Orlando Merced, baseball player, 103 home runs, 1990-2003

Orlando Merced

Born: 11/2/1966 in Hato Rey, P.R.

MLB Debut: 1990-06-27 | Final Game: 2003-09-28

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Orlando Luis Merced

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Biography

Orlando Merced was a professional baseball player who had a career spanning from 1990 to 2003. Born in 1966, he played primarily as a position player and made significant contributions to several Major League Baseball teams throughout his career. Over 1,391 games, Merced recorded 1,108 hits, achieving a batting average of .277. He demonstrated a well-rounded offensive skill set, hitting 103 home runs and driving in 585 runs, while also showcasing his speed on the bases with 57 stolen bases. Merced's playing style was characterized by his ability to hit for average and power, making him a reliable presence in the lineup during the 1990s and early 2000s. He played during an era marked by offensive explosions, where power hitters were celebrated, yet he maintained a balance with his consistent batting average and run production. His versatility allowed him to adapt to various roles on different teams, further solidifying his place in the hearts of fans and the history of the game. Merced retired on September 28, 2003, leaving behind a legacy as a steady contributor to the teams he represented.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1391 3998 564 1108 229 28 103 585 57 487 661 0.277 0.355 0.426 0.781 4645.5

Career AVG .277 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .355 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +6.5% above league average.

Career SLG .426 vs. league average .413 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.781 vs. league average 0.746 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

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 PIT NL 25 24 3 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 9 0.208 — — — — 0.0
1991 PIT NL 120 411 83 113 17 2 10 50 8 64 81 0.275 .255 (+8%) .323 (+15%) .384 (+4%) .708 (+9%) 944.9
1992 PIT NL 134 405 50 100 28 5 6 60 5 52 63 0.247 .255 (-3%) .322 (+3%) .377 (+2%) .699 (+2%) 199.7
1993 PIT NL 137 447 68 140 26 4 8 70 3 77 64 0.313 .265 (+18%) .332 (+24%) .403 (+10%) .735 (+16%) 1823.3
1994 PIT NL 108 386 48 105 21 3 9 51 4 42 58 0.272 .269 (+1%) .338 (+1%) .424 (-3%) .763 (-1%) -49.3
1995 PIT NL 132 487 75 146 29 4 15 83 7 52 74 0.300 .266 (+12%) .337 (+8%) .417 (+12%) .755 (+10%) 1022.7
1996 PIT NL 120 453 69 130 24 1 17 80 8 51 74 0.287 .269 (+6%) .340 (+5%) .426 (+7%) .767 (+6%) 594.5
1997 TOR AL 98 368 45 98 23 2 9 40 7 47 62 0.266 .266 (avg) .336 (+5%) .419 (-1%) .756 (+1%) 158.0
1998 MIN AL 63 204 22 59 12 0 5 33 1 17 29 0.289 .266 (+9%) .335 (+3%) .420 (avg) .755 (+2%) 67.2
1998 BOS AL 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 0.000 — — — — 67.2
1998 CHC NL 12 10 2 3 0 0 1 5 0 1 2 0.300 — — — — 67.2
1999 WSN NL 93 194 25 52 12 1 8 26 2 26 27 0.268 .271 (-1%) .344 (+2%) .433 (+7%) .778 (+5%) 196.3
2001 HOU NL 94 137 19 36 6 1 6 29 5 14 32 0.263 .263 (avg) .332 (avg) .426 (+6%) .758 (+4%) 91.3
2002 HOU NL 123 251 35 72 13 3 6 30 4 26 50 0.287 .261 (+10%) .331 (+6%) .416 (+4%) .747 (+5%) 235.0
2003 HOU NL 123 212 20 49 17 2 3 26 3 15 33 0.231 .264 (-13%) .332 (-15%) .422 (-12%) .754 (-13%) -638.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 20 1 3 1 0 1 3 2 5 0.150

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2001 NLDS1 HOU 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1992 NLCS PIT 4 10 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 4 0.100
1991 NLCS PIT 3 9 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 0.222

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 418 325 3081 224 32 277
3B 5 0 0 2 0 0
C 1 0 0 0 0 0
OF 700 600 1241 65 29 22

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1990 PIT C 1 0 0 0 0 0
1990 PIT OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1991 PIT 1B 105 95 911 60 12 64
1991 PIT OF 7 1 5 0 0 0
1992 PIT 1B 114 87 882 73 5 73
1992 PIT OF 17 11 24 2 0 1
1993 PIT 1B 42 31 276 20 2 23
1993 PIT OF 109 83 209 11 8 5
1994 PIT 1B 55 47 409 26 3 46
1994 PIT OF 68 55 99 3 2 2
1995 PIT 1B 35 19 175 15 1 22
1995 PIT OF 107 102 199 8 5 2
1996 PIT 1B 1 0 1 1 0 1
1996 PIT OF 115 113 241 14 3 5
1997 TOR 1B 1 0 3 0 0 0
1997 TOR OF 96 94 190 10 3 4
1998 MIN 1B 38 34 299 21 6 32
1998 MIN OF 13 12 25 2 0 1
1998 BOS OF 1 0 2 0 0 0
1998 CHN OF 4 0 3 0 0 0
1999 MON 1B 7 2 21 1 2 2
1999 MON OF 44 41 74 3 3 0
2001 HOU 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
2001 HOU 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
2001 HOU OF 31 20 38 1 1 0
2002 HOU 1B 7 6 53 3 0 8
2002 HOU 3B 1 0 0 1 0 0
2002 HOU OF 56 46 89 7 2 1
2003 HOU 1B 12 4 50 4 1 6
2003 HOU 3B 2 0 0 1 0 0
2003 HOU OF 31 22 43 4 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1
First Base 418
Third Base 5
Left Field 93
Right Field 617
Designated Hitter 20

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2003 HOU NL $1,700,000
2002 HOU NL $1,050,000
2001 HOU NL $300,000
1999 MON NL $560,000
1998 MIN AL $800,000
1997 TOR AL $2,700,000
1996 PIT NL $2,700,000
1995 PIT NL $2,000,000
1994 PIT NL $1,485,000
1993 PIT NL $305,000
1992 PIT NL $150,000
1990 PIT NL $100,000
Total Career Earnings $13,850,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1991 Rookie of the Year NL 2nd 53.0 120 1