Junior Ortiz
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1982-1994)
Junior Ortiz was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1994 for 5 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 13 seasons. In 749 career games, he hit .256 with 484 hits, 5 home runs, and 186 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
- 5'11" / 174 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1982-09-20
- Last Game
- 1994-08-08
Full name: Adalberto Ortiz
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 749 | 1,894 | 142 | 484 | 71 | 4 | 5 | 186 | 8 | 121 | 222 | .256 | .305 | .305 | .610 | -4,093 |
Career AVG .256 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .305 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 6.3% below league average.
Career SLG .305 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 22.0% below league average.
Career OPS .610 vs. league average .716 across their career seasons — 14.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | PIT | NL | 7 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | PIT | NL | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1983 | NYN | NL | 68 | 185 | 10 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 34 | .254 | .260 (-3%) | .324 (-17%) | .389 (-28%) | .714 (-23%) | 0.0 |
| 1984 | NYN | NL | 40 | 91 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 15 | .198 | .259 (-24%) | .322 (-27%) | .384 (-40%) | .707 (-34%) | -502.4 |
| 1985 | PIT | NL | 23 | 72 | 4 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 17 | .292 | .257 (+13%) | .323 (-1%) | .390 (-8%) | .714 (-5%) | -50.6 |
| 1986 | PIT | NL | 49 | 110 | 11 | 37 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 13 | .336 | .257 (+31%) | .325 (+17%) | .395 (-1%) | .720 (+7%) | 146.4 |
| 1987 | PIT | NL | 75 | 192 | 16 | 52 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 15 | 23 | .271 | .262 (+3%) | .331 (-3%) | .415 (-18%) | .746 (-12%) | -345.9 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | 49 | 118 | 8 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 9 | .280 | .254 (+10%) | .317 (+6%) | .377 (+1%) | .695 (+3%) | 66.5 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | 91 | 230 | 16 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 20 | 20 | .217 | .254 (-14%) | .319 (-12%) | .375 (-29%) | .694 (-21%) | -732.8 |
| 1990 | MIN | AL | 71 | 170 | 18 | 57 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 16 | .335 | .257 (+30%) | .324 (+18%) | .385 (+1%) | .710 (+9%) | 305.4 |
| 1991 | MIN | AL | 61 | 134 | 9 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 12 | .209 | .255 (-18%) | .323 (-9%) | .384 (-32%) | .708 (-22%) | -422.9 |
| 1992 | CLE | AL | 86 | 244 | 20 | 61 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 12 | 23 | .250 | .255 (-2%) | .322 (-8%) | .377 (-26%) | .699 (-18%) | -632.9 |
| 1993 | CLE | AL | 95 | 249 | 19 | 55 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 26 | .221 | .265 (-17%) | .332 (-20%) | .403 (-32%) | .735 (-27%) | -1067.8 |
| 1994 | TEX | AL | 29 | 76 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 11 | .276 | .269 (+2%) | .338 (-3%) | .424 (-29%) | .763 (-17%) | -194.9 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 749 | 1,894 | 142 | 484 | 71 | 4 | 5 | 186 | 8 | 121 | 222 | .256 | — | — | — | — | -3,432 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (749 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 380 | 919 | 74 | 248 | 1 | 110 | .270 |
| Away | 369 | 975 | 68 | 236 | 4 | 76 | .242 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-08-08 | TEX | SEA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-31 | TEX | LAA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-30 | TEX | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-23 | TEX | TOR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-21 | TEX | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1994-07-19 | TEX | CLE | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-07-01 | TEX | DET | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-06-30 | TEX | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994-06-29 | TEX | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1994-06-28 | TEX | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | PIT | C | 7 | 4 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | PIT | C | 4 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | NYN | C | 67 | 56 | 273 | 31 | 11 | 2 |
| 1984 | NYN | C | 32 | 23 | 136 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| 1985 | PIT | C | 23 | 20 | 115 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
