Benito Santiago
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1986-2005)
Benito Santiago was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 2005 for 9 teams, including the San Diego Padres, a span of 20 seasons. In 1,978 career games, he hit .263 with 1,830 hits, 217 home runs, and 920 RBI. Benito Santiago was a 5-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, an NLCS MVP, a 3-time Gold Glove, and a 4-time Silver Slugger.
- 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" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1986-09-14
- Last Game
- 2005-04-11
- Awards
- 5× All-Star · Rookie of the Year · NLCS MVP · 3× Gold Glove · 4× Silver Slugger
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,978 | 6,951 | 755 | 1,830 | 323 | 41 | 217 | 920 | 91 | 430 | 1,270 | .263 | .307 | .415 | .722 | -3,613 |
Career AVG .263 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .307 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.
Career SLG .415 vs. league average .411 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .722 vs. league average .743 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | SDN | NL | 17 | 62 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 12 | .290 | .257 (+13%) | .325 (-6%) | .395 (+18%) | .720 (+8%) | 51.3 |
| 1987 | SDN | NL | 146 | 546 | 64 | 164 | 33 | 2 | 18 | 79 | 21 | 16 | 112 | .300 | .262 (+14%) | .331 (-2%) | .415 (+12%) | .746 (+6%) | 489.7 |
| 1988 | SDN | NL | 139 | 492 | 49 | 122 | 22 | 2 | 10 | 46 | 15 | 24 | 82 | .248 | .254 (-2%) | .317 (-11%) | .377 (-4%) | .695 (-8%) | -679.7 |
| 1989 | SDN | NL | 129 | 462 | 50 | 109 | 16 | 3 | 16 | 62 | 11 | 26 | 89 | .236 | .254 (-7%) | .319 (-13%) | .375 (+3%) | .694 (-4%) | -424.3 |
| 1990 | SDN | NL | 100 | 344 | 42 | 93 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 53 | 5 | 27 | 55 | .270 | .257 (+5%) | .324 (-1%) | .385 (+9%) | .710 (+4%) | 196.5 |
| 1991 | SDN | NL | 152 | 580 | 60 | 155 | 22 | 3 | 17 | 87 | 8 | 23 | 114 | .267 | .255 (+5%) | .323 (-8%) | .384 (+5%) | .708 (-1%) | -271.6 |
| 1992 | SDN | NL | 106 | 386 | 37 | 97 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 42 | 2 | 21 | 52 | .251 | .255 (-2%) | .322 (-11%) | .377 (+2%) | .699 (-4%) | -353.9 |
| 1993 | FLO | NL | 139 | 469 | 49 | 108 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 50 | 10 | 37 | 88 | .230 | .265 (-13%) | .332 (-12%) | .403 (-6%) | .735 (-9%) | -754.5 |
| 1994 | FLO | NL | 101 | 337 | 35 | 92 | 14 | 2 | 11 | 41 | 1 | 25 | 57 | .273 | .269 (+1%) | .338 (-5%) | .424 (avg) | .763 (-2%) | -175.5 |
| 1995 | CIN | NL | 81 | 266 | 40 | 76 | 20 | 0 | 11 | 44 | 2 | 24 | 48 | .286 | .266 (+7%) | .337 (+4%) | .417 (+16%) | .755 (+11%) | 521.3 |
| 1996 | PHI | NL | 136 | 481 | 71 | 127 | 21 | 2 | 30 | 85 | 2 | 49 | 104 | .264 | .269 (-2%) | .340 (-2%) | .426 (+18%) | .767 (+9%) | 809.4 |
| 1997 | TOR | AL | 97 | 341 | 31 | 83 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 42 | 1 | 17 | 80 | .243 | .266 (-9%) | .336 (-17%) | .419 (-8%) | .756 (-12%) | -751.8 |
| 1998 | TOR | AL | 15 | 29 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .310 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1999 | CHN | NL | 109 | 350 | 28 | 87 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 36 | 1 | 32 | 71 | .249 | .271 (-8%) | .344 (-9%) | .433 (-13%) | .778 (-11%) | -695.4 |
| 2000 | CIN | NL | 89 | 252 | 22 | 66 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 45 | 2 | 19 | 45 | .262 | .270 (-3%) | .344 (-10%) | .437 (-7%) | .782 (-8%) | -407.9 |
| 2001 | SFN | NL | 133 | 477 | 39 | 125 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 45 | 5 | 23 | 78 | .262 | .263 (-1%) | .332 (-11%) | .426 (-14%) | .758 (-12%) | -1079.7 |
| 2002 | SFN | NL | 126 | 478 | 56 | 133 | 24 | 5 | 16 | 74 | 4 | 27 | 73 | .278 | .261 (+6%) | .331 (-5%) | .416 (+8%) | .747 (+2%) | 35.8 |
| 2003 | SFN | NL | 108 | 401 | 53 | 112 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 56 | 0 | 29 | 69 | .279 | .264 (+6%) | .332 (-1%) | .422 (avg) | .754 (avg) | -32.1 |
| 2004 | KCA | AL | 49 | 175 | 15 | 48 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 1 | 8 | 32 | .274 | .266 (+3%) | .335 (-7%) | .427 (+2%) | .762 (-2%) | -90.3 |
| 2005 | PIT | NL | 6 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .261 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 20 seasons | 1,978 | 6,951 | 755 | 1,830 | 323 | 41 | 217 | 920 | 91 | 430 | 1,270 | .263 | — | — | — | — | -3,613 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 100 | 7 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 12 | 21 | .250 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | NLDS1 | SFN | 4 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .182 |
