Billy Sample
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1986)
Billy Sample was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1986 for the Texas Rangers, the New York Yankees, and the Atlanta Braves, a span of 9 seasons. In 826 career games, he hit .272 with 684 hits, 46 home runs, and 230 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 162.
- 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
- 5'9" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1978-09-02
- Last Game
- 1986-10-05
Full name: William Amos Sample
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 826 | 2,516 | 371 | 684 | 127 | 9 | 46 | 230 | 98 | 195 | 230 | .272 | .329 | .384 | .713 | 162 |
Career AVG .272 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .329 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .384 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .713 vs. league average .712 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 8 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .467 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | TEX | AL | 128 | 325 | 60 | 95 | 21 | 2 | 5 | 35 | 8 | 37 | 28 | .292 | .265 (+10%) | .329 (+11%) | .397 (+5%) | .727 (+7%) | 535.8 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 99 | 204 | 29 | 53 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 8 | 18 | 15 | .260 | .264 (-2%) | .326 (+3%) | .387 (-5%) | .714 (-2%) | -10.4 |
| 1981 | TEX | AL | 66 | 230 | 36 | 65 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 4 | 17 | 21 | .283 | .255 (+11%) | .320 (+8%) | .368 (+6%) | .688 (+7%) | 301.6 |
| 1982 | TEX | AL | 97 | 360 | 56 | 94 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 29 | 10 | 27 | 35 | .261 | .261 (avg) | .324 (-2%) | .388 (+1%) | .712 (avg) | 4.0 |
| 1983 | TEX | AL | 147 | 554 | 80 | 152 | 28 | 3 | 12 | 57 | 44 | 44 | 46 | .274 | .260 (+5%) | .324 (+2%) | .389 (+3%) | .714 (+2%) | 268.4 |
| 1984 | TEX | AL | 130 | 489 | 67 | 121 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 18 | 29 | 46 | .247 | .259 (-5%) | .322 (-11%) | .384 (-15%) | .707 (-13%) | -1079.6 |
| 1985 | NYA | AL | 59 | 139 | 18 | 40 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 10 | .288 | .257 (+12%) | .323 (+4%) | .390 (-12%) | .714 (-5%) | -87.1 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 92 | 200 | 23 | 57 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 14 | 26 | .285 | .257 (+11%) | .325 (+4%) | .395 (+9%) | .720 (+7%) | 229.4 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 826 | 2,516 | 371 | 684 | 127 | 9 | 46 | 230 | 98 | 195 | 230 | .272 | — | — | — | — | 162 | ||
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 (826 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 443 | 1331 | 201 | 366 | 25 | 131 | .275 |
| Away | 383 | 1185 | 170 | 318 | 21 | 99 | .268 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-10-05 | ATL | HOU | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-10-01 | ATL | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-09-23 | ATL | SDP | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-18 | ATL | LAD | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-13 | ATL | SFG | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-12 | ATL | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-11 | ATL | SDP | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-09 | ATL | LAD | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1986-09-07 | ATL | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-09-03 | ATL | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 711 | 620 | 1378 | 32 | 18 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | TEX | OF | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | TEX | OF | 103 | 79 | 173 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980 | TEX | OF | 72 | 52 | 105 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1981 | TEX | OF | 64 | 63 | 132 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1982 | TEX | OF | 91 | 88 | 196 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 1983 | TEX | OF | 146 | 139 | 329 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 1984 | TEX | OF | 122 | 112 | 285 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 1985 | NYA | OF | 55 | 43 | 89 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | ATL | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | ATL | OF | 56 | 43 | 69 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 531 |
| Center Field | 103 |
| Right Field | 99 |
| Designated Hitter | 31 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | ATL | NL | $470,000 |
| 1985 | NYA | AL | $435,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $905,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | VA | 1974, 1975, 1976 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy Sample (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Billy Sample: the record in brief
The profile opens with Billy Sample's first major league game on September 2, 1978; the last one listed came on October 5, 1986. By club, Sample's seasons break down as the Texas Rangers (1978 through 1984), the New York Yankees (1985), and the Atlanta Braves (1986). Sample played primarily as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. Born on April 2, 1955, in Roanoke, VA, USA, Sample was listed at 5'9" and 175 pounds. The given name on file is William Amos Sample.
Sample finished with 684 hits from 2,516 at bats in 826 games, which works out to .272, adding 46 homers, 230 RBI, and 98 stolen bases. Sample's career OPS of .713 combines a .329 on-base mark with .384 slugging. Against a .260 league average for those years, Sample's .272 average was near the norm. Sample's most home runs in a season came in 1983, when the total reached 12 for the Texas Rangers. No season topped the 152 hits of 1983.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Sample
- What years did Billy Sample play?
- Billy Sample played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1986.
- Was Billy Sample a pitcher?
- No. Billy Sample was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Billy Sample hit?
- Billy Sample hit 46 career home runs with 684 hits.
- What was Billy Sample's career batting average?
- Billy Sample batted .272 over his career, with 684 hits in 2,516 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy Sample have?
- Billy Sample drove in 230 runs in his career.
- Is Billy Sample in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Sample has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.