Rudy Law
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1986)
Rudy Law was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1986 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Kansas City Royals, a span of 9 seasons. In 749 career games, he hit .271 with 656 hits, 18 home runs, and 199 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
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 165 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1978-09-12
- Last Game
- 1986-10-04
Full name: Rudy Karl Law
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 749 | 2,421 | 379 | 656 | 101 | 37 | 18 | 199 | 228 | 184 | 210 | .271 | .325 | .366 | .691 | -1,049 |
Career AVG .271 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .325 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .366 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.
Career OPS .691 vs. league average .712 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | LAN | NL | 11 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | LAN | NL | 128 | 388 | 55 | 101 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 40 | 23 | 27 | .260 | .264 (-2%) | .326 (-6%) | .387 (-22%) | .714 (-15%) | -863.2 |
| 1982 | CHA | AL | 121 | 336 | 55 | 107 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 32 | 36 | 23 | 41 | .318 | .261 (+22%) | .324 (+11%) | .388 (+13%) | .712 (+12%) | 734.5 |
| 1983 | CHA | AL | 141 | 501 | 95 | 142 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 34 | 77 | 42 | 36 | .283 | .260 (+9%) | .324 (+5%) | .389 (-5%) | .714 (-1%) | -14.9 |
| 1984 | CHA | AL | 136 | 487 | 68 | 122 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 37 | 29 | 39 | 42 | .251 | .259 (-4%) | .322 (-4%) | .384 (-10%) | .707 (-8%) | -553.7 |
| 1985 | CHA | AL | 125 | 390 | 62 | 101 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 36 | 29 | 27 | 40 | .259 | .257 (+1%) | .323 (-4%) | .390 (-4%) | .714 (-4%) | -285.3 |
| 1986 | KCA | AL | 87 | 307 | 42 | 80 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 14 | 29 | 22 | .261 | .257 (+1%) | .325 (avg) | .395 (-2%) | .720 (-1%) | -66.9 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 749 | 2,421 | 379 | 656 | 101 | 37 | 18 | 199 | 228 | 184 | 210 | .271 | — | — | — | — | -1,049 | ||
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 (748 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 372 | 1195 | 209 | 336 | 11 | 97 | .281 |
| Away | 376 | 1225 | 170 | 320 | 7 | 102 | .261 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-10-04 | KCR | OAK | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-30 | KCR | LAA | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-28 | KCR | OAK | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-09-27 | KCR | OAK | L | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1986-09-27 | KCR | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-23 | KCR | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-22 | KCR | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-20 | KCR | SEA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-19 | KCR | SEA | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-09-18 | KCR | LAA | L | 4 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 179 |
| Center Field | 483 |
| Right Field | 36 |
| Designated Hitter | 14 |
Salary History
Rudy Law's recorded salaries total $1,225,000 over 3 seasons, 1985 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Law's career ran from 1978 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | KCA | AL | $300,000 |
| 1986 | KCA | AL | $360,000 |
| 1985 | CHA | AL | $565,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $1,225,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 2.0 | 392 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Rudy Law (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Rudy Law: the record in brief
The profile opens with Rudy Law's first major league game on September 12, 1978; the last one listed came on October 4, 1986. The team column moves through the Los Angeles Dodgers (1978 through 1980), the Chicago White Sox (1982 through 1985), and the Kansas City Royals (1986). At 165 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame, Law is listed as an outfielder. The bio says Law batted and threw left-handed. The recorded birth is October 7, 1956, in Waco, TX, USA. The given name on file is Rudy Karl Law.
Law collected 656 hits in 2,421 at bats across 749 games, good for a .271 batting average, adding 18 home runs, 199 runs batted in, and 228 stolen bases. Law's career OPS of .691 combines a .325 on-base mark with .366 slugging. Against a .260 league average for those years, Law's .271 average was near the norm. The highest hit total in a season was 142, in 1983. Law stole 77 bases in 1983, the most of any season listed.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rudy Law
- What years did Rudy Law play?
- Rudy Law played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1986.
- Was Rudy Law a pitcher?
- No. Rudy Law was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Rudy Law hit?
- Rudy Law hit 18 career home runs with 656 hits.
- What teams did Rudy Law play for?
- Rudy Law played for 3 teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (1978, 1980), the Chicago White Sox (1982–1985), and the Kansas City Royals (1986).
- What were Rudy Law's career stats?
- In 749 games, Rudy Law had 656 hits, 18 home runs, 199 RBI, 379 runs, and 228 stolen bases, with a .271 batting average.
- How much did Rudy Law earn in his career?
- Rudy Law's recorded salaries total $1,225,000 over 3 seasons, 1985 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Law's career ran from 1978 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Rudy Law's salary?
- Rudy Law's last recorded salary was $300,000, in 1987. His highest recorded salary was $565,000, in 1985, and his lowest was $300,000, in 1987. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1987.
- What position did Rudy Law play?
- Rudy Law played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rudy Law and how much did he weigh?
- Rudy Law was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Rudy Law hit each season?
- Rudy Law's home runs by season: 0 in 1978, 1 in 1980, 3 in 1982, 3 in 1983, 6 in 1984, 4 in 1985, and 1 in 1986. His most in one season was 6, in 1984.
- What was Rudy Law's career batting average?
- Rudy Law batted .271 over his career, with 656 hits in 2,421 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rudy Law have?
- Rudy Law drove in 199 runs in his career.
- Is Rudy Law in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rudy Law has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.