Hector Villanueva
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1990-1993)
Hector Villanueva was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 1993 for the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 4 seasons. In 191 career games, he hit .230 with 109 hits, 25 home runs, and 72 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 271.
- 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" / 220 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1990-06-01
- Last Game
- 1993-06-13
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 191 | 473 | 53 | 109 | 21 | 2 | 25 | 72 | 1 | 40 | 98 | .230 | .293 | .442 | .734 | 271 |
Career AVG .230 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 10.9% below league average.
Career OBP .293 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 10.2% below league average.
Career SLG .442 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — +13.9% above league average.
Career OPS .734 vs. league average .714 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | CHN | NL | 52 | 114 | 14 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 27 | .272 | .257 (+5%) | .324 (-5%) | .385 (+32%) | .710 (+15%) | 251.3 |
| 1991 | CHN | NL | 71 | 192 | 23 | 53 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 32 | 0 | 21 | 30 | .276 | .255 (+8%) | .323 (+7%) | .384 (+41%) | .708 (+25%) | 818.1 |
| 1992 | CHN | NL | 51 | 112 | 9 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 24 | .152 | .255 (-41%) | .322 (-29%) | .377 (-31%) | .699 (-30%) | -537.2 |
| 1993 | SLN | NL | 17 | 55 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 17 | .145 | .265 (-45%) | .332 (-39%) | .403 (-19%) | .735 (-28%) | -261.6 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 191 | 473 | 53 | 109 | 21 | 2 | 25 | 72 | 1 | 40 | 98 | .230 | — | — | — | — | 271 | ||
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 (191 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 99 | 242 | 31 | 62 | 17 | 46 | .256 |
| Away | 92 | 231 | 22 | 47 | 8 | 26 | .203 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-06-13 | STL | WSN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-06-08 | STL | SFG | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-06-03 | STL | CIN | W | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-05-30 | STL | SDP | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993-05-24 | STL | WSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-05-19 | STL | CHC | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-05-18 | STL | CHC | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-05-12 | STL | NYN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993-05-09 | STL | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993-05-08 | STL | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 123 |
| First Base | 26 |
Salary History
Hector Villanueva's recorded salaries total $545,000 over 3 seasons, 1991 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Villanueva's career ran from 1990 to 1993. No salary is recorded for 1990.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | SLN | NL | $225,000 |
| 1992 | CHN | NL | $200,000 |
| 1991 | CHN | NL | $120,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $545,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham | AL | 1982, 1983, 1984 |
Hector Villanueva: the record in brief
June 1, 1990 and June 13, 1993 bracket Hector Villanueva's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago Cubs (1990 through 1992) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1993). The bio lists Villanueva as a catcher who both batted and threw right-handed. Villanueva is listed at 6'1" and 220 pounds. The birth record reads October 2, 1964, in Rio Piedras, P.R.
The batting record for Villanueva: 191 games, 109 hits in 473 at bats, and a .230 average; the totals also include 25 homers and 72 runs batted in. Villanueva's career OPS of .734 combines a .293 on-base mark with .442 slugging. Over the seasons Villanueva played, league hitters batted .259; the .230 career figure is 10.9% below that. The single-season home run high is 13, set in 1991. The hits column peaks at 53, in 1991. Among the seasons with the heaviest workload, the best average was .276 in 1991, 8% above that year's league mark of .255.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hector Villanueva
- What years did Hector Villanueva play?
- Hector Villanueva played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 1993.
- Was Hector Villanueva a pitcher?
- No. Hector Villanueva was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Hector Villanueva hit?
- Hector Villanueva hit 25 career home runs with 109 hits.
- What teams did Hector Villanueva play for?
- Hector Villanueva played for 2 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1990–1992) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1993).
- What were Hector Villanueva's career stats?
- In 191 games, Hector Villanueva had 109 hits, 25 home runs, 72 RBI, 53 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .230 batting average.
- How much did Hector Villanueva earn in his career?
- Hector Villanueva's recorded salaries total $545,000 over 3 seasons, 1991 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Villanueva's career ran from 1990 to 1993. No salary is recorded for 1990.
- What was Hector Villanueva's salary?
- Hector Villanueva's last recorded salary was $225,000, in 1993. His highest recorded salary was $225,000, in 1993, and his lowest was $120,000, in 1991. The Salary History table lists each season from 1991 to 1993.
- What position did Hector Villanueva play?
- Hector Villanueva played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Hector Villanueva and how much did he weigh?
- Hector Villanueva was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 220 pounds.
- How many home runs did Hector Villanueva hit each season?
- Hector Villanueva's home runs by season: 7 in 1990, 13 in 1991, 2 in 1992, and 3 in 1993. His most in one season was 13, in 1991.
- What was Hector Villanueva's career batting average?
- Hector Villanueva batted .230 over his career, with 109 hits in 473 at bats.
- How many RBI did Hector Villanueva have?
- Hector Villanueva drove in 72 runs in his career.
- Is Hector Villanueva in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Hector Villanueva has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.