Neal Heaton
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1982-1993)
Neal Heaton was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1993 for 7 teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 12 seasons. Across 382 career appearances, he went 80-96 with a 4.37 ERA and 699 strikeouts. Neal Heaton was an All-Star.
- 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
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 197 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1982-09-03
- Last Game
- 1993-06-26
- Awards
- All-Star
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | CLE | AL | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 | 32 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 5.23 | 3.86 (-35%) | 63.8 |
| 1983 | CLE | AL | 11 | 7 | 39 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 149.1 | 157 | 69 | 44 | 75 | 4.16 | 3.87 (-7%) | 1001.2 |
| 1984 | CLE | AL | 12 | 15 | 38 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 198.2 | 231 | 115 | 75 | 75 | 5.21 | 3.81 (-37%) | -3520.8 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 9 | 17 | 36 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 207.2 | 244 | 113 | 80 | 82 | 4.90 | 3.89 (-26%) | -2322.5 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | 3 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 74.1 | 73 | 35 | 34 | 24 | 4.24 | 3.97 (-7%) | -1792.2 |
| 1986 | MIN | AL | 4 | 9 | 21 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 124.1 | 128 | 55 | 47 | 66 | 3.98 | 3.97 (avg) | -2415.4 |
| 1987 | MON | NL | 13 | 10 | 32 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 193.1 | 207 | 97 | 37 | 105 | 4.52 | 4.29 (-5%) | 1040.1 |
| 1988 | MON | NL | 3 | 10 | 32 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 97.1 | 98 | 54 | 43 | 43 | 4.99 | 3.73 (-34%) | -3502.7 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | 6 | 7 | 42 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 147.1 | 127 | 50 | 55 | 67 | 3.05 | 3.71 (+18%) | -1635.1 |
| 1990 | PIT | NL | 12 | 9 | 30 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 146.0 | 143 | 56 | 38 | 68 | 3.45 | 3.86 (+11%) | -1281.6 |
| 1991 | PIT | NL | 3 | 3 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68.2 | 72 | 33 | 21 | 34 | 4.33 | 3.91 (-11%) | -313.1 |
| 1992 | KCA | AL | 3 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 | 43 | 19 | 22 | 29 | 4.17 | 3.75 (-11%) | -913.6 |
| 1992 | ML4 | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1993 | NYA | AL | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.0 | 34 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 6.00 | 4.19 (-43%) | -1438.5 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 80 | 96 | 382 | 202 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 1,507.0 | 1,589 | 732 | 524 | 699 | 4.37 | — | -17,030 | ||
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.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 388 | 187 | 12 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 51 | .171 | .197 | .187 | .384 | -422 |
Career AVG .171 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 33.8% below league average.
Career OBP .197 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 39.3% below league average.
Career SLG .187 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 51.9% below league average.
Career OPS .384 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 46.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | CLE | AL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | CLE | AL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1984 | CLE | AL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | MIN | AL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | MON | NL | 32 | 67 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 14 | .209 | .262 (-21%) | .331 (-33%) | .415 (-43%) | .746 (-38%) | -421.6 |
| 1988 | MON | NL | 32 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | 44 | 42 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | .214 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | PIT | NL | 32 | 43 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 13 | .047 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1991 | PIT | NL | 44 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1992 | KCA | AL | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1992 | ML4 | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1993 | NYA | AL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 388 | 187 | 12 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 51 | .171 | — | — | — | — | -422 | ||
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 (770 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 187 | 90 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 8 | .156 |
| Away | 201 | 97 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 4 | .186 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 184 | 773.1 | 809 | 348 | 252 | 369 | 4.05 |