| 2002 | NLCS | SFN | 5 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .300 |
| 2002 | NLDS1 | SFN | 5 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | .238 |
| 2002 | WS | SFN | 7 | 26 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | .231 |
| 1995 | NLCS | CIN | 4 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .231 |
| 1995 | NLDS2 | CIN | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | .333 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1978 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1013 | 3486 | 378 | 929 | 98 | 467 | .266 |
| Away | 965 | 3465 | 377 | 901 | 119 | 453 | .260 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-04-11 | PIT | MIL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-04-09 | PIT | SDP | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005-04-08 | PIT | SDP | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005-04-07 | PIT | SDP | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005-04-06 | PIT | MIL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005-04-04 | PIT | MIL | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004-06-18 | KCR | PHI | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-06-16 | KCR | ATL | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-06-15 | KCR | ATL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004-06-13 | KCR | NYN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 25 | 14 | 139 | 8 | 1 | 11 |
| C | 1917 | 1796 | 10816 | 960 | 151 | 130 |
| OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | SDN | C | 17 | 15 | 80 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 1987 | SDN | C | 146 | 140 | 817 | 80 | 22 | 12 |
| 1988 | SDN | C | 136 | 128 | 725 | 75 | 12 | 11 |
| 1989 | SDN | C | 127 | 122 | 685 | 81 | 20 | 10 |
| 1990 | SDN | C | 98 | 89 | 538 | 51 | 12 | 6 |
| 1991 | SDN | C | 151 | 148 | 830 | 100 | 14 | 14 |
| 1991 | SDN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | SDN | C | 103 | 98 | 584 | 53 | 12 | 6 |
| 1993 | FLO | C | 136 | 125 | 740 | 64 | 11 | 4 |
| 1993 | FLO | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | FLO | C | 97 | 88 | 511 | 66 | 5 | 6 |
| 1995 | CIN | 1B | 8 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1995 | CIN | C | 75 | 71 | 461 | 33 | 2 | 4 |
| 1996 | PHI | 1B | 14 | 12 | 111 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| 1996 | PHI | C | 114 | 112 | 723 | 61 | 10 | 5 |
| 1997 | TOR | C | 95 | 93 | 621 | 40 | 2 | 10 |
| 1998 | TOR | C | 15 | 6 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | CHN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | CHN | C | 107 | 95 | 560 | 43 | 6 | 8 |
| 2000 | CIN | C | 84 | 66 | 428 | 36 | 3 | 4 |
| 2001 | SFN | 1B | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | SFN | C | 130 | 119 | 830 | 62 | 5 | 12 |
| 2002 | SFN | C | 125 | 122 | 738 | 54 | 4 | 10 |
| 2003 | SFN | C | 106 | 106 | 629 | 34 | 5 | 3 |
| 2004 | KCA | C | 49 | 48 | 228 | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 2005 | PIT | C | 6 | 5 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1917 |
| First Base | 25 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | NLCS MVP | |
| 1991 | Silver Slugger | C |
| 1991 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1990 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1990 | Silver Slugger | C |
| 1989 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1989 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1988 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1988 | Silver Slugger | C |
| 1987 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1987 | Silver Slugger | C |
| 1987 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1987 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Salary History
Benito Santiago's recorded salaries total $33,295,168 over 19 seasons, 1987 to 2005. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Santiago's career ran from 1986 to 2005. No salary is recorded for 1986.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | PIT | NL | $2,150,000 |
| 2004 | KCA | AL | $2,150,000 |
| 2003 | SFN | NL | $1,775,000 |
| 2002 | SFN | NL | $2,044,168 |
| 2001 | SFN | NL | $500,000 |
| 2000 | CIN | NL | $650,000 |
