Steve Yeager
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1972-1986)
Steve Yeager was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1986 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Seattle Mariners, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,269 career games, he hit .228 with 816 hits, 102 home runs, and 410 RBI. Steve Yeager was a World Series MVP.
- 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
- 6'0" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1972-08-02
- Last Game
- 1986-08-29
- Awards
- World Series MVP
Full name: Stephen Wayne Yeager
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,269 | 3,584 | 357 | 816 | 118 | 16 | 102 | 410 | 14 | 342 | 726 | .228 | .298 | .355 | .653 | -4,153 |
Career AVG .228 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.
Career OBP .298 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 8.1% below league average.
Career SLG .355 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 7.1% below league average.
Career OPS .653 vs. league average .706 across their career seasons — 7.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | LAN | NL | 35 | 106 | 18 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 16 | 26 | .274 | .243 (+12%) | .310 (+20%) | .353 (+15%) | .664 (+17%) | 350.8 |
| 1973 | LAN | NL | 54 | 134 | 18 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 33 | .254 | .256 (-1%) | .325 (+5%) | .378 (-11%) | .703 (-4%) | -40.6 |
| 1974 | LAN | NL | 94 | 316 | 41 | 84 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 41 | 2 | 32 | 77 | .266 | .256 (+3%) | .324 (+3%) | .369 (+18%) | .693 (+11%) | 600.8 |
| 1975 | LAN | NL | 135 | 452 | 34 | 103 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 54 | 2 | 40 | 75 | .228 | .257 (-12%) | .327 (-9%) | .374 (-7%) | .701 (-8%) | -585.6 |
| 1976 | LAN | NL | 117 | 359 | 42 | 77 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 35 | 3 | 30 | 84 | .214 | .255 (-16%) | .320 (-11%) | .360 (-2%) | .681 (-6%) | -348.5 |
| 1977 | LAN | NL | 125 | 387 | 53 | 99 | 21 | 2 | 16 | 55 | 1 | 43 | 84 | .256 | .264 (-3%) | .329 (+1%) | .401 (+11%) | .730 (+7%) | 506.3 |
| 1978 | LAN | NL | 94 | 228 | 19 | 44 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 36 | 41 | .193 | .257 (-25%) | .323 (-7%) | .378 (-27%) | .702 (-18%) | -560.9 |
| 1979 | LAN | NL | 105 | 310 | 33 | 67 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 41 | 1 | 29 | 68 | .216 | .265 (-19%) | .329 (-15%) | .397 (-3%) | .727 (-9%) | -469.1 |
| 1980 | LAN | NL | 96 | 227 | 20 | 48 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 20 | 54 | .211 | .264 (-20%) | .326 (-16%) | .387 (-30%) | .714 (-23%) | -815.1 |
| 1981 | LAN | NL | 42 | 86 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 14 | .209 | .255 (-18%) | .320 (-18%) | .368 (-9%) | .688 (-13%) | -180.3 |
| 1982 | LAN | NL | 82 | 196 | 13 | 48 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 13 | 28 | .245 | .261 (-6%) | .324 (-9%) | .388 (-17%) | .712 (-14%) | -421.5 |
| 1983 | LAN | NL | 113 | 335 | 31 | 68 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 41 | 1 | 23 | 57 | .203 | .260 (-22%) | .324 (-21%) | .389 (-3%) | .714 (-11%) | -667.4 |
| 1984 | LAN | NL | 74 | 197 | 16 | 45 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 1 | 20 | 38 | .228 | .259 (-12%) | .322 (-8%) | .384 (-20%) | .707 (-14%) | -432.2 |
| 1985 | LAN | NL | 53 | 121 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 24 | .207 | .257 (-20%) | .323 (-24%) | .390 (-34%) | .714 (-30%) | -587.7 |
| 1986 | SEA | AL | 50 | 130 | 10 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 23 | .208 | .257 (-19%) | .325 (-16%) | .395 (-32%) | .720 (-25%) | -501.9 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 1,269 | 3,584 | 357 | 816 | 118 | 16 | 102 | 410 | 14 | 342 | 726 | .228 | — | — | — | — | -4,153 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 107 | 12 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 10 | 19 | .252 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | NLCS | LAN | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 |
| 1983 | NLCS | LAN | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
| 1981 | NLCS | LAN | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| 1981 | NWDIV | LAN | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .400 |
| 1981 | WS | LAN | 6 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .286 |
| 1978 | NLCS | LAN | 4 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .231 |
| 1978 | WS | LAN | 5 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .231 |
| 1977 | NLCS | LAN | 4 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | .231 |
| 1977 | WS | LAN | 6 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | .316 |
| 1974 | NLCS | LAN | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .000 |
| 1974 | WS | LAN | 4 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | .364 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1269 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 624 | 1695 | 170 | 402 | 49 | 199 | .237 |
