Dave Hilton
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1972-1975)
Dave Hilton was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1975 for the San Diego Padres, a span of 4 seasons. In 161 career games, he hit .213 with 108 hits, 6 home runs, and 33 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 191 lb
- Died
- 9/17/2017 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1972-09-10
- Last Game
- 1975-04-27
Full name: John David Hilton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 161 | 506 | 40 | 108 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 6 | 35 | 69 | .213 | .265 | .298 | .564 | -1,409 |
Career AVG .213 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.
Career OBP .265 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — 17.6% below league average.
Career SLG .298 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — 19.2% below league average.
Career OPS .564 vs. league average .691 across their career seasons — 18.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | SDN | NL | 13 | 47 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 6 | .213 | — | — | — | — | -121.7 |
| 1973 | SDN | NL | 70 | 234 | 21 | 46 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 19 | 35 | .197 | .256 (-23%) | .325 (-20%) | .378 (-21%) | .703 (-21%) | -760.5 |
| 1974 | SDN | NL | 74 | 217 | 17 | 52 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 28 | .240 | .256 (-7%) | .324 (-13%) | .369 (-16%) | .693 (-15%) | -526.7 |
| 1975 | SDN | NL | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 161 | 506 | 40 | 108 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 6 | 35 | 69 | .213 | — | — | — | — | -1,409 | ||
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 (161 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 78 | 231 | 22 | 52 | 3 | 17 | .225 |
| Away | 83 | 275 | 18 | 56 | 3 | 16 | .204 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-04-27 | SDP | ATL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975-04-27 | SDP | ATL | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975-04-13 | SDP | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975-04-10 | SDP | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-10-02 | SDP | SFG | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1974-10-01 | SDP | SFG | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-28 | SDP | LAD | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-27 | SDP | LAD | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-25 | SDP | SFG | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1974-09-24 | SDP | SFG | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 39 |
| Third Base | 118 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice University | Houston | TX | 1969, 1970 |
| Southwest Texas Junior College | Uvalde | TX | 1971 |
Dave Hilton: the record in brief
September 10, 1972 and April 27, 1975 bracket Dave Hilton's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Hilton spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the San Diego Padres. Listed as a third baseman, Hilton threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5 feet, 11 inches and 191 pounds. The birth record reads September 15, 1950, in Uvalde, TX, USA. Hilton's death is recorded on September 17, 2017, in Scottsdale, AZ, USA. Hilton's full given name, per the bio, is John David Hilton.
Hilton's career batting table shows 161 games, 506 at bats and 108 hits, a .213 average, adding 6 home runs and 33 RBI. Reaching base at a .265 clip and slugging .298, Hilton finished with a .564 OPS. Measured against the leagues Hilton played in, the .213 career average compares with a .254 league average over the same seasons, 15.9% below the league. The OPS comparison is .564 to a league .691, 18.5% below average. No season topped the 52 hits of 1974. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .240 in 1974, did not top the league's .256.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Hilton
- What years did Dave Hilton play?
- Dave Hilton played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1975.
- Was Dave Hilton a pitcher?
- No. Dave Hilton was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Dave Hilton hit?
- Dave Hilton hit 6 career home runs with 108 hits.
- What teams did Dave Hilton play for?
- Dave Hilton played for one team, the San Diego Padres (1972–1975).
- What were Dave Hilton's career stats?
- In 161 games, Dave Hilton had 108 hits, 6 home runs, 33 RBI, 40 runs, and 6 stolen bases, with a .213 batting average.
- What position did Dave Hilton play?
- Dave Hilton played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Dave Hilton and how much did he weigh?
- Dave Hilton was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 191 pounds.
- How many home runs did Dave Hilton hit each season?
- Dave Hilton's home runs by season: 0 in 1972, 5 in 1973, 1 in 1974, and 0 in 1975. His most in one season was 5, in 1973.
- What was Dave Hilton's career batting average?
- Dave Hilton batted .213 over his career, with 108 hits in 506 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dave Hilton have?
- Dave Hilton drove in 33 runs in his career.
- Is Dave Hilton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Hilton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.