Richie Zisk
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1971-1983)
Richie Zisk was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1983 for 4 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,453 career games, he hit .287 with 1,477 hits, 207 home runs, and 792 RBI. Richie Zisk was a 2-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 15,782.
- 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
- 6'1" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1971-09-08
- Last Game
- 1983-09-21
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: Richard Walter Zisk
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,453 | 5,144 | 681 | 1,477 | 245 | 26 | 207 | 792 | 8 | 533 | 910 | .287 | .353 | .466 | .818 | 15,782 |
Career AVG .287 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — +11.3% above league average.
Career OBP .353 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — +9.1% above league average.
Career SLG .466 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — +22.9% above league average.
Career OPS .818 vs. league average .702 across their career seasons — +16.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | PIT | NL | 7 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | PIT | NL | 17 | 37 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 10 | .189 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1973 | PIT | NL | 103 | 333 | 44 | 108 | 23 | 7 | 10 | 54 | 0 | 21 | 63 | .324 | .256 (+26%) | .325 (+12%) | .378 (+39%) | .703 (+26%) | 1476.7 |
| 1974 | PIT | NL | 149 | 536 | 75 | 168 | 30 | 3 | 17 | 100 | 1 | 65 | 91 | .313 | .256 (+22%) | .324 (+19%) | .369 (+29%) | .693 (+24%) | 2619.3 |
| 1975 | PIT | NL | 147 | 504 | 69 | 146 | 27 | 3 | 20 | 75 | 0 | 68 | 109 | .290 | .257 (+12%) | .327 (+14%) | .374 (+27%) | .701 (+21%) | 2148.2 |
| 1976 | PIT | NL | 155 | 581 | 91 | 168 | 35 | 2 | 21 | 89 | 1 | 52 | 96 | .289 | .255 (+13%) | .320 (+7%) | .360 (+29%) | .681 (+19%) | 1939.9 |
| 1977 | CHA | AL | 141 | 531 | 78 | 154 | 17 | 6 | 30 | 101 | 0 | 55 | 98 | .290 | .264 (+10%) | .329 (+8%) | .401 (+28%) | .730 (+19%) | 1944.8 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 140 | 511 | 68 | 134 | 19 | 1 | 22 | 85 | 3 | 58 | 76 | .262 | .257 (+2%) | .323 (+4%) | .378 (+14%) | .702 (+10%) | 1003.4 |
| 1979 | TEX | AL | 144 | 503 | 69 | 132 | 21 | 1 | 18 | 64 | 1 | 57 | 75 | .262 | .265 (-1%) | .329 (+2%) | .397 (+5%) | .727 (+3%) | 407.1 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 135 | 448 | 48 | 130 | 17 | 1 | 19 | 77 | 0 | 39 | 72 | .290 | .264 (+10%) | .326 (+5%) | .387 (+19%) | .714 (+13%) | 1076.8 |
| 1981 | SEA | AL | 94 | 357 | 42 | 111 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 43 | 0 | 28 | 63 | .311 | .255 (+22%) | .320 (+14%) | .368 (+31%) | .688 (+24%) | 1506.9 |
| 1982 | SEA | AL | 131 | 503 | 61 | 147 | 28 | 1 | 21 | 62 | 2 | 49 | 89 | .292 | .261 (+12%) | .324 (+9%) | .388 (+23%) | .712 (+17%) | 1624.6 |
| 1983 | SEA | AL | 90 | 285 | 30 | 69 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 36 | 0 | 30 | 61 | .242 | .260 (-7%) | .324 (-4%) | .389 (+5%) | .714 (+1%) | 34.5 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 1,453 | 5,144 | 681 | 1,477 | 245 | 26 | 207 | 792 | 8 | 533 | 910 | .287 | — | — | — | — | 15,782 | ||
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 (1453 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 714 | 2496 | 342 | 703 | 101 | 394 | .282 |
| Away | 739 | 2648 | 339 | 774 | 106 | 398 | .292 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-09-21 | SEA | TOR | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-25 | SEA | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983-08-24 | SEA | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-20 | SEA | CLE | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983-08-19 | SEA | CLE | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1983-08-16 | SEA | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-15 | SEA | MIN | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1983-08-14 | SEA | LAA | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-13 | SEA | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-08-10 | SEA | OAK | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | PIT | OF | 6 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | PIT | OF | 12 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1973 | PIT | OF | 84 | 78 | 139 | 12 | 2 | 4 |
| 1974 | PIT | OF | 141 | 137 | 312 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
| 1975 | PIT | OF | 140 | 138 | 264 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 1976 | PIT | OF | 152 | 152 | 300 | 11 | 4 | 2 |
