Mike Heath
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1991)
Mike Heath was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1991 for 5 teams, including the New York Yankees, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,325 career games, he hit .252 with 1,061 hits, 86 home runs, and 469 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1978-06-03
- Last Game
- 1991-07-02
Full name: Michael Thomas Heath
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,325 | 4,212 | 462 | 1,061 | 173 | 27 | 86 | 469 | 54 | 278 | 616 | .252 | .300 | .367 | .667 | -4,611 |
Career AVG .252 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .300 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.
Career SLG .367 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 5.3% below league average.
Career OPS .667 vs. league average .712 across their career seasons — 6.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 33 | 92 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 9 | .228 | .257 (-11%) | .323 (-18%) | .378 (-25%) | .702 (-22%) | -326.3 |
| 1979 | OAK | AL | 74 | 258 | 19 | 66 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 1 | 17 | 18 | .256 | .265 (-4%) | .329 (-8%) | .397 (-19%) | .727 (-14%) | -581.9 |
| 1980 | OAK | AL | 92 | 305 | 27 | 74 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 3 | 16 | 28 | .243 | .264 (-8%) | .326 (-14%) | .387 (-23%) | .714 (-19%) | -923.2 |
| 1981 | OAK | AL | 84 | 301 | 26 | 71 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 3 | 13 | 36 | .236 | .255 (-8%) | .320 (-16%) | .368 (-6%) | .688 (-11%) | -544.1 |
| 1982 | OAK | AL | 101 | 318 | 43 | 77 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 39 | 8 | 27 | 36 | .242 | .261 (-7%) | .324 (-8%) | .388 (-9%) | .712 (-9%) | -492.1 |
| 1983 | OAK | AL | 96 | 345 | 45 | 97 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 33 | 3 | 18 | 59 | .281 | .260 (+8%) | .324 (-2%) | .389 (-2%) | .714 (-2%) | -122.1 |
| 1984 | OAK | AL | 140 | 475 | 49 | 118 | 21 | 5 | 13 | 64 | 7 | 26 | 72 | .248 | .259 (-4%) | .322 (-11%) | .384 (+3%) | .707 (-4%) | -399.7 |
| 1985 | OAK | AL | 138 | 436 | 71 | 109 | 18 | 6 | 13 | 55 | 7 | 41 | 63 | .250 | .257 (-3%) | .323 (-3%) | .390 (+4%) | .714 (+1%) | 10.9 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | 65 | 190 | 19 | 39 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 2 | 23 | 36 | .205 | .257 (-20%) | .325 (-10%) | .395 (-19%) | .720 (-15%) | -434.3 |
| 1986 | DET | AL | 30 | 98 | 11 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 17 | .265 | .257 (+3%) | .325 (-11%) | .395 (+6%) | .720 (-2%) | -434.3 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | 93 | 270 | 34 | 76 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 33 | 1 | 21 | 42 | .281 | .262 (+7%) | .331 (+2%) | .415 (+3%) | .746 (+3%) | 161.1 |
| 1988 | DET | AL | 86 | 219 | 24 | 54 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 32 | .247 | .254 (-3%) | .317 (-4%) | .377 (-3%) | .695 (-3%) | -109.4 |
| 1989 | DET | AL | 122 | 396 | 38 | 104 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 43 | 7 | 24 | 71 | .263 | .254 (+3%) | .319 (-4%) | .375 (+4%) | .694 (avg) | -36.5 |
| 1990 | DET | AL | 122 | 370 | 46 | 100 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 38 | 7 | 19 | 71 | .270 | .257 (+5%) | .324 (-4%) | .385 (avg) | .710 (-2%) | -162.0 |
| 1991 | ATL | NL | 49 | 139 | 4 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 26 | .209 | .255 (-18%) | .323 (-23%) | .384 (-31%) | .708 (-27%) | -599.8 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 1,325 | 4,212 | 462 | 1,061 | 173 | 27 | 86 | 469 | 54 | 278 | 616 | .252 | — | — | — | — | -4,994 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1325 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 657 | 2032 | 233 | 514 | 56 | 220 | .253 |
| Away | 668 | 2180 | 229 | 547 | 30 | 249 | .251 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-07-02 | ATL | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991-06-29 | ATL | LAD | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991-06-28 | ATL | LAD | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991-06-28 | ATL | LAD | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991-06-27 | ATL | HOU | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991-06-23 | ATL | NYN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991-06-21 | ATL | NYN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991-06-20 | ATL | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991-06-16 | ATL | WSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991-06-11 | ATL | NYN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 4 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 38 | 21 | 16 | 40 | 4 | 1 |
| C | 1083 | 935 | 4919 | 537 | 106 | 73 |
| OF | 215 | 130 | 331 | 14 | 6 | 3 |
| SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NYA | C | 33 | 24 | 151 | 11 | 5 | 1 |
