Richard Hidalgo
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1997-2005)
Richard Hidalgo was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2005 for the Houston Astros, the New York Mets, and the Texas Rangers, a span of 9 seasons. In 987 career games, he hit .269 with 929 hits, 171 home runs, and 560 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 6,783.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 220 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1997-09-01
- Last Game
- 2005-08-04
Full name: Richard Jose Hidalgo
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 987 | 3,459 | 531 | 929 | 214 | 19 | 171 | 560 | 48 | 358 | 737 | .269 | .345 | .490 | .835 | 6,783 |
Career AVG .269 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .345 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .490 vs. league average .425 across their career seasons — +15.3% above league average.
Career OPS .835 vs. league average .761 across their career seasons — +9.7% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | HOU | NL | 19 | 62 | 8 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 18 | .306 | .266 (+15%) | .336 (+6%) | .419 (+15%) | .756 (+11%) | 118.6 |
| 1998 | HOU | NL | 74 | 211 | 31 | 64 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 35 | 3 | 17 | 37 | .303 | .266 (+14%) | .335 (+6%) | .420 (+13%) | .755 (+10%) | 351.2 |
| 1999 | HOU | NL | 108 | 383 | 49 | 87 | 25 | 2 | 15 | 56 | 8 | 56 | 73 | .227 | .271 (-16%) | .344 (-5%) | .433 (-3%) | .778 (-4%) | -274.8 |
| 2000 | HOU | NL | 153 | 558 | 118 | 175 | 42 | 3 | 44 | 122 | 13 | 56 | 110 | .314 | .270 (+16%) | .344 (+13%) | .437 (+46%) | .782 (+31%) | 3751.3 |
| 2001 | HOU | NL | 146 | 512 | 70 | 141 | 29 | 3 | 19 | 80 | 3 | 54 | 107 | .275 | .263 (+4%) | .332 (+7%) | .426 (+7%) | .758 (+7%) | 777.2 |
| 2002 | HOU | NL | 114 | 388 | 54 | 91 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 48 | 6 | 43 | 85 | .235 | .261 (-10%) | .331 (-4%) | .416 (avg) | .747 (-2%) | -119.0 |
| 2003 | HOU | NL | 141 | 514 | 91 | 159 | 43 | 4 | 28 | 88 | 9 | 58 | 104 | .309 | .264 (+17%) | .332 (+16%) | .422 (+36%) | .754 (+27%) | 2840.8 |
| 2004 | HOU | NL | 58 | 199 | 21 | 51 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 30 | 1 | 17 | 53 | .256 | .266 (-4%) | .335 (-8%) | .427 (-4%) | .762 (-5%) | -246.7 |
| 2004 | NYN | NL | 86 | 324 | 46 | 74 | 11 | 1 | 21 | 52 | 3 | 27 | 76 | .228 | .266 (-14%) | .335 (-12%) | .427 (+8%) | .762 (-1%) | -246.7 |
| 2005 | TEX | AL | 88 | 308 | 43 | 68 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 43 | 1 | 26 | 74 | .221 | .264 (-17%) | .330 (-12%) | .418 (-1%) | .749 (-6%) | -327.4 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 987 | 3,459 | 531 | 929 | 214 | 19 | 171 | 560 | 48 | 358 | 737 | .269 | — | — | — | — | 6,625 | ||
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 (987 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 489 | 1673 | 265 | 455 | 74 | 282 | .272 |
| Away | 498 | 1786 | 266 | 474 | 97 | 278 | .265 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-08-04 | TEX | TBR | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005-08-03 | TEX | TBR | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-07-31 | TEX | TOR | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005-07-30 | TEX | TOR | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005-07-29 | TEX | TOR | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2005-07-28 | TEX | BAL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-07-27 | TEX | BAL | W | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2005-07-26 | TEX | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-07-25 | TEX | BAL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2005-07-24 | TEX | OAK | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 967 | 909 | 2062 | 81 | 28 | 21 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | HOU | OF | 19 | 14 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | HOU | OF | 72 | 52 | 131 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1999 | HOU | OF | 108 | 103 | 214 | 15 | 2 | 3 |
| 2000 | HOU | OF | 150 | 149 | 425 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| 2001 | HOU | OF | 144 | 137 | 332 | 11 | 3 | 4 |
| 2002 | HOU | OF | 110 | 101 | 210 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 2003 | HOU | OF | 137 | 136 | 277 | 22 | 4 | 5 |
