John Orton
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1989-1993)
John Orton was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1993 for the California Angels, a span of 5 seasons. In 156 career games, he hit .200 with 80 hits, 4 home runs, and 29 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
- 6'1" / 195 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1989-08-20
- Last Game
- 1993-07-04
Full name: John Andrew Orton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 156 | 401 | 35 | 80 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 2 | 31 | 121 | .200 | .265 | .274 | .540 | -1,259 |
Career AVG .200 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 22.6% below league average.
Career OBP .265 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 18.2% below league average.
Career SLG .274 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 28.8% below league average.
Career OPS .540 vs. league average .710 across their career seasons — 24.0% 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 | CAL | AL | 16 | 39 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 17 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | CAL | AL | 31 | 84 | 8 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 31 | .190 | .257 (-26%) | .324 (-25%) | .385 (-26%) | .710 (-25%) | -340.6 |
| 1991 | CAL | AL | 29 | 69 | 7 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 17 | .203 | .255 (-21%) | .323 (-3%) | .384 (-32%) | .708 (-19%) | -174.9 |
| 1992 | CAL | AL | 43 | 114 | 11 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 32 | .219 | .255 (-14%) | .322 (-14%) | .377 (-21%) | .699 (-18%) | -305.2 |
| 1993 | CAL | AL | 37 | 95 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 24 | .189 | .265 (-29%) | .332 (-24%) | .403 (-32%) | .735 (-28%) | -438.3 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 156 | 401 | 35 | 80 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 2 | 31 | 121 | .200 | — | — | — | — | -1,259 | ||
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 (156 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 78 | 198 | 16 | 34 | 1 | 12 | .172 |
| Away | 78 | 203 | 19 | 46 | 3 | 17 | .227 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-07-04 | LAA | CLE | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-07-02 | LAA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993-06-29 | LAA | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993-06-27 | LAA | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-06-24 | LAA | KCR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-06-22 | LAA | KCR | L | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-06-02 | LAA | TOR | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993-06-01 | LAA | TOR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993-05-28 | LAA | BAL | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-05-27 | LAA | SEA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 153 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | CAL | AL | $160,000 |
| 1992 | CAL | AL | $130,000 |
| 1991 | CAL | AL | $120,000 |
| 1990 | CAL | AL | $100,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $510,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | CA | 1985, 1986, 1987 |
John Orton: the record in brief
John Orton's major league career runs from a debut on August 20, 1989 to a final game on July 4, 1993. All of the seasons listed were played for the California Angels. Orton, a catcher by primary position, both batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 195 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. Orton was born on December 8, 1965, in Santa Cruz, CA, USA. John Orton was the playing name; the full given name is John Andrew.
In 156 games and 401 at bats, Orton batted .200 with 80 hits; the totals also include 4 home runs and 29 RBI. Orton got on base at a .265 rate and slugged .274 (.540 OPS). Set against a .258 league average for the same years, Orton's .200 average sits 22.6% below it. 1992 produced Orton's most hits, 25 of them for the California Angels. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .219 in 1992, did not top the league's .255. In none of the compared seasons from 1990 to 1993 did Orton top the league batting average.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Orton
- What years did John Orton play?
- John Orton played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1993.
- Was John Orton a pitcher?
- No. John Orton was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did John Orton hit?
- John Orton hit 4 career home runs with 80 hits.
- What was John Orton's career batting average?
- John Orton batted .200 over his career, with 80 hits in 401 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Orton have?
- John Orton drove in 29 runs in his career.
- Is John Orton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Orton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.