| 1986 | PIT | C | 36 | 28 | 165 | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| 1987 | PIT | C | 72 | 55 | 313 | 39 | 9 | 2 |
| 1988 | PIT | C | 40 | 33 | 152 | 23 | 3 | 2 |
| 1989 | PIT | C | 84 | 65 | 334 | 32 | 2 | 2 |
| 1990 | MIN | C | 68 | 45 | 247 | 25 | 0 | 6 |
| 1991 | MIN | C | 60 | 41 | 203 | 17 | 1 | 2 |
| 1992 | CLE | C | 86 | 69 | 402 | 38 | 5 | 2 |
| 1993 | CLE | C | 95 | 84 | 441 | 58 | 5 | 13 |
| 1994 | TEX | C | 28 | 18 | 106 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 702 |
| Designated Hitter | 3 |
Salary History
Junior Ortiz's recorded salaries total $2,682,000 over 9 seasons, 1986 to 1994. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Ortiz's career ran from 1982 to 1994. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | TEX | AL | $350,000 |
| 1993 | CLE | AL | $395,000 |
| 1992 | CLE | AL | $300,000 |
| 1991 | MIN | AL | $450,000 |
| 1990 | PIT | NL | $350,000 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | $300,000 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | $250,000 |
| 1987 | PIT | NL | $190,000 |
| 1986 | PIT | NL | $97,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $2,682,000 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Junior Ortiz (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Junior Ortiz: the record in brief
Junior Ortiz's major league career runs from a debut on September 20, 1982 to a final game on August 8, 1994. The season rows list, in order, the Pittsburgh Pirates (1982 through 1989), the New York Mets (1983 through 1984), the Minnesota Twins (1990 through 1991), the Cleveland Indians (1992 to 1993), and the Texas Rangers (1994). Listed as a catcher, Ortiz batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 5'11" and 174 pounds. The birth record reads October 24, 1959, in Humacao, P.R. The given name on file is Adalberto Ortiz.
The batting record for Ortiz: 749 games, 484 hits in 1,894 at bats, and a .256 average, plus 5 homers and 186 runs batted in. Ortiz's career OPS of .610 combines a .305 on-base mark with .305 slugging. The .256 career average is close to the .259 the league hit across the same seasons. In OPS terms, Ortiz's .610 stands 14.9% below the league's .716. The highest hit total in a season was 61, in 1992. The RBI column peaks at 24 in 1992.
Frequently Asked Questions about Junior Ortiz
- What years did Junior Ortiz play?
- Junior Ortiz played in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1994.
- Was Junior Ortiz a pitcher?
- No. Junior Ortiz was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Junior Ortiz hit?
- Junior Ortiz hit 5 career home runs with 484 hits.
- What teams did Junior Ortiz play for?
- Junior Ortiz played for 5 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1982–1983, 1985–1989), the New York Mets (1983–1984), the Minnesota Twins (1990–1991), the Cleveland Indians (1992–1993), and the Texas Rangers (1994).
- What were Junior Ortiz's career stats?
- In 749 games, Junior Ortiz had 484 hits, 5 home runs, 186 RBI, 142 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .256 batting average.
- How much did Junior Ortiz earn in his career?
- Junior Ortiz's recorded salaries total $2,682,000 over 9 seasons, 1986 to 1994. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Ortiz's career ran from 1982 to 1994. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1985.
- What was Junior Ortiz's salary?
- Junior Ortiz's last recorded salary was $350,000, in 1994. His highest recorded salary was $450,000, in 1991, and his lowest was $97,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1994.
- What position did Junior Ortiz play?
- Junior Ortiz played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Junior Ortiz and how much did he weigh?
- Junior Ortiz was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 174 pounds.
- How many home runs did Junior Ortiz hit each season?
- Junior Ortiz's home runs by season: 0 in 1982, 0 in 1983, 0 in 1984, 1 in 1985, 0 in 1986, 1 in 1987, 2 in 1988, 1 in 1989, 0 in 1990, 0 in 1991, 0 in 1992, 0 in 1993, and 0 in 1994. His most in one season was 2, in 1988.
- What was Junior Ortiz's career batting average?
- Junior Ortiz batted .256 over his career, with 484 hits in 1,894 at bats.
- How many RBI did Junior Ortiz have?
- Junior Ortiz drove in 186 runs in his career.
- Is Junior Ortiz in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Junior Ortiz has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.