Otto Velez
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1973-1983)
Otto Velez was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1983 for the New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 11 seasons. In 637 career games, he hit .251 with 452 hits, 78 home runs, and 272 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 5,866.
- 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" / 170 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1973-09-04
- Last Game
- 1983-08-07
Full name: Otoniel Velez
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 637 | 1,802 | 244 | 452 | 87 | 11 | 78 | 272 | 6 | 336 | 414 | .251 | .369 | .441 | .810 | 5,866 |
Career AVG .251 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .369 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +13.5% above league average.
Career SLG .441 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — +15.5% above league average.
Career OPS .810 vs. league average .707 across their career seasons — +14.6% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | NYA | AL | 23 | 77 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 24 | .195 | .256 (-24%) | .325 (avg) | .378 (-14%) | .703 (-8%) | -56.9 |
| 1974 | NYA | AL | 27 | 67 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 24 | .209 | .256 (-19%) | .324 (+6%) | .369 (-7%) | .693 (-1%) | 21.0 |
| 1975 | NYA | AL | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | NYA | AL | 49 | 94 | 11 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 26 | .266 | .255 (+4%) | .320 (+28%) | .360 (+9%) | .681 (+18%) | 395.4 |
| 1977 | TOR | AL | 120 | 360 | 50 | 92 | 19 | 3 | 16 | 62 | 4 | 65 | 87 | .256 | .264 (-3%) | .329 (+11%) | .401 (+14%) | .730 (+13%) | 1016.9 |
| 1978 | TOR | AL | 91 | 248 | 29 | 66 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 38 | 1 | 45 | 41 | .266 | .257 (+3%) | .323 (+18%) | .378 (+18%) | .702 (+18%) | 941.0 |
| 1979 | TOR | AL | 99 | 274 | 45 | 79 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 48 | 0 | 46 | 45 | .288 | .265 (+9%) | .329 (+20%) | .397 (+33%) | .727 (+27%) | 1547.7 |
| 1980 | TOR | AL | 104 | 357 | 54 | 96 | 12 | 3 | 20 | 62 | 0 | 54 | 86 | .269 | .264 (+2%) | .326 (+12%) | .387 (+26%) | .714 (+19%) | 1372.7 |
| 1981 | TOR | AL | 80 | 240 | 32 | 51 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 28 | 0 | 55 | 60 | .212 | .255 (-17%) | .320 (+14%) | .368 (+10%) | .688 (+11%) | 677.0 |
| 1982 | TOR | AL | 28 | 52 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 15 | .192 | .261 (-26%) | .324 (+9%) | .388 (-31%) | .712 (-13%) | -48.8 |
| 1983 | CLE | AL | 10 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .080 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 637 | 1,802 | 244 | 452 | 87 | 11 | 78 | 272 | 6 | 336 | 414 | .251 | — | — | — | — | 5,866 | ||
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 (637 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 318 | 854 | 131 | 216 | 39 | 145 | .253 |
| Away | 319 | 948 | 113 | 236 | 39 | 126 | .249 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-08-07 | CLE | TEX | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983-08-06 | CLE | TEX | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1983-08-04 | CLE | BAL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-03 | CLE | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983-08-02 | CLE | BAL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-07-24 | CLE | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-07-24 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-07-19 | CLE | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983-07-15 | CLE | KCR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1983-07-14 | CLE | KCR | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 41 | 32 | 275 | 13 | 4 | 17 |
| 3B | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 276 | 239 | 512 | 21 | 15 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | NYA | OF | 23 | 23 | 45 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1974 | NYA | 1B | 21 | 18 | 136 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 1974 | NYA | 3B | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | NYA | OF | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 | NYA | 1B | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1976 | NYA | 1B | 8 | 4 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1976 | NYA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | NYA | OF | 24 | 20 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1977 | TOR | OF | 79 | 72 | 140 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 1978 | TOR | 1B | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | TOR | OF | 74 | 58 | 150 | 10 | 3 | 4 |
| 1979 | TOR | 1B | 6 | 4 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1979 | TOR | OF | 73 | 64 | 130 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 1980 | TOR | 1B | 3 | 3 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1981 | TOR | 1B | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 41 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Left Field | 88 |
| Right Field | 198 |
| Designated Hitter | 255 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Player of the Week | Week of 1979-07-27 |
| 1977 | Player of the Month | April |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Otto Velez (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Otto Velez: the record in brief
The profile opens with Otto Velez's first major league game on September 4, 1973; the last one listed came on August 7, 1983. The team column moves through the New York Yankees (1973 to 1976), the Toronto Blue Jays (1977 through 1982), and the Cleveland Indians (1983). Born on November 29, 1950, in Ponce, P.R., Velez is listed as an outfielder and both batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 6 feet, 0 inches and 170 pounds. The bio lists the given name Otoniel.
The batting record for Velez: 637 games, 452 hits in 1,802 at bats, and a .251 average; the totals also include 78 homers and 272 runs batted in. Velez got on base at a .369 rate and slugged .441 (.810 OPS). Against a .260 league average for those years, Velez's .251 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .810 to a league .707, 14.6% above average. 1980 was Velez's biggest home run year, with 20. No season topped the 96 hits of 1980.
Frequently Asked Questions about Otto Velez
- What years did Otto Velez play?
- Otto Velez played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1983.
- Was Otto Velez a pitcher?
- No. Otto Velez was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Otto Velez hit?
- Otto Velez hit 78 career home runs with 452 hits.
- What was Otto Velez's career batting average?
- Otto Velez batted .251 over his career, with 452 hits in 1,802 at bats.
- How many RBI did Otto Velez have?
- Otto Velez drove in 272 runs in his career.
- Is Otto Velez in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Otto Velez has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.