Bob Melvin
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1994)
Bob Melvin was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1994 for 7 teams, including the Detroit Tigers, a span of 10 seasons. In 692 career games, he hit .233 with 456 hits, 35 home runs, and 212 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 205 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1985-05-25
- Last Game
- 1994-08-06
Full name: Robert Paul Melvin
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 692 | 1,955 | 174 | 456 | 85 | 6 | 35 | 212 | 4 | 98 | 396 | .233 | .268 | .337 | .604 | -5,031 |
Career AVG .233 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 9.9% below league average.
Career OBP .268 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 17.8% below league average.
Career SLG .337 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 14.2% below league average.
Career OPS .604 vs. league average .718 across their career seasons — 15.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | DET | AL | 41 | 82 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 21 | .220 | .257 (-15%) | .323 (-24%) | .390 (-25%) | .714 (-24%) | -329.2 |
| 1986 | SFN | NL | 89 | 268 | 24 | 60 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 3 | 15 | 69 | .224 | .257 (-13%) | .325 (-20%) | .395 (-12%) | .720 (-15%) | -742.3 |
| 1987 | SFN | NL | 84 | 246 | 31 | 49 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 31 | 0 | 17 | 44 | .199 | .262 (-24%) | .331 (-25%) | .415 (-12%) | .746 (-18%) | -771.7 |
| 1988 | SFN | NL | 92 | 273 | 23 | 64 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 27 | 0 | 13 | 46 | .234 | .254 (-8%) | .317 (-16%) | .377 (avg) | .695 (-7%) | -372.6 |
| 1989 | BAL | AL | 85 | 278 | 22 | 67 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 15 | 53 | .241 | .254 (-5%) | .319 (-13%) | .375 (-21%) | .694 (-17%) | -753.3 |
| 1990 | BAL | AL | 93 | 301 | 30 | 73 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 37 | 0 | 11 | 53 | .243 | .257 (-6%) | .324 (-18%) | .385 (-10%) | .710 (-14%) | -733.2 |
| 1991 | BAL | AL | 79 | 228 | 11 | 57 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 11 | 46 | .250 | .255 (-2%) | .323 (-14%) | .384 (-20%) | .708 (-17%) | -666.5 |
| 1992 | KCA | AL | 32 | 70 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 13 | .314 | .255 (+23%) | .322 (+9%) | .377 (+2%) | .699 (+5%) | 48.3 |
| 1993 | BOS | AL | 77 | 176 | 13 | 39 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 0 | 7 | 44 | .222 | .265 (-16%) | .332 (-24%) | .403 (-23%) | .735 (-23%) | -710.3 |
| 1994 | NYA | AL | 9 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1994 | CHA | AL | 11 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .158 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 692 | 1,955 | 174 | 456 | 85 | 6 | 35 | 212 | 4 | 98 | 396 | .233 | — | — | — | — | -5,031 | ||
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 (692 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 330 | 914 | 69 | 200 | 17 | 104 | .219 |
| Away | 362 | 1041 | 105 | 256 | 18 | 108 | .246 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-08-06 | CHW | LAA | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1994-08-05 | CHW | LAA | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1994-08-04 | CHW | TEX | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-08-03 | CHW | TEX | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-08-02 | CHW | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1994-07-30 | CHW | SEA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-29 | CHW | SEA | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1994-07-28 | CHW | KCR | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-27 | CHW | KCR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-25 | CHW | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 11 | 4 | 45 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 627 | 517 | 2915 | 247 | 23 | 36 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | DET | C | 41 | 25 | 175 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| 1986 | SFN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | SFN | C | 84 | 76 | 442 | 59 | 6 | 7 |
| 1987 | SFN | 1B | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | SFN | C | 78 | 60 | 407 | 43 | 1 | 7 |
| 1988 | SFN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | SFN | C | 89 | 74 | 403 | 31 | 7 | 4 |