| 1977 | CHA | OF | 109 | 109 | 210 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| 1978 | TEX | OF | 90 | 89 | 155 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1979 | TEX | OF | 134 | 132 | 234 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| 1980 | TEX | OF | 37 | 34 | 45 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 415 |
| Right Field | 503 |
| Designated Hitter | 474 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | TSN All-Star | DH |
| 1981 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1979 | Player of the Week | Week of 1979-07-20 |
| 1977 | Player of the Week | Week of 1977-07-01 |
| 1974 | Player of the Week | Week of 1974-08-16 |
| 1974 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1973 | Player of the Week | Week of 1973-08-03 |
Salary History
Richie Zisk's recorded salaries total $817,500 over 3 seasons, 1985 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Zisk's career ran from 1971 to 1983. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | SEA | AL | $272,500 |
| 1986 | SEA | AL | $272,500 |
| 1985 | SEA | AL | $272,500 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $817,500 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 34.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 9th | 54.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 9th | 0.0 | 24 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Richie Zisk (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Richie Zisk: the record in brief
Richie Zisk's major league career runs from a debut on September 8, 1971 to a final game on September 21, 1983. Zisk played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971 through 1976), the Chicago White Sox (1977), the Texas Rangers (1978 to 1980), and the Seattle Mariners (1981 to 1983). Listed as an outfielder, Zisk threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 200 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. The birth record reads February 6, 1949, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. On the record, Richie Zisk was born Richard Walter Zisk.
The batting record for Zisk: 1,453 games, 1,477 hits in 5,144 at bats, and a .287 average, along with 207 home runs and 792 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .353 and .466 give Zisk a career OPS of .818. Set against a .258 league average for the same years, Zisk's .287 average sits 11.3% above it. In OPS terms, Zisk's .818 stands 16.5% above the league's .702. The home run peak was 30 in 1977 with the Chicago White Sox.
Frequently Asked Questions about Richie Zisk
- What years did Richie Zisk play?
- Richie Zisk played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1983.
- Was Richie Zisk a pitcher?
- No. Richie Zisk was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Richie Zisk hit?
- Richie Zisk hit 207 career home runs with 1,477 hits.
- What teams did Richie Zisk play for?
- Richie Zisk played for 4 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971–1976), the Chicago White Sox (1977), the Texas Rangers (1978–1980), and the Seattle Mariners (1981–1983).
- Did Richie Zisk win an MVP award?
- No. Richie Zisk did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Richie Zisk win?
- Richie Zisk was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Richie Zisk's career stats?
- In 1,453 games, Richie Zisk had 1,477 hits, 207 home runs, 792 RBI, 681 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .287 batting average.
- How much did Richie Zisk earn in his career?
- Richie Zisk's recorded salaries total $817,500 over 3 seasons, 1985 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Zisk's career ran from 1971 to 1983. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Richie Zisk's salary?
- Richie Zisk's last recorded salary was $272,500, in 1987. His highest recorded salary was $272,500, in 1985, and his lowest was $272,500, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1987.
- What position did Richie Zisk play?
- Richie Zisk played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Richie Zisk and how much did he weigh?
- Richie Zisk was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 200 pounds.
- How many home runs did Richie Zisk hit each season?
- Richie Zisk's home runs by season: 1 in 1971, 0 in 1972, 10 in 1973, 17 in 1974, 20 in 1975, 21 in 1976, 30 in 1977, 22 in 1978, 18 in 1979, 19 in 1980, 16 in 1981, 21 in 1982, and 12 in 1983. His most in one season was 30, in 1977.
- What was Richie Zisk's career batting average?
- Richie Zisk batted .287 over his career, with 1,477 hits in 5,144 at bats.
- How many RBI did Richie Zisk have?
- Richie Zisk drove in 792 runs in his career.