Mike LaValliere
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1984-1995)
Mike LaValliere was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1995 for 4 teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, a span of 12 seasons. In 879 career games, he hit .268 with 663 hits, 18 home runs, and 294 RBI. Mike LaValliere was a Gold Glove.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1984-09-09
- Last Game
- 1995-09-22
- Awards
- Gold Glove
Full name: Michael Eugene LaValliere
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 879 | 2,473 | 185 | 663 | 109 | 5 | 18 | 294 | 5 | 321 | 244 | .268 | .351 | .338 | .689 | -259 |
Career AVG .268 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .351 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +7.5% above league average.
Career SLG .338 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 14.1% below league average.
Career OPS .689 vs. league average .720 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | PHI | NL | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | SLN | NL | 12 | 34 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 3 | .147 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | 110 | 303 | 18 | 71 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 36 | 37 | .234 | .257 (-9%) | .325 (-3%) | .395 (-21%) | .720 (-13%) | -543.2 |
| 1987 | PIT | NL | 121 | 340 | 33 | 102 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 43 | 32 | .300 | .262 (+14%) | .331 (+14%) | .415 (-12%) | .746 (-1%) | 126.4 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | 120 | 352 | 24 | 92 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 3 | 50 | 34 | .261 | .254 (+3%) | .317 (+11%) | .377 (-13%) | .695 (-2%) | 67.4 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | 68 | 190 | 15 | 60 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 29 | 24 | .316 | .254 (+24%) | .319 (+27%) | .375 (+7%) | .694 (+16%) | 668.6 |
| 1990 | PIT | NL | 96 | 279 | 27 | 72 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 0 | 44 | 20 | .258 | .257 (avg) | .324 (+12%) | .385 (-11%) | .710 (-1%) | 148.1 |
| 1991 | PIT | NL | 108 | 336 | 25 | 97 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 41 | 2 | 33 | 27 | .289 | .255 (+13%) | .323 (+9%) | .384 (-6%) | .708 (avg) | 93.7 |
| 1992 | PIT | NL | 95 | 293 | 22 | 75 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 44 | 21 | .256 | .255 (avg) | .322 (+9%) | .377 (-13%) | .699 (-3%) | -36.1 |
| 1993 | PIT | NL | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1993 | CHA | AL | 37 | 97 | 6 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 14 | .258 | .265 (-3%) | .332 (-15%) | .403 (-31%) | .735 (-24%) | 0.0 |
| 1994 | CHA | AL | 59 | 139 | 6 | 39 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 15 | .281 | .269 (+4%) | .338 (+9%) | .424 (-22%) | .763 (-8%) | -136.2 |
| 1995 | CHA | AL | 46 | 98 | 7 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 9 | 15 | .245 | .266 (-8%) | .337 (-10%) | .417 (-19%) | .755 (-15%) | -263.5 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 879 | 2,473 | 185 | 663 | 109 | 5 | 18 | 294 | 5 | 321 | 244 | .268 | — | — | — | — | 125 | ||
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 (879 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 449 | 1219 | 93 | 337 | 8 | 148 | .276 |
| Away | 430 | 1254 | 92 | 326 | 10 | 146 | .260 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-09-22 | CHW | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-21 | CHW | MIL | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-17 | CHW | SEA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-16 | CHW | SEA | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-10 | CHW | OAK | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-07 | CHW | TEX | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1995-09-05 | CHW | TEX | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-04 | CHW | TEX | W | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-08-31 | CHW | DET | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995-08-29 | CHW | DET | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 850 | 747 | 4138 | 416 | 35 | 53 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | PHI | C | 6 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | SLN | C | 12 | 11 | 48 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 1986 | SLN | C | 108 | 93 | 468 | 47 | 6 | 8 |
| 1987 | PIT | C | 112 | 99 | 584 | 70 | 5 | 11 |
| 1988 | PIT | C | 114 | 105 | 565 | 55 | 8 | 6 |
| 1989 | PIT | C | 65 | 59 | 306 | 24 | 3 | 3 |
| 1990 | PIT | C | 95 | 87 | 478 | 36 | 5 | 6 |
| 1991 | PIT | C | 105 | 100 | 565 | 46 | 1 | 4 |
| 1992 | PIT | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | PIT | C | 92 | 87 | 421 | 62 | 3 | 6 |
