Brian Holton
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1990)
Brian Holton was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1990 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 6 seasons. Across 185 career appearances, he went 20-19 with a 3.62 ERA and 210 strikeouts. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 911.4.
- 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" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1985-09-09
- Last Game
- 1990-07-30
Full name: Brian John Holton
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | LAN | NL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | LAN | NL | 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.1 | 28 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 4.44 | 3.97 (-12%) | 1086.3 |
| 1987 | LAN | NL | 3 | 2 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 83.1 | 87 | 36 | 32 | 58 | 3.89 | 4.29 (+9%) | -111.5 |
| 1988 | LAN | NL | 7 | 3 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 84.2 | 69 | 16 | 26 | 49 | 1.70 | 3.73 (+54%) | 2179.2 |
| 1989 | BAL | AL | 5 | 7 | 39 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 116.1 | 140 | 52 | 39 | 51 | 4.02 | 3.71 (-8%) | -1269.4 |
| 1990 | BAL | AL | 2 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58.0 | 68 | 29 | 21 | 27 | 4.50 | 3.86 (-17%) | -973.2 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 20 | 19 | 185 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 370.2 | 401 | 149 | 125 | 210 | 3.62 | — | 911 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | .050 | .095 | .050 | .145 | 0 |
Career AVG .050 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 80.6% below league average.
Career OBP .095 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 70.6% below league average.
Career SLG .050 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 87.2% below league average.
Career OPS .145 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 79.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | LAN | NL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | LAN | NL | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | LAN | NL | 53 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | LAN | NL | 45 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | BAL | AL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | BAL | AL | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 185 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | .050 | — | — | — | — | 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 (370 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 91 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 94 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .083 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 91 | 202.0 | 224 | 66 | 61 | 110 | 2.94 |
| Away | 94 | 168.2 | 177 | 83 | 64 | 100 | 4.43 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-07-30 | BAL | TOR | — | 2.2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990-07-24 | BAL | DET | — | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990-07-15 | BAL | MIN | — | 4.1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1990-07-11 | BAL | KCR | — | 0.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-07-03 | BAL | TEX | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990-06-28 | BAL | CLE | — | 3.1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990-06-24 | BAL | BOS | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-06-22 | BAL | BOS | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990-06-21 | BAL | CLE | L | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-06-17 | BAL | BOS | — | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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 | 185 |
Salary History
Brian Holton's recorded salaries total $472,500 over 3 seasons, 1986 to 1990. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Holton's career ran from 1985 to 1990. No salary is recorded for 1985, 1988, and 1989.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | BAL | AL | $347,500 |
| 1987 | LAN | NL | $65,000 |
| 1986 | LAN | NL | $60,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $472,500 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisburg College | Louisburg | NC | 1978 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Brian Holton (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Brian Holton: the record in brief
The profile opens with Brian Holton's first major league game on September 9, 1985; the last one listed came on July 30, 1990. Club by club, the record runs the Los Angeles Dodgers (1985 through 1988) and the Baltimore Orioles (1989 through 1990). Born on November 29, 1959, in McKeesport, PA, USA, Holton is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds. On the record, Brian Holton was born Brian John Holton.
Holton's career pitching line is 20 wins, 19 losses and a 3.62 ERA over 185 appearances. Holton had 210 strikeouts. That 3.62 ERA compares with a 3.91 league average across the same seasons, 7.5% better. No season topped the 7 wins of 1988. 1987 produced Holton's most strikeouts, 58. 1988 was Holton's sharpest full season, a 1.70 ERA against the league's 3.73. By Pitcher PIV, Baseball Data Hub's measure of run prevention relative to each season's league, Holton's career adds up to 911.4.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brian Holton
- What years did Brian Holton play?
- Brian Holton played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1990.
- Was Brian Holton a pitcher?
- Yes. Brian Holton pitched in the major leagues, recording 20 wins and 210 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Brian Holton hit?
- Brian Holton hit 0 career home runs with 1 hit.
- What teams did Brian Holton play for?
- Brian Holton played for 2 teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (1985–1988) and the Baltimore Orioles (1989–1990).
- What were Brian Holton's career stats?
- In 185 games, Brian Holton went 20-19 with a 3.62 ERA, 210 strikeouts, 370.2 innings pitched, and 3 saves.
- How much did Brian Holton earn in his career?
- Brian Holton's recorded salaries total $472,500 over 3 seasons, 1986 to 1990. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Holton's career ran from 1985 to 1990. No salary is recorded for 1985, 1988, and 1989.
- What was Brian Holton's salary?
- Brian Holton's last recorded salary was $347,500, in 1990. His highest recorded salary was $347,500, in 1990, and his lowest was $60,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1990.
- What position did Brian Holton play?
- Brian Holton played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Brian Holton and how much did he weigh?
- Brian Holton was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 190 pounds.
- What was Brian Holton's career ERA?
- Brian Holton finished with a 3.62 career ERA, going 20-19 with 210 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Brian Holton have?
- Brian Holton recorded 210 career strikeouts.
- Is Brian Holton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Brian Holton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.