Matt Stark
Designated Hitter · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1987-1990)
Matt Stark was a designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1990 for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago White Sox, a span of 4 seasons. In 13 career games, he hit .179 with 5 hits and 3 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
- Designated Hitter
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 225 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1987-04-08
- Last Game
- 1990-09-29
Full name: Matthew Scott Stark
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .179 | .207 | .214 | .421 | 0 |
Career AVG .179 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 31.4% below league average.
Career OBP .207 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 36.9% below league average.
Career SLG .214 vs. league average .400 across their career seasons — 46.5% below league average.
Career OPS .421 vs. league average .728 across their career seasons — 42.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | TOR | AL | 5 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .083 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | CHA | AL | 8 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 13 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (13 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 8 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | .200 |
| Away | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .125 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-09-29 | CHW | SEA | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990-09-28 | CHW | SEA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1990-09-22 | CHW | SEA | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-09-19 | CHW | OAK | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990-09-14 | CHW | BOS | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990-09-13 | CHW | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990-09-12 | CHW | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990-09-02 | CHW | LAA | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-04-15 | TOR | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-04-14 | TOR | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 5 |
| Designated Hitter | 6 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | TOR | AL | $66,500 |
| Total Career Earnings | $66,500 | ||
Matt Stark: the record in brief
The profile opens with Matt Stark's first major league game on April 8, 1987; the last one listed came on September 29, 1990. Stark played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1987) and the Chicago White Sox (1990). Stark played primarily as a designated hitter and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on January 21, 1965, in Whittier, CA, USA, Stark was listed at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. Stark's full given name, per the bio, is Matthew Scott Stark.
Stark finished with 5 hits from 28 at bats in 13 games, which works out to .179, along with 3 RBI. Stark's .179 average ran 31.4% below the .260 that the league posted over the same seasons. In OPS terms, Stark's .421 stands 42.2% below the league's .728. The hits column peaks at 4, in 1990. The best average in the busiest seasons was .250, in 1990.
The one salary on file is $66,500, for 1988. Stark's game-by-game log, linked below the splits, holds 13 games from Retrosheet.
Stark played 6 games at designated hitter, more than anywhere else, and also saw time at catcher (5).
Frequently Asked Questions about Matt Stark
- What years did Matt Stark play?
- Matt Stark played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1990.
- Was Matt Stark a pitcher?
- No. Matt Stark was a position player (Designated Hitter).
- How many home runs did Matt Stark hit?
- Matt Stark hit 0 career home runs with 5 hits.
- What was Matt Stark's career batting average?
- Matt Stark batted .179 over his career, with 5 hits in 28 at bats.
- How many RBI did Matt Stark have?
- Matt Stark drove in 3 runs in his career.
- Is Matt Stark in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Matt Stark has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.