| Away | 645 | 1889 | 187 | 414 | 53 | 211 | .219 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-08-29 | SEA | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-23 | SEA | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-08-09 | SEA | LAA | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-08-03 | SEA | LAA | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-07-29 | SEA | MIN | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-07-22 | SEA | TOR | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-07-08 | SEA | TOR | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1986-07-05 | SEA | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-06-17 | SEA | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1986-06-15 | SEA | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1230 | 1051 | 6110 | 674 | 88 | 75 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | LAN | C | 35 | 34 | 220 | 19 | 4 | 2 |
| 1973 | LAN | C | 50 | 40 | 230 | 24 | 5 | 2 |
| 1974 | LAN | C | 93 | 92 | 552 | 58 | 5 | 4 |
| 1975 | LAN | C | 135 | 130 | 806 | 62 | 7 | 4 |
| 1976 | LAN | C | 115 | 108 | 522 | 77 | 9 | 9 |
| 1977 | LAN | C | 123 | 119 | 690 | 89 | 18 | 12 |
| 1978 | LAN | C | 91 | 72 | 373 | 55 | 5 | 3 |
| 1979 | LAN | C | 103 | 88 | 513 | 56 | 9 | 7 |
| 1980 | LAN | C | 95 | 66 | 382 | 36 | 7 | 5 |
| 1981 | LAN | C | 40 | 23 | 142 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 1982 | LAN | C | 76 | 55 | 338 | 42 | 4 | 8 |
| 1983 | LAN | C | 112 | 96 | 579 | 63 | 10 | 10 |
| 1984 | LAN | C | 65 | 53 | 317 | 30 | 2 | 1 |
| 1985 | LAN | C | 48 | 31 | 212 | 28 | 2 | 2 |
| 1986 | SEA | C | 49 | 44 | 234 | 22 | 0 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1230 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | World Series MVP |
Salary History
Steve Yeager's recorded salaries total $912,809 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Yeager's career ran from 1972 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | SEA | AL | $412,809 |
| 1985 | LAN | NL | $500,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $912,809 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Steve Yeager (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Steve Yeager: the record in brief
Steve Yeager's major league career runs from a debut on August 2, 1972 to a final game on August 29, 1986. Club by club, the record runs the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972 to 1985) and the Seattle Mariners (1986). Yeager is listed as a catcher at 6'0" and 190 pounds. Yeager batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Yeager was born on November 24, 1948, in Huntington, WV, USA. The given name on file is Stephen Wayne Yeager.
The batting record for Yeager: 1,269 games, 816 hits in 3,584 at bats, and a .228 average, plus 102 home runs and 410 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .298 and the slugging percentage .355, for an OPS of .653. Over the seasons Yeager played, league hitters batted .259; the .228 career figure is 12.0% below that. Yeager's most home runs in a season came in 1977, when the total reached 16 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The hits column peaks at 103, in 1975. In 1974, a season of regular play, Yeager hit .266 while the league hit .256.
Frequently Asked Questions about Steve Yeager
- What years did Steve Yeager play?
- Steve Yeager played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1986.
- Was Steve Yeager a pitcher?
- No. Steve Yeager was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Steve Yeager hit?
- Steve Yeager hit 102 career home runs with 816 hits.
- What teams did Steve Yeager play for?
- Steve Yeager played for 2 teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972–1985) and the Seattle Mariners (1986).
- What awards did Steve Yeager win?
- Steve Yeager won the World Series MVP award (1981).
- What were Steve Yeager's career stats?
- In 1,269 games, Steve Yeager had 816 hits, 102 home runs, 410 RBI, 357 runs, and 14 stolen bases, with a .228 batting average.
- How much did Steve Yeager earn in his career?
- Steve Yeager's recorded salaries total $912,809 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Yeager's career ran from 1972 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Steve Yeager's salary?
- Steve Yeager's last recorded salary was $412,809, in 1986. His highest recorded salary was $500,000, in 1985, and his lowest was $412,809, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1986.
- What position did Steve Yeager play?
- Steve Yeager played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Steve Yeager and how much did he weigh?
- Steve Yeager was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Steve Yeager hit each season?
- Steve Yeager's home runs by season: 4 in 1972, 2 in 1973, 12 in 1974, 12 in 1975, 11 in 1976, 16 in 1977, 4 in 1978, 13 in 1979, 2 in 1980, 3 in 1981, 2 in 1982, 15 in 1983, 4 in 1984, 0 in 1985, and 2 in 1986. His most in one season was 16, in 1977.
- What was Steve Yeager's career batting average?
- Steve Yeager batted .228 over his career, with 816 hits in 3,584 at bats.
- How many RBI did Steve Yeager have?
- Steve Yeager drove in 410 runs in his career.
- Is Steve Yeager in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Steve Yeager has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.