Rusty Kuntz
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1979-1985)
Rusty Kuntz was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1985 for the Chicago White Sox, the Minnesota Twins, and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 7 seasons. In 277 career games, he hit .236 with 104 hits, 5 home runs, and 38 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1979-09-01
- Last Game
- 1985-04-24
Full name: Russell Jay Kuntz
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 277 | 441 | 75 | 104 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 38 | 5 | 60 | 106 | .236 | .328 | .322 | .650 | -71 |
Career AVG .236 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 9.6% below league average.
Career OBP .328 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .322 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 17.0% below league average.
Career OPS .650 vs. league average .712 across their career seasons — 8.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | CHA | AL | 5 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | CHA | AL | 36 | 62 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 13 | .226 | .264 (-15%) | .326 (-13%) | .387 (-25%) | .714 (-20%) | -188.0 |
| 1981 | CHA | AL | 67 | 55 | 15 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 8 | .255 | .255 (avg) | .320 (+6%) | .368 (-21%) | .688 (-9%) | -45.3 |
| 1982 | CHA | AL | 21 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | .192 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | CHA | AL | 28 | 42 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | .262 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | MIN | AL | 31 | 100 | 13 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 28 | .190 | .260 (-27%) | .324 (-16%) | .389 (-20%) | .714 (-18%) | 0.0 |
| 1984 | DET | AL | 84 | 140 | 32 | 40 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 2 | 25 | 28 | .286 | .259 (+10%) | .322 (+22%) | .384 (+8%) | .707 (+14%) | 447.5 |
| 1985 | DET | AL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 277 | 441 | 75 | 104 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 38 | 5 | 60 | 106 | .236 | — | — | — | — | 214 | ||
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 (277 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 135 | 228 | 42 | 57 | 3 | 24 | .250 |
| Away | 142 | 213 | 33 | 47 | 2 | 14 | .221 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-04-24 | DET | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-04-21 | DET | KCR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-16 | DET | MIL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-04-11 | DET | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-10 | DET | CLE | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984-09-30 | DET | NYY | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1984-09-29 | DET | NYY | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1984-09-28 | DET | NYY | W | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984-09-26 | DET | MIL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-22 | DET | NYY | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 63 |
| Center Field | 119 |
| Right Field | 63 |
| Designated Hitter | 26 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo | CA | 1974, 1975 |
| California State University Stanislaus | Turlock | CA | 1976, 1977 |
Rusty Kuntz: the record in brief
The profile opens with Rusty Kuntz's first major league game on September 1, 1979; the last one listed came on April 24, 1985. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1979 to 1983), the Minnesota Twins (1983), and the Detroit Tigers (1984 through 1985). The bio lists Kuntz as an outfielder who batted and threw right-handed. Kuntz is listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 190 pounds. The birth record reads February 4, 1955, in Orange, CA, USA. Rusty Kuntz was the playing name; the full given name is Russell Jay.
In 277 games and 441 at bats, Kuntz batted .236 with 104 hits; the totals also include 5 home runs and 38 RBI. Reaching base at a .328 clip and slugging .322, Kuntz finished with a .650 OPS. Measured against the leagues Kuntz played in, the .236 career average compares with a .261 league average over the same seasons, 9.6% below the league. By OPS the gap is 8.8% below league average (.650 against .712). No season topped the 40 hits of 1984. The RBI column peaks at 22 in 1984.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rusty Kuntz
- What years did Rusty Kuntz play?
- Rusty Kuntz played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1985.
- Was Rusty Kuntz a pitcher?
- No. Rusty Kuntz was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Rusty Kuntz hit?
- Rusty Kuntz hit 5 career home runs with 104 hits.
- What teams did Rusty Kuntz play for?
- Rusty Kuntz played for 3 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1979–1983), the Minnesota Twins (1983), and the Detroit Tigers (1984–1985).
- What were Rusty Kuntz's career stats?
- In 277 games, Rusty Kuntz had 104 hits, 5 home runs, 38 RBI, 75 runs, and 5 stolen bases, with a .236 batting average.
- What position did Rusty Kuntz play?
- Rusty Kuntz played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rusty Kuntz and how much did he weigh?
- Rusty Kuntz was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Rusty Kuntz hit each season?
- Rusty Kuntz's home runs by season: 0 in 1979, 0 in 1980, 0 in 1981, 0 in 1982, 3 in 1983, 2 in 1984, and 0 in 1985. His most in one season was 3, in 1983.
- What was Rusty Kuntz's career batting average?
- Rusty Kuntz batted .236 over his career, with 104 hits in 441 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rusty Kuntz have?
- Rusty Kuntz drove in 38 runs in his career.
- Is Rusty Kuntz in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rusty Kuntz has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.