
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1.35 | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | DET | AL | 3 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 66.0 | 63 | 34 | 41 | 36 | 4.64 | 3.51 (-32%) | -1820.4 |
| 1977 | DET | AL | 1 | 2 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72.2 | 71 | 39 | 49 | 49 | 4.83 | 4.00 (-21%) | -1760.1 |
| 1979 | TOR | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 4 | 3 | 70 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 147.2 | 138 | 74 | 96 | 91 | 4.51 | — | -3,581 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | DET | AL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | DET | AL | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | DET | AL | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | TOR | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 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 (140 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 37 | 91.0 | 85 | 40 | 58 | 55 | 3.96 |
| Away | 33 | 56.2 | 53 | 34 | 38 | 36 | 5.40 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-09-17 | TOR | BOS | — | 2.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-29 | DET | BAL | — | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-25 | DET | BOS | — | 4.0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1977-09-18 | DET | NYY | — | 4.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1977-09-12 | DET | CLE | — | 4.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1977-09-09 | DET | BOS | — | 1.2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-05 | DET | BAL | L | 8.0 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 1977-08-28 | DET | LAA | — | 3.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1977-08-24 | DET | OAK | — | 2.2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 1977-08-17 | DET | NYY | — | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 70 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gannon University | Erie | PA | 1968, 1969, 1970 |
Steve Grilli: the record in brief
September 19, 1975 and September 17, 1979 bracket Steve Grilli's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Detroit Tigers (1975 through 1977) and the Toronto Blue Jays (1979). Born on May 2, 1949, in Brooklyn, NY, USA, Grilli is listed as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 6 feet, 2 inches and 170 pounds. Steve Grilli was the playing name; the full given name is Stephen Joseph.
Grilli pitched in 70 games, starting 2, and finished with a 4-3 record and 4.51 ERA. Also on Grilli's record: 91 strikeouts. Against a 3.81 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.51 mark was 18.3% worse. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 4.64 in 1976, when the league's was 3.51.
Grilli's college years, 1968, 1969, and 1970, were spent at Gannon University. Grilli's game-by-game log, linked below the splits, holds 140 games from Retrosheet.
The position breakdown shows 70 games, all at pitcher. On the mound, the fielding record shows 1 errors alongside 8 putouts and 25 assists.
Frequently Asked Questions about Steve Grilli
- What years did Steve Grilli play?
- Steve Grilli played in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1979.
- Was Steve Grilli a pitcher?
- Yes. Steve Grilli pitched in the major leagues, recording 4 wins and 91 strikeouts.
- What was Steve Grilli's career ERA?
- Steve Grilli finished with a 4.51 career ERA, going 4-3 with 91 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Steve Grilli have?
- Steve Grilli recorded 91 career strikeouts.
- Is Steve Grilli in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Steve Grilli has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Steve Grilli play for?
- Steve Grilli played for the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays.