Matt Merullo
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1989-1995)
Matt Merullo was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1995 for the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Minnesota Twins, a span of 7 seasons. In 223 career games, he hit .234 with 116 hits, 7 home runs, and 59 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1989-04-12
- Last Game
- 1995-09-29
Full name: Matthew Bates Merullo
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 223 | 496 | 37 | 116 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 59 | 0 | 32 | 69 | .234 | .281 | .319 | .600 | -1,097 |
Career AVG .234 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 10.4% below league average.
Career OBP .281 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 14.5% below league average.
Career SLG .319 vs. league average .396 across their career seasons — 19.5% below league average.
Career OPS .600 vs. league average .725 across their career seasons — 17.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | CHA | AL | 31 | 81 | 5 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 14 | .222 | .254 (-13%) | .319 (-15%) | .375 (-28%) | .694 (-22%) | -267.8 |
| 1991 | CHA | AL | 80 | 140 | 8 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 21 | 0 | 9 | 18 | .229 | .255 (-11%) | .323 (-17%) | .384 (-11%) | .708 (-14%) | -342.5 |
| 1992 | CHA | AL | 24 | 50 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .180 | .255 (-30%) | .322 (-36%) | .377 (-36%) | .699 (-36%) | -297.1 |
| 1993 | CHA | AL | 8 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .050 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1994 | CLE | AL | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1995 | MIN | AL | 76 | 195 | 19 | 55 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 14 | 27 | .282 | .266 (+6%) | .337 (-1%) | .417 (-9%) | .755 (-5%) | -189.6 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 223 | 496 | 37 | 116 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 59 | 0 | 32 | 69 | .234 | — | — | — | — | -1,097 | ||
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 (223 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 126 | 279 | 19 | 64 | 3 | 36 | .229 |
| Away | 97 | 217 | 18 | 52 | 4 | 23 | .240 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-09-29 | MIN | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-28 | MIN | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-26 | MIN | CLE | W | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-24 | MIN | CHW | W | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-18 | MIN | KCR | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995-09-12 | MIN | SEA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995-09-11 | MIN | SEA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995-09-10 | MIN | LAA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-09 | MIN | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-09-06 | MIN | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 120 |
| First Base | 18 |
| Designated Hitter | 27 |
Salary History
Matt Merullo's recorded salaries total $650,000 over 4 seasons, 1992 to 1995. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Merullo's career ran from 1989 to 1995. No salary is recorded for 1989 and 1991.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | MIN | AL | $200,000 |
| 1994 | CLE | AL | $160,000 |
| 1993 | CHA | AL | $150,000 |
| 1992 | CHA | AL | $140,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $650,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | NC | 1984, 1985, 1986 |
Matt Merullo: the record in brief
According to the bio, Matt Merullo debuted on April 12, 1989 and played a final game on September 29, 1995. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago White Sox (1989 to 1993), the Cleveland Indians (1994), and the Minnesota Twins (1995). Merullo, born on August 4, 1965, in Winchester, MA, USA, is listed as a catcher and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Size on record: 200 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame. Matt Merullo was the playing name; the full given name is Matthew Bates.
The batting record for Merullo: 223 games, 116 hits in 496 at bats, and a .234 average, adding 7 homers and 59 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .281 and .319 give Merullo a career OPS of .600. The league as a whole hit .261 across Merullo's seasons, which puts the .234 career mark 10.4% below average. The OPS comparison is .600 to a league .725, 17.3% below average. No season topped the 55 hits of 1995. The RBI column peaks at 27 in 1995.
Frequently Asked Questions about Matt Merullo
- What years did Matt Merullo play?
- Matt Merullo played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1995.
- Was Matt Merullo a pitcher?
- No. Matt Merullo was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Matt Merullo hit?
- Matt Merullo hit 7 career home runs with 116 hits.
- What teams did Matt Merullo play for?
- Matt Merullo played for 3 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1989, 1991–1993), the Cleveland Indians (1994), and the Minnesota Twins (1995).
- What were Matt Merullo's career stats?
- In 223 games, Matt Merullo had 116 hits, 7 home runs, 59 RBI, and 37 runs, with a .234 batting average.
- How much did Matt Merullo earn in his career?
- Matt Merullo's recorded salaries total $650,000 over 4 seasons, 1992 to 1995. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Merullo's career ran from 1989 to 1995. No salary is recorded for 1989 and 1991.
- What was Matt Merullo's salary?
- Matt Merullo's last recorded salary was $200,000, in 1995. His highest recorded salary was $200,000, in 1995, and his lowest was $140,000, in 1992. The Salary History table lists each season from 1992 to 1995.
- What position did Matt Merullo play?
- Matt Merullo played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Matt Merullo and how much did he weigh?
- Matt Merullo was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 200 pounds.
- How many home runs did Matt Merullo hit each season?
- Matt Merullo's home runs by season: 1 in 1989, 5 in 1991, 0 in 1992, 0 in 1993, 0 in 1994, and 1 in 1995. His most in one season was 5, in 1991.
- What was Matt Merullo's career batting average?
- Matt Merullo batted .234 over his career, with 116 hits in 496 at bats.
- How many RBI did Matt Merullo have?
- Matt Merullo drove in 59 runs in his career.
- Is Matt Merullo in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Matt Merullo has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.