Dave Hostetler
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1981-1988)
Dave Hostetler was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1988 for the Montreal Expos, the Texas Rangers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 8 seasons. In 255 career games, he hit .229 with 187 hits, 37 home runs, and 124 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 94.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 215 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1981-09-15
- Last Game
- 1988-05-03
Full name: David Alan Hostetler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 255 | 818 | 92 | 187 | 23 | 6 | 37 | 124 | 2 | 97 | 248 | .229 | .312 | .407 | .720 | 94 |
Career AVG .229 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 11.6% below league average.
Career OBP .312 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .407 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.
Career OPS .720 vs. league average .705 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | MON | NL | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | TEX | AL | 113 | 418 | 53 | 97 | 12 | 3 | 22 | 67 | 2 | 42 | 113 | .232 | .261 (-11%) | .324 (-7%) | .388 (+11%) | .712 (+3%) | 135.2 |
| 1983 | TEX | AL | 94 | 304 | 31 | 67 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 46 | 0 | 42 | 103 | .220 | .260 (-16%) | .324 (-1%) | .389 (-5%) | .714 (-3%) | -58.3 |
| 1984 | TEX | AL | 37 | 82 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 27 | .220 | .259 (-16%) | .322 (+1%) | .384 (-2%) | .707 (avg) | 17.3 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 255 | 818 | 92 | 187 | 23 | 6 | 37 | 124 | 2 | 97 | 248 | .229 | — | — | — | — | 94 | ||
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 (255 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 122 | 391 | 39 | 86 | 14 | 59 | .220 |
| Away | 133 | 427 | 53 | 101 | 23 | 65 | .237 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-05-03 | PIT | LAD | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-05-02 | PIT | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-04-29 | PIT | SDP | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-04-27 | PIT | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-04-14 | PIT | PHI | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988-04-06 | PIT | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984-09-25 | TEX | OAK | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984-09-24 | TEX | OAK | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-22 | TEX | LAA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984-09-19 | TEX | OAK | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 131 |
| Designated Hitter | 104 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citrus College | Glendora | CA | 1975, 1976 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | CA | 1977, 1978 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 6th | 3.0 | 140 | 0 |
Dave Hostetler: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 15, 1981 and the final game on May 3, 1988, Dave Hostetler built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Montreal Expos (1981), the Texas Rangers (1982 through 1984), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1988). Hostetler is listed as a first baseman at 6'4" and 215 pounds. Hostetler threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is March 27, 1956, in Pasadena, CA, USA. Dave Hostetler was the playing name; the full given name is David Alan.
The batting record for Hostetler: 255 games, 187 hits in 818 at bats, and a .229 average; the totals also include 37 home runs and 124 runs batted in. Hostetler got on base at a .312 rate and slugged .407 (.720 OPS). Measured against the leagues Hostetler played in, the .229 career average compares with a .259 league average over the same seasons, 11.6% below the league. The home run peak was 22 in 1982 with the Texas Rangers.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dave Hostetler
- What years did Dave Hostetler play?
- Dave Hostetler played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1988.
- Was Dave Hostetler a pitcher?
- No. Dave Hostetler was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Dave Hostetler hit?
- Dave Hostetler hit 37 career home runs with 187 hits.
- What was Dave Hostetler's career batting average?
- Dave Hostetler batted .229 over his career, with 187 hits in 818 at bats.
- How many RBI did Dave Hostetler have?
- Dave Hostetler drove in 124 runs in his career.
- Is Dave Hostetler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Dave Hostetler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.