| 1979 | OAK | 3B | 7 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | OAK | C | 22 | 17 | 80 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 1979 | OAK | OF | 46 | 43 | 86 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1980 | OAK | C | 47 | 43 | 268 | 19 | 4 | 5 |
| 1980 | OAK | OF | 8 | 6 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | OAK | C | 78 | 76 | 391 | 45 | 10 | 6 |
| 1981 | OAK | OF | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | OAK | 3B | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | OAK | C | 90 | 77 | 350 | 50 | 11 | 8 |
| 1982 | OAK | OF | 10 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | OAK | 3B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | OAK | C | 80 | 71 | 316 | 47 | 10 | 6 |
| 1983 | OAK | OF | 24 | 15 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | OAK | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | OAK | C | 108 | 96 | 423 | 54 | 7 | 7 |
| 1984 | OAK | OF | 45 | 28 | 71 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1984 | OAK | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | OAK | 3B | 13 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 | OAK | C | 112 | 94 | 483 | 44 | 10 | 9 |
| 1985 | OAK | OF | 35 | 16 | 49 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | SLN | C | 63 | 51 | 259 | 30 | 10 | 4 |
| 1986 | SLN | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | DET | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | DET | C | 29 | 27 | 145 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 1987 | DET | 1B | 4 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1987 | DET | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | DET | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 | DET | C | 67 | 54 | 337 | 38 | 4 | 5 |
| 1987 | DET | OF | 24 | 12 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | DET | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | DET | C | 75 | 62 | 357 | 24 | 6 | 3 |
| 1988 | DET | OF | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | DET | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1989 | DET | C | 117 | 107 | 582 | 66 | 9 | 10 |
| 1989 | DET | OF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | DET | C | 117 | 99 | 585 | 54 | 13 | 7 |
| 1990 | DET | OF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | DET | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | ATL | C | 45 | 37 | 192 | 33 | 2 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1083 |
| First Base | 4 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 38 |
| Shortstop | 3 |
| Left Field | 81 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 142 |
| Designated Hitter | 42 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | ATL | NL | $950,000 |
| 1990 | DET | AL | $600,000 |
| 1989 | DET | AL | $425,000 |
| 1988 | DET | AL | $400,000 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | $650,000 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | $533,333 |
| 1985 | OAK | AL | $425,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $3,983,333 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Mike Heath (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Mike Heath: the record in brief
Mike Heath played a first major league game on June 3, 1978 and a last one on July 2, 1991. Heath played for the New York Yankees (1978), the Oakland Athletics (1979 to 1985), the St. Louis Cardinals (1986), the Detroit Tigers (1986 through 1990), and the Atlanta Braves (1991). Born on February 5, 1955, in Tampa, FL, USA, Heath is listed as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 5'11" and 180 pounds. Mike Heath was the playing name; the full given name is Michael Thomas.
Heath collected 1,061 hits in 4,212 at bats across 1,325 games, good for a .252 batting average, along with 86 home runs, 469 RBI, and 54 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .300 clip and slugging .367, Heath finished with a .667 OPS. Against a .259 league average for those years, Heath's .252 average was near the norm. By OPS the gap is 6.4% below league average (.667 against .712). 1984 was Heath's biggest home run year, with 13. 1984 produced Heath's most hits, 118 of them for the Oakland Athletics.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mike Heath
- What years did Mike Heath play?
- Mike Heath played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1991.
- Was Mike Heath a pitcher?
- No. Mike Heath was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Mike Heath hit?
- Mike Heath hit 86 career home runs with 1061 hits.
- What was Mike Heath's career batting average?
- Mike Heath batted .252 over his career, with 1,061 hits in 4,212 at bats.
- How many RBI did Mike Heath have?
- Mike Heath drove in 469 runs in his career.
- Is Mike Heath in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mike Heath has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.