| 1989 | BAL | C | 75 | 72 | 303 | 20 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990 | BAL | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | BAL | C | 76 | 70 | 364 | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 1991 | BAL | C | 72 | 67 | 383 | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 1992 | KCA | 1B | 3 | 2 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 1992 | KCA | C | 21 | 16 | 77 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993 | BOS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993 | BOS | C | 76 | 50 | 304 | 18 | 2 | 4 |
| 1994 | NYA | 1B | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1994 | NYA | C | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | CHA | C | 11 | 6 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 627 |
| First Base | 11 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 24 |
Salary History
Bob Melvin's recorded salaries total $3,165,000 over 8 seasons, 1986 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Melvin's career ran from 1985 to 1994. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1994.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | BOS | AL | $725,000 |
| 1992 | KCA | AL | $900,000 |
| 1991 | BAL | AL | $650,000 |
| 1990 | BAL | AL | $350,000 |
| 1989 | BAL | AL | $230,000 |
| 1988 | SFN | NL | $145,000 |
| 1987 | SFN | NL | $90,000 |
| 1986 | SFN | NL | $75,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $3,165,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada College | Redwood City | CA | 1981 |
| University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley | CA | 1980 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bob Melvin (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bob Melvin: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 25, 1985 and the final game on August 6, 1994, Bob Melvin built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1985), the San Francisco Giants (1986 through 1988), the Baltimore Orioles (1989 through 1991), the Kansas City Royals (1992), the Boston Red Sox (1993), the New York Yankees (1994), and the Chicago White Sox (1994). Born on October 28, 1961, in Palo Alto, CA, USA, Melvin is listed as a catcher and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 6'4" and 205 pounds. Bob Melvin was the playing name; the full given name is Robert Paul.
Melvin finished with 456 hits from 1,955 at bats in 692 games, which works out to .233, along with 35 homers and 212 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .268 and the slugging percentage .337, for an OPS of .604. Measured against the leagues Melvin played in, the .233 career average compares with a .259 league average over the same seasons, 9.9% below the league. By OPS the gap is 15.9% below league average (.604 against .718).
Frequently Asked Questions about Bob Melvin
- What years did Bob Melvin play?
- Bob Melvin played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1994.
- Was Bob Melvin a pitcher?
- No. Bob Melvin was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Bob Melvin hit?
- Bob Melvin hit 35 career home runs with 456 hits.
- What teams did Bob Melvin play for?
- Bob Melvin played for 7 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1985), the San Francisco Giants (1986–1988), the Baltimore Orioles (1989–1991), the Kansas City Royals (1992), the Boston Red Sox (1993), the New York Yankees (1994), and the Chicago White Sox (1994).
- What were Bob Melvin's career stats?
- In 692 games, Bob Melvin had 456 hits, 35 home runs, 212 RBI, 174 runs, and 4 stolen bases, with a .233 batting average.
- How much did Bob Melvin earn in his career?
- Bob Melvin's recorded salaries total $3,165,000 over 8 seasons, 1986 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Melvin's career ran from 1985 to 1994. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1994.
- What was Bob Melvin's salary?
- Bob Melvin's last recorded salary was $725,000, in 1993. His highest recorded salary was $900,000, in 1992, and his lowest was $75,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1993.
- What position did Bob Melvin play?
- Bob Melvin played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bob Melvin and how much did he weigh?
- Bob Melvin was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 205 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bob Melvin hit each season?
- Bob Melvin's home runs by season: 0 in 1985, 5 in 1986, 11 in 1987, 8 in 1988, 1 in 1989, 5 in 1990, 1 in 1991, 0 in 1992, 3 in 1993, and 1 in 1994. His most in one season was 11, in 1987.
- What was Bob Melvin's career batting average?
- Bob Melvin batted .233 over his career, with 456 hits in 1,955 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bob Melvin have?
- Bob Melvin drove in 212 runs in his career.
- Is Bob Melvin in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bob Melvin has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.