Luis Melendez
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1970-1977)
Luis Melendez was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1977 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres, a span of 8 seasons. In 641 career games, he hit .248 with 366 hits, 9 home runs, and 122 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
- 6'0" / 165 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1970-09-07
- Last Game
- 1977-06-01
Full name: Luis Antonio Melendez
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 641 | 1,477 | 167 | 366 | 50 | 13 | 9 | 122 | 18 | 109 | 175 | .248 | .299 | .318 | .616 | -2,214 |
Career AVG .248 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .299 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 7.4% below league average.
Career SLG .318 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 15.1% below league average.
Career OPS .616 vs. league average .697 across their career seasons — 11.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | SLN | NL | 21 | 70 | 11 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 12 | .300 | .253 (+18%) | .325 (-3%) | .385 (-18%) | .711 (-12%) | -131.4 |
| 1971 | SLN | NL | 88 | 173 | 25 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 24 | 29 | .225 | .249 (-10%) | .316 (+1%) | .365 (-30%) | .682 (-16%) | -335.0 |
| 1972 | SLN | NL | 118 | 332 | 32 | 79 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 28 | 5 | 25 | 34 | .238 | .243 (-2%) | .310 (-6%) | .353 (-6%) | .664 (-6%) | -304.0 |
| 1973 | SLN | NL | 121 | 341 | 35 | 91 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 2 | 27 | 50 | .267 | .256 (+4%) | .325 (-2%) | .378 (-9%) | .703 (-6%) | -322.9 |
| 1974 | SLN | NL | 83 | 124 | 15 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 9 | .218 | .256 (-15%) | .324 (-13%) | .369 (-19%) | .693 (-16%) | -334.4 |
| 1975 | SLN | NL | 110 | 291 | 33 | 77 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 3 | 16 | 25 | .265 | .257 (+3%) | .327 (-8%) | .374 (-7%) | .701 (-8%) | -406.1 |
| 1976 | SLN | NL | 20 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | SDN | NL | 72 | 119 | 15 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 12 | .244 | .255 (-5%) | .320 (-19%) | .360 (-21%) | .681 (-20%) | 0.0 |
| 1977 | SDN | NL | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 641 | 1,477 | 167 | 366 | 50 | 13 | 9 | 122 | 18 | 109 | 175 | .248 | — | — | — | — | -1,834 | ||
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 (641 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 319 | 730 | 93 | 197 | 3 | 61 | .270 |
| Away | 322 | 747 | 74 | 169 | 6 | 61 | .226 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-06-01 | SDP | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-05-31 | SDP | SFG | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-05-30 | SDP | SFG | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-05-25 | SDP | ATL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977-05-23 | SDP | ATL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-05-21 | SDP | WSN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-05-17 | SDP | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977-05-16 | SDP | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-10-03 | SDP | LAD | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-10-02 | SDP | LAD | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 489 | 331 | 876 | 21 | 21 | 5 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | SLN | OF | 18 | 15 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | SLN | OF | 66 | 39 | 90 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1972 | SLN | OF | 105 | 80 | 206 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| 1973 | SLN | OF | 95 | 84 | 196 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| 1974 | SLN | OF | 46 | 26 | 84 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1974 | SLN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | SLN | OF | 89 | 64 | 169 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1976 | SLN | OF | 8 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | SDN | OF | 60 | 21 | 85 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | SDN | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 88 |
| Center Field | 268 |
| Right Field | 161 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Luis Melendez (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Luis Melendez: the record in brief
According to the bio, Luis Melendez debuted on September 7, 1970 and played a final game on June 1, 1977. Club by club, the record runs the St. Louis Cardinals (1970 through 1976) and the San Diego Padres (1976 to 1977). Melendez played primarily as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. Born on August 11, 1949, in Aibonito, P.R., Melendez was listed at 6-foot-0 and 165 pounds. The given name on file is Luis Antonio Melendez.
Across 641 games at the plate, Melendez's career line reads 366 hits in 1,477 at bats for a .248 average, along with 9 home runs and 122 RBI. Melendez's career OPS of .616 combines a .299 on-base mark with .318 slugging. Against a .255 league average for those years, Melendez's .248 average was near the norm. In OPS terms, Melendez's .616 stands 11.5% below the league's .697. 1973 produced Melendez's most hits, 91 of them for the St. Louis Cardinals. 1973 brought the most runs batted in, 35. Among the seasons with the heaviest workload, the best average was .267 in 1973, 4% above that year's league mark of .256.
Frequently Asked Questions about Luis Melendez
- What years did Luis Melendez play?
- Luis Melendez played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1977.
- Was Luis Melendez a pitcher?
- No. Luis Melendez was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Luis Melendez hit?
- Luis Melendez hit 9 career home runs with 366 hits.
- What teams did Luis Melendez play for?
- Luis Melendez played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1970–1976) and the San Diego Padres (1976–1977).
- What were Luis Melendez's career stats?
- In 641 games, Luis Melendez had 366 hits, 9 home runs, 122 RBI, 167 runs, and 18 stolen bases, with a .248 batting average.
- What position did Luis Melendez play?
- Luis Melendez played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Luis Melendez and how much did he weigh?
- Luis Melendez was listed at 6 feet and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Luis Melendez hit each season?
- Luis Melendez's home runs by season: 0 in 1970, 0 in 1971, 5 in 1972, 2 in 1973, 0 in 1974, 2 in 1975, 0 in 1976, and 0 in 1977. His most in one season was 5, in 1972.
- What was Luis Melendez's career batting average?
- Luis Melendez batted .248 over his career, with 366 hits in 1,477 at bats.
- How many RBI did Luis Melendez have?
- Luis Melendez drove in 122 runs in his career.
- Is Luis Melendez in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Luis Melendez has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.