| Away | 198 | 733.2 | 780 | 384 | 272 | 330 | 4.71 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-06-26 | NYY | BAL | — | 2.2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993-06-24 | NYY | TOR | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-06-15 | NYY | BOS | W | 2.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993-06-12 | NYY | MIL | — | 2.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993-06-09 | NYY | KCR | — | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993-06-07 | NYY | KCR | — | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993-06-01 | NYY | CLE | — | 2.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-05-30 | NYY | CHW | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993-05-26 | NYY | BAL | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-05-21 | NYY | BOS | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | CLE | P | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | CLE | P | 39 | 16 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | CLE | P | 38 | 34 | 9 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 1985 | CLE | P | 36 | 33 | 8 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 1986 | CLE | P | 12 | 12 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | MIN | P | 21 | 17 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987 | MON | P | 32 | 32 | 5 | 28 | 3 | 1 |
| 1988 | MON | P | 32 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| 1989 | PIT | P | 42 | 18 | 6 | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 | PIT | P | 30 | 24 | 5 | 22 | 2 | 1 |
| 1991 | PIT | P | 42 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | KCA | P | 31 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | ML4 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | NYA | P | 18 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 382 |
Salary History
Neal Heaton's recorded salaries total $5,260,000 over 9 seasons, 1985 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Heaton's career ran from 1982 to 1993. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | NYA | AL | $250,000 |
| 1992 | KCA | AL | $1,100,000 |
| 1991 | PIT | NL | $1,000,000 |
| 1990 | PIT | NL | $700,000 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | $650,000 |
| 1988 | MON | NL | $625,000 |
| 1987 | MON | NL | $400,000 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | $310,000 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | $225,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $5,260,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Miami | Coral Gables | FL | 1979, 1980, 1981 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Neal Heaton (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Neal Heaton: the record in brief
The profile opens with Neal Heaton's first major league game on September 3, 1982; the last one listed came on June 26, 1993. By club, Heaton's seasons break down as the Cleveland Indians (1982 to 1986), the Minnesota Twins (1986), the Montreal Expos (1987 to 1988), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1989 through 1991), the Kansas City Royals (1992), the Milwaukee Brewers (1992), and the New York Yankees (1993). Heaton played primarily as a pitcher and threw and hit left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on March 3, 1960, in South Ozone Park, NY, USA and a listed size of 197 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame.
The pitching table credits Heaton with a 80-96 record and a 4.37 ERA in 382 games. Heaton had 699 strikeouts, 22 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 10 saves. Against a 3.91 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.37 mark was 11.9% worse. Heaton won 13 games in 1987, the most of any season listed. 1989 was Heaton's sharpest full season, a 3.05 ERA against the league's 3.71.
Frequently Asked Questions about Neal Heaton
- What years did Neal Heaton play?
- Neal Heaton played in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1993.
- Was Neal Heaton a pitcher?
- Yes. Neal Heaton pitched in the major leagues, recording 80 wins and 699 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Neal Heaton hit?
- Neal Heaton hit 0 career home runs with 32 hits.
- What teams did Neal Heaton play for?
- Neal Heaton played for 7 teams: the Cleveland Indians (1982–1986), the Minnesota Twins (1986), the Montreal Expos (1987–1988), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1989–1991), the Kansas City Royals (1992), the Milwaukee Brewers (1992), and the New York Yankees (1993).
- Did Neal Heaton win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Neal Heaton did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Neal Heaton win?
- Neal Heaton was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Neal Heaton's career stats?
- In 382 games, Neal Heaton went 80-96 with a 4.37 ERA, 699 strikeouts, 1,507.0 innings pitched, and 10 saves.
- How much did Neal Heaton earn in his career?
- Neal Heaton's recorded salaries total $5,260,000 over 9 seasons, 1985 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Heaton's career ran from 1982 to 1993. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Neal Heaton's salary?
- Neal Heaton's last recorded salary was $250,000, in 1993. His highest recorded salary was $1,100,000, in 1992, and his lowest was $225,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1993.
- What position did Neal Heaton play?
- Neal Heaton played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Neal Heaton and how much did he weigh?
- Neal Heaton was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 197 pounds.
- What was Neal Heaton's career ERA?
- Neal Heaton finished with a 4.37 career ERA, going 80-96 with 699 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Neal Heaton have?
- Neal Heaton recorded 699 career strikeouts.
- Is Neal Heaton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Neal Heaton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.