| 2004 | HOU | OF | 56 | 51 | 107 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 | NYN | OF | 86 | 86 | 159 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
| 2005 | TEX | OF | 85 | 80 | 179 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 171 |
| Center Field | 361 |
| Right Field | 561 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Player of the Week | Week of 2004-04-10 |
| 2000 | Player of the Month | September |
| 2000 | Player of the Week | Week of 2000-09-09 |
Salary History
Richard Hidalgo's recorded salaries total $35,910,000 over 9 seasons, 1997 to 2005. Hidalgo's career, 1997 to 2005, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | TEX | AL | $5,000,000 |
| 2004 | HOU | NL | $12,500,000 |
| 2003 | HOU | NL | $8,500,000 |
| 2002 | HOU | NL | $5,500,000 |
| 2001 | HOU | NL | $3,500,000 |
| 2000 | HOU | NL | $330,000 |
| 1999 | HOU | NL | $260,000 |
| 1998 | HOU | NL | $170,000 |
| 1997 | HOU | NL | $150,000 |
| Total recorded salary | $35,910,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 9.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 2000 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 20th | 2.0 | 448 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Richard Hidalgo (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Richard Hidalgo: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 1, 1997 and the final game on August 4, 2005, Richard Hidalgo built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Houston Astros (1997 through 2004), the New York Mets (2004), and the Texas Rangers (2005). Born on June 28, 1975, in Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela, Hidalgo is listed as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. The bio lists the given name Richard Jose.
Hidalgo's career batting table shows 987 games, 3,459 at bats and 929 hits, a .269 average, along with 171 homers, 560 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .345 clip and slugging .490, Hidalgo finished with a .835 OPS. The .269 career average is close to the .266 the league hit across the same seasons. Hidalgo's most home runs in a season came in 2000, when the total reached 44 for the Houston Astros. The highest hit total in a season was 175, in 2000.
Frequently Asked Questions about Richard Hidalgo
- What years did Richard Hidalgo play?
- Richard Hidalgo played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2005.
- Was Richard Hidalgo a pitcher?
- No. Richard Hidalgo was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Richard Hidalgo hit?
- Richard Hidalgo hit 171 career home runs with 929 hits.
- What teams did Richard Hidalgo play for?
- Richard Hidalgo played for 3 teams: the Houston Astros (1997–2004), the New York Mets (2004), and the Texas Rangers (2005).
- What were Richard Hidalgo's career stats?
- In 987 games, Richard Hidalgo had 929 hits, 171 home runs, 560 RBI, 531 runs, and 48 stolen bases, with a .269 batting average.
- How much did Richard Hidalgo earn in his career?
- Richard Hidalgo's recorded salaries total $35,910,000 over 9 seasons, 1997 to 2005. Hidalgo's career, 1997 to 2005, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
- What was Richard Hidalgo's salary?
- Richard Hidalgo's last recorded salary was $5,000,000, in 2005. His highest recorded salary was $12,500,000, in 2004, and his lowest was $150,000, in 1997. The Salary History table lists each season from 1997 to 2005.
- What position did Richard Hidalgo play?
- Richard Hidalgo played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Richard Hidalgo and how much did he weigh?
- Richard Hidalgo was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds.
- How many home runs did Richard Hidalgo hit each season?
- Richard Hidalgo's home runs by season: 2 in 1997, 7 in 1998, 15 in 1999, 44 in 2000, 19 in 2001, 15 in 2002, 28 in 2003, 25 in 2004, and 16 in 2005. His most in one season was 44, in 2000.
- What was Richard Hidalgo's career batting average?
- Richard Hidalgo batted .269 over his career, with 929 hits in 3,459 at bats.
- How many RBI did Richard Hidalgo have?
- Richard Hidalgo drove in 560 runs in his career.
- Is Richard Hidalgo in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Richard Hidalgo has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.