| 1993 | PIT | C | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | CHA | C | 37 | 29 | 164 | 28 | 0 | 2 |
| 1994 | CHA | C | 57 | 44 | 305 | 21 | 3 | 3 |
| 1995 | CHA | C | 46 | 30 | 202 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 850 |
| Third Base | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Player of the Week | Week of 1988-04-22 |
| 1988 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1987 | Gold Glove | C |
Salary History
Mike LaValliere's recorded salaries total $9,656,500 over 10 seasons, 1986 to 1995. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and LaValliere's career ran from 1984 to 1995. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | CHA | AL | $750,000 |
| 1994 | CHA | AL | $109,000 |
| 1994 | PIT | NL | $2,100,000 |
| 1993 | PIT | NL | $2,350,000 |
| 1992 | PIT | NL | $1,850,000 |
| 1991 | PIT | NL | $1,035,000 |
| 1990 | PIT | NL | $575,000 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | $482,500 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | $215,000 |
| 1987 | PIT | NL | $120,000 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | $70,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $9,656,500 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | Lowell | MA | 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Mike LaValliere (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Mike LaValliere: the record in brief
Mike LaValliere played a first major league game on September 9, 1984 and a last one on September 22, 1995. LaValliere played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1984), the St. Louis Cardinals (1985 to 1986), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1987 to 1993), and the Chicago White Sox (1993 through 1995). At 180 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame, LaValliere is listed as a catcher. LaValliere batted left-handed and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is August 18, 1960, in Charlotte, NC, USA. The given name on file is Michael Eugene LaValliere.
LaValliere collected 663 hits in 2,473 at bats across 879 games, good for a .268 batting average, plus 18 homers and 294 runs batted in. LaValliere's career OPS of .689 combines a .351 on-base mark with .338 slugging. LaValliere hit .268 while the league hit .260 over the same span, a figure close to average. The hits column peaks at 102, in 1987. The RBI column peaks at 47 in 1988. The Lg AVG column puts LaValliere's 1987 at .300 against .262, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 14%.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mike LaValliere
- What years did Mike LaValliere play?
- Mike LaValliere played in Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1995.
- Was Mike LaValliere a pitcher?
- No. Mike LaValliere was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Mike LaValliere hit?
- Mike LaValliere hit 18 career home runs with 663 hits.
- What teams did Mike LaValliere play for?
- Mike LaValliere played for 4 teams: the Philadelphia Phillies (1984), the St. Louis Cardinals (1985–1986), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1987–1993), and the Chicago White Sox (1993–1995).
- What awards did Mike LaValliere win?
- Mike LaValliere won the Gold Glove (1987).
- What were Mike LaValliere's career stats?
- In 879 games, Mike LaValliere had 663 hits, 18 home runs, 294 RBI, 185 runs, and 5 stolen bases, with a .268 batting average.
- How much did Mike LaValliere earn in his career?
- Mike LaValliere's recorded salaries total $9,656,500 over 10 seasons, 1986 to 1995. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and LaValliere's career ran from 1984 to 1995. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985.
- What was Mike LaValliere's salary?
- Mike LaValliere's last recorded salary was $750,000, in 1995. His highest recorded salary was $2,350,000, in 1993, and his lowest was $70,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1995.
- What position did Mike LaValliere play?
- Mike LaValliere played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Mike LaValliere and how much did he weigh?
- Mike LaValliere was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Mike LaValliere hit each season?
- Mike LaValliere's home runs by season: 0 in 1984, 0 in 1985, 3 in 1986, 1 in 1987, 2 in 1988, 2 in 1989, 3 in 1990, 3 in 1991, 2 in 1992, 0 in 1993, 1 in 1994, and 1 in 1995. His most in one season was 3, in 1986, 1990, and 1991.
- What was Mike LaValliere's career batting average?
- Mike LaValliere batted .268 over his career, with 663 hits in 2,473 at bats.
- How many RBI did Mike LaValliere have?
- Mike LaValliere drove in 294 runs in his career.
- Is Mike LaValliere in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mike LaValliere has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.