Hector Ortiz
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1998-2002)
Hector Ortiz was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2002 for the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers, a span of 5 seasons. In 93 career games, he hit .288 with 75 hits, 1 home runs, and 18 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
- 6'0" / 205 lb
- Died
- 2/28/2024 in Phoenix, AZ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1998-09-14
- Last Game
- 2002-05-15
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93 | 260 | 29 | 75 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 33 | .288 | .339 | .358 | .697 | -271 |
Career AVG .288 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — +8.6% above league average.
Career OBP .339 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .358 vs. league average .425 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.
Career OPS .697 vs. league average .761 across their career seasons — 8.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | KCA | AL | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2000 | KCA | AL | 26 | 88 | 15 | 34 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 8 | .386 | .270 (+43%) | .344 (+29%) | .437 (+4%) | .782 (+15%) | 277.5 |
| 2001 | KCA | AL | 56 | 154 | 12 | 38 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 24 | .247 | .263 (-7%) | .332 (-12%) | .426 (-30%) | .758 (-22%) | -548.5 |
| 2002 | TEX | AL | 7 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .214 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 93 | 260 | 29 | 75 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 33 | .288 | — | — | — | — | -271 | ||
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 (93 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 45 | 115 | 16 | 40 | 1 | 10 | .348 |
| Away | 48 | 145 | 13 | 35 | 0 | 8 | .241 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-05-15 | TEX | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002-05-14 | TEX | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-05-12 | TEX | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-05-09 | TEX | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-05-07 | TEX | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-05-06 | TEX | CHW | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-05-04 | TEX | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-10-07 | KCR | DET | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001-10-02 | KCR | CLE | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-09-23 | KCR | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 91 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
Salary History
Hector Ortiz's recorded salaries total $400,000 over 2 seasons, 1998 to 2001. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Ortiz's career ran from 1998 to 2002. No salary is recorded for 2000 and 2002.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | KCA | AL | $230,000 |
| 1998 | KCA | AL | $170,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $400,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Junior College | Paris | TX | 1988 |
Hector Ortiz: the record in brief
Hector Ortiz's major league career runs from a debut on September 14, 1998 to a final game on May 15, 2002. Club by club, the record runs the Kansas City Royals (1998 to 2001) and the Texas Rangers (2002). Listed as a catcher, Ortiz both batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 6'0" and 205 pounds. Ortiz was born on October 14, 1969, in Rio Piedras, P.R. The bio records the death on February 28, 2024, in Phoenix, AZ, USA.
In 93 games and 260 at bats, Ortiz batted .288 with 75 hits; the totals also include 1 home run and 18 runs batted in. Ortiz's career OPS of .697 combines a .339 on-base mark with .358 slugging. Ortiz's .288 average ran 8.6% above the .266 that the league posted over the same seasons. Ortiz collected a career-high 38 hits in 2001. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .247 in 2001, did not top the league's .263.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hector Ortiz
- What years did Hector Ortiz play?
- Hector Ortiz played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2002.
- Was Hector Ortiz a pitcher?
- No. Hector Ortiz was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Hector Ortiz hit?
- Hector Ortiz hit 1 career home run with 75 hits.
- What teams did Hector Ortiz play for?
- Hector Ortiz played for 2 teams: the Kansas City Royals (1998, 2000–2001) and the Texas Rangers (2002).
- What were Hector Ortiz's career stats?
- In 93 games, Hector Ortiz had 75 hits, 1 home runs, 18 RBI, 29 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .288 batting average.
- How much did Hector Ortiz earn in his career?
- Hector Ortiz's recorded salaries total $400,000 over 2 seasons, 1998 to 2001. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Ortiz's career ran from 1998 to 2002. No salary is recorded for 2000 and 2002.
- What was Hector Ortiz's salary?
- Hector Ortiz's last recorded salary was $230,000, in 2001. His highest recorded salary was $230,000, in 2001, and his lowest was $170,000, in 1998. The Salary History table lists each season from 1998 to 2001.
- What position did Hector Ortiz play?
- Hector Ortiz played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Hector Ortiz and how much did he weigh?
- Hector Ortiz was listed at 6 feet and 205 pounds.
- How many home runs did Hector Ortiz hit each season?
- Hector Ortiz's home runs by season: 0 in 1998, 0 in 2000, 0 in 2001, and 1 in 2002. His most in one season was 1, in 2002.
- What was Hector Ortiz's career batting average?
- Hector Ortiz batted .288 over his career, with 75 hits in 260 at bats.
- How many RBI did Hector Ortiz have?
- Hector Ortiz drove in 18 runs in his career.
- Is Hector Ortiz in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Hector Ortiz has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.