| 1999 | CHN | NL | $1,700,000 |
| 1998 | TOR | AL | $4,000,000 |
| 1997 | TOR | AL | $2,500,000 |
| 1996 | PHI | NL | $1,700,000 |
| 1995 | CIN | NL | $650,000 |
| 1994 | FLO | NL | $3,800,000 |
| 1993 | FLO | NL | $3,400,000 |
| 1992 | SDN | NL | $3,300,000 |
| 1991 | SDN | NL | $1,650,000 |
| 1990 | SDN | NL | $750,000 |
| 1989 | SDN | NL | $345,000 |
| 1988 | SDN | NL | $167,500 |
| 1987 | SDN | NL | $63,500 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $33,295,168 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 20th | 2.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 1990 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1987 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 120.0 | 120 | 24 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Benito Santiago (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Benito Santiago: the record in brief
Benito Santiago played a first major league game on September 14, 1986 and a last one on April 11, 2005. Santiago played for the San Diego Padres (1986 through 1992), the Florida Marlins (1993 to 1994), the Cincinnati Reds (1995 through 2000), the Philadelphia Phillies (1996), the Toronto Blue Jays (1997 through 1998), the Chicago Cubs (1999), the San Francisco Giants (2001 through 2003), and the Kansas City Royals (2004), with further stops in the season rows. Santiago played primarily as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. Born on March 9, 1965, in Ponce, P.R., Santiago was listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds.
The batting record for Santiago: 1,978 games, 1,830 hits in 6,951 at bats, and a .263 average, plus 217 home runs, 920 runs batted in, and 91 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .307 and .415 give Santiago a career OPS of .722. Against a .263 league average for those years, Santiago's .263 average was near the norm.
Frequently Asked Questions about Benito Santiago
- What years did Benito Santiago play?
- Benito Santiago played in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 2005.
- Was Benito Santiago a pitcher?
- No. Benito Santiago was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Benito Santiago hit?
- Benito Santiago hit 217 career home runs with 1,830 hits.
- What teams did Benito Santiago play for?
- Benito Santiago played for 9 teams: the San Diego Padres (1986–1992), the Florida Marlins (1993–1994), the Cincinnati Reds (1995, 2000), the Philadelphia Phillies (1996), the Toronto Blue Jays (1997–1998), the Chicago Cubs (1999), the San Francisco Giants (2001–2003), the Kansas City Royals (2004), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2005).
- Did Benito Santiago win an MVP award?
- No. Benito Santiago did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Benito Santiago win?
- Benito Santiago won the Rookie of the Year award (1987), 3 Gold Gloves (1988, 1989, and 1990), and 4 Silver Slugger awards (1987, 1988, 1990, and 1991). He was selected to 5 All-Star Games.
- What were Benito Santiago's career stats?
- In 1,978 games, Benito Santiago had 1,830 hits, 217 home runs, 920 RBI, 755 runs, and 91 stolen bases, with a .263 batting average.
- How much did Benito Santiago earn in his career?
- Benito Santiago's recorded salaries total $33,295,168 over 19 seasons, 1987 to 2005. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Santiago's career ran from 1986 to 2005. No salary is recorded for 1986.
- What was Benito Santiago's salary?
- Benito Santiago's last recorded salary was $2,150,000, in 2005. His highest recorded salary was $4,000,000, in 1998, and his lowest was $63,500, in 1987. The Salary History table lists each season from 1987 to 2005.
- What position did Benito Santiago play?
- Benito Santiago played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Benito Santiago and how much did he weigh?
- Benito Santiago was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Benito Santiago hit each season?
- Benito Santiago's home runs by season: 3 in 1986, 18 in 1987, 10 in 1988, 16 in 1989, 11 in 1990, 17 in 1991, 10 in 1992, 13 in 1993, 11 in 1994, 11 in 1995, 30 in 1996, 13 in 1997, 0 in 1998, 7 in 1999, 8 in 2000, 6 in 2001, 16 in 2002, 11 in 2003, 6 in 2004, and 0 in 2005. His most in one season was 30, in 1996.
- What was Benito Santiago's career batting average?
- Benito Santiago batted .263 over his career, with 1,830 hits in 6,951 at bats.
- How many RBI did Benito Santiago have?
- Benito Santiago drove in 920 runs in his career.