Eric Yelding
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1989-1993)
Eric Yelding was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1993 for the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 5 seasons. In 368 career games, he hit .244 with 242 hits, 3 home runs, and 67 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1989-04-09
- Last Game
- 1993-10-03
Full name: Eric Girard Yelding
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 368 | 993 | 122 | 242 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 67 | 89 | 70 | 177 | .244 | .292 | .294 | .586 | -2,690 |
Career AVG .244 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.
Career OBP .292 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 10.0% below league average.
Career SLG .294 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 23.7% below league average.
Career OPS .586 vs. league average .710 across their career seasons — 17.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HOU | NL | 70 | 90 | 19 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 19 | .233 | .254 (-8%) | .319 (-9%) | .375 (-32%) | .694 (-21%) | -290.7 |
| 1990 | HOU | NL | 142 | 511 | 69 | 130 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 28 | 64 | 39 | 87 | .254 | .257 (-1%) | .324 (-6%) | .385 (-23%) | .710 (-15%) | -1194.8 |
| 1991 | HOU | NL | 78 | 276 | 19 | 67 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 46 | .243 | .255 (-5%) | .323 (-15%) | .384 (-22%) | .708 (-19%) | -820.7 |
| 1992 | HOU | NL | 9 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1993 | CHN | NL | 69 | 108 | 14 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 22 | .204 | .265 (-23%) | .332 (-17%) | .403 (-27%) | .735 (-22%) | -383.8 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 368 | 993 | 122 | 242 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 67 | 89 | 70 | 177 | .244 | — | — | — | — | -2,690 | ||
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 (368 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 183 | 477 | 59 | 112 | 1 | 27 | .235 |
| Away | 185 | 516 | 63 | 130 | 2 | 40 | .252 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-10-03 | CHC | SDP | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-10-01 | CHC | SDP | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-09-29 | CHC | LAD | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993-09-28 | CHC | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993-09-27 | CHC | LAD | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-09-26 | CHC | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-09-26 | CHC | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-09-24 | CHC | PIT | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993-09-22 | CHC | STL | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993-09-21 | CHC | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 55 | 33 | 89 | 126 | 6 | 22 |
| 3B | 10 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| OF | 109 | 84 | 240 | 6 | 10 | 2 |
| SS | 130 | 111 | 187 | 290 | 26 | 51 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HOU | 2B | 13 | 6 | 20 | 30 | 2 | 5 |
| 1989 | HOU | OF | 8 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1989 | HOU | SS | 15 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 1990 | HOU | 2B | 10 | 7 | 21 | 20 | 2 | 3 |
| 1990 | HOU | 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | HOU | OF | 94 | 80 | 230 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 1990 | HOU | SS | 40 | 38 | 64 | 97 | 7 | 16 |
| 1991 | HOU | OF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1991 | HOU | SS | 72 | 67 | 113 | 166 | 18 | 31 |
| 1992 | HOU | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | HOU | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | CHN | 2B | 32 | 20 | 48 | 76 | 2 | 14 |
| 1993 | CHN | 3B | 7 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993 | CHN | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 55 |
| Third Base | 10 |
| Shortstop | 130 |
| Left Field | 14 |
| Center Field | 92 |
| Right Field | 10 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | CHN | NL | $225,000 |
| 1991 | HOU | NL | $260,000 |
| 1989 | HOU | NL | $68,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $553,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipola College | Marianna | FL | 1984 |
Eric Yelding: the record in brief
According to the bio, Eric Yelding debuted on April 9, 1989 and played a final game on October 3, 1993. By club, Yelding's seasons break down as the Houston Astros (1989 through 1992) and the Chicago Cubs (1993). Born on February 22, 1965, in Montrose, AL, USA, Yelding is listed as a shortstop and batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5 feet, 11 inches and 170 pounds. On the record, Eric Yelding was born Eric Girard Yelding.
Yelding collected 242 hits in 993 at bats across 368 games, good for a .244 batting average, adding 3 home runs, 67 RBI, and 89 stolen bases. Yelding got on base at a .292 rate and slugged .294 (.586 OPS). Measured against the leagues Yelding played in, the .244 career average compares with a .258 league average over the same seasons, 5.5% below the league. Yelding collected a career-high 130 hits in 1990. On the bases, the high point was 64 steals in 1990. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .254 in 1990, did not top the league's .257.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eric Yelding
- What years did Eric Yelding play?
- Eric Yelding played in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1993.
- Was Eric Yelding a pitcher?
- No. Eric Yelding was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Eric Yelding hit?
- Eric Yelding hit 3 career home runs with 242 hits.
- What was Eric Yelding's career batting average?
- Eric Yelding batted .244 over his career, with 242 hits in 993 at bats.
- How many RBI did Eric Yelding have?
- Eric Yelding drove in 67 runs in his career.
- Is Eric Yelding in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Eric Yelding has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.