Ruben Rivera
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1995-2003)
Ruben Rivera was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2003 for 5 teams, including the New York Yankees, a span of 9 seasons. In 662 career games, he hit .216 with 343 hits, 64 home runs, and 203 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 195 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1995-09-03
- Last Game
- 2003-05-28
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 662 | 1,586 | 237 | 343 | 67 | 11 | 64 | 203 | 50 | 185 | 510 | .216 | .307 | .393 | .701 | -2,332 |
Career AVG .216 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — 18.9% below league average.
Career OBP .307 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 8.9% below league average.
Career SLG .393 vs. league average .425 across their career seasons — 7.3% below league average.
Career OPS .701 vs. league average .762 across their career seasons — 8.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | NYA | AL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1996 | NYA | AL | 46 | 88 | 17 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 13 | 26 | .284 | .269 (+5%) | .340 (+12%) | .426 (+4%) | .767 (+7%) | 137.2 |
| 1997 | SDN | NL | 17 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1998 | SDN | NL | 95 | 172 | 31 | 36 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 29 | 5 | 28 | 52 | .209 | .266 (-21%) | .335 (-3%) | .420 (-10%) | .755 (-7%) | -168.8 |
| 1999 | SDN | NL | 147 | 411 | 65 | 80 | 16 | 1 | 23 | 48 | 18 | 55 | 143 | .195 | .271 (-28%) | .344 (-14%) | .433 (-6%) | .778 (-10%) | -755.1 |
| 2000 | SDN | NL | 135 | 423 | 62 | 88 | 18 | 6 | 17 | 57 | 8 | 44 | 137 | .208 | .270 (-23%) | .344 (-14%) | .437 (-9%) | .782 (-11%) | -856.1 |
| 2001 | CIN | NL | 117 | 263 | 37 | 67 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 34 | 6 | 21 | 83 | .255 | .263 (-3%) | .332 (-3%) | .426 (avg) | .758 (-2%) | -69.7 |
| 2002 | TEX | AL | 69 | 158 | 17 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 17 | 45 | .209 | .261 (-20%) | .331 (-9%) | .416 (-26%) | .747 (-18%) | -439.8 |
| 2003 | SFN | NL | 31 | 50 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 14 | .180 | .264 (-32%) | .332 (-23%) | .422 (-19%) | .754 (-21%) | -180.2 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 662 | 1,586 | 237 | 343 | 67 | 11 | 64 | 203 | 50 | 185 | 510 | .216 | — | — | — | — | -2,332 | ||
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 (662 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 316 | 718 | 103 | 152 | 28 | 80 | .212 |
| Away | 346 | 868 | 134 | 191 | 36 | 123 | .220 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-28 | SFG | AZ | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-05-27 | SFG | AZ | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-05-26 | SFG | COL | L | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2003-05-25 | SFG | COL | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-05-24 | SFG | COL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003-05-23 | SFG | COL | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-05-21 | SFG | AZ | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003-05-19 | SFG | AZ | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003-05-18 | SFG | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-05-17 | SFG | NYN | L | 2 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | NYA | OF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | NYA | OF | 45 | 21 | 77 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | SDN | OF | 7 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | SDN | OF | 91 | 43 | 104 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1999 | SDN | OF | 143 | 110 | 312 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000 | SDN | OF | 132 | 112 | 303 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| 2001 | CIN | OF | 99 | 56 | 171 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 2002 | TEX | OF | 67 | 56 | 167 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2003 | SFN | OF | 27 | 8 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 52 |
| Center Field | 455 |
| Right Field | 123 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Salary History
Ruben Rivera's recorded salaries total $2,915,300 over 7 seasons, 1996 to 2003. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Rivera's career ran from 1995 to 2003. No salary is recorded for 1995 and 2002.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | SFN | NL | $500,000 |
| 2001 | CIN | NL | $1,000,000 |
| 2000 | SDN | NL | $700,000 |
| 1999 | SDN | NL | $265,000 |
| 1998 | SDN | NL | $182,500 |
| 1997 | NYA | AL | $158,800 |
| 1996 | NYA | AL | $109,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $2,915,300 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ruben Rivera (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ruben Rivera: the record in brief
Ruben Rivera's major league career runs from a debut on September 3, 1995 to a final game on May 28, 2003. The team column moves through the New York Yankees (1995 through 1996), the San Diego Padres (1997 through 2000), the Cincinnati Reds (2001), the Texas Rangers (2002), and the San Francisco Giants (2003). Rivera, an outfielder by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 6'0" and 195 pounds. The birth record reads November 14, 1973, in Chorrera, Panamá Oeste, Panama.
Rivera's career batting table shows 662 games, 1,586 at bats and 343 hits, a .216 average; the totals also include 64 home runs, 203 RBI, and 50 stolen bases. Rivera's career OPS of .701 combines a .307 on-base mark with .393 slugging. The league as a whole hit .267 across Rivera's seasons, which puts the .216 career mark 18.9% below average. The OPS comparison is .701 to a league .762, 8.0% below average. The single-season home run high is 23, set in 1999. The hits column peaks at 88, in 2000. 2000 brought the most runs batted in, 57.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ruben Rivera
- What years did Ruben Rivera play?
- Ruben Rivera played in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2003.
- Was Ruben Rivera a pitcher?
- No. Ruben Rivera was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Ruben Rivera hit?
- Ruben Rivera hit 64 career home runs with 343 hits.
- What teams did Ruben Rivera play for?
- Ruben Rivera played for 5 teams: the New York Yankees (1995–1996), the San Diego Padres (1997–2000), the Cincinnati Reds (2001), the Texas Rangers (2002), and the San Francisco Giants (2003).
- What were Ruben Rivera's career stats?
- In 662 games, Ruben Rivera had 343 hits, 64 home runs, 203 RBI, 237 runs, and 50 stolen bases, with a .216 batting average.
- How much did Ruben Rivera earn in his career?
- Ruben Rivera's recorded salaries total $2,915,300 over 7 seasons, 1996 to 2003. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Rivera's career ran from 1995 to 2003. No salary is recorded for 1995 and 2002.
- What was Ruben Rivera's salary?
- Ruben Rivera's last recorded salary was $500,000, in 2003. His highest recorded salary was $1,000,000, in 2001, and his lowest was $109,000, in 1996. The Salary History table lists each season from 1996 to 2003.
- What position did Ruben Rivera play?
- Ruben Rivera played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ruben Rivera and how much did he weigh?
- Ruben Rivera was listed at 6 feet and 195 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ruben Rivera hit each season?
- Ruben Rivera's home runs by season: 0 in 1995, 2 in 1996, 0 in 1997, 6 in 1998, 23 in 1999, 17 in 2000, 10 in 2001, 4 in 2002, and 2 in 2003. His most in one season was 23, in 1999.
- What was Ruben Rivera's career batting average?
- Ruben Rivera batted .216 over his career, with 343 hits in 1,586 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ruben Rivera have?
- Ruben Rivera drove in 203 runs in his career.
- Is Ruben Rivera in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ruben Rivera has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.