Junior Ortiz, baseball player, 1982-1994

Junior Ortiz

Born: 10/24/1959 in Humacao, P.R.

MLB Debut: 1982-09-20 | Final Game: 1994-08-08

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 174 lbs

Full name: Adalberto Ortiz

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Biography

Junior Ortiz was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1982 until his retirement in 1994. Born in 1959, Ortiz played primarily as a position player during his career, which spanned over a decade. He appeared in a total of 749 games, showcasing his versatility and durability on the field. Throughout his time in the league, he recorded 484 hits, contributing to a career batting average of .256. Ortiz was known for his solid defensive skills and was a reliable presence behind the plate, earning respect from pitchers and teammates alike. Despite modest offensive numbers, Ortiz's career totals included 5 home runs and 186 RBIs, reflecting his ability to contribute in critical situations. He also demonstrated speed on the bases, finishing his career with 8 stolen bases. Ortiz played during a transformative period in baseball, navigating the game through the late 1980s and early 1990s, an era marked by increased power hitting and changing offensive strategies. His commitment to the game and his contributions to his teams have secured his place in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
749 1894 142 484 71 4 5 186 8 121 222 0.256 0.305 0.305 0.610 -4733.6

Career AVG .256 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .305 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 6.3% below league average.

Career SLG .305 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 22.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.610 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — 14.9% below 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
1982 PIT NL 7 15 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1983 PIT NL 5 8 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1983 NYN NL 68 185 10 47 5 0 0 12 1 3 34 0.254 .260 (-3%) .324 (-17%) .389 (-28%) .714 (-23%) 0.0
1984 NYN NL 40 91 6 18 3 0 0 11 1 5 15 0.198 .259 (-24%) .322 (-27%) .384 (-40%) .707 (-34%) -539.6
1985 PIT NL 23 72 4 21 2 0 1 5 1 3 17 0.292 .257 (+13%) .323 (-1%) .390 (-8%) .714 (-5%) -52.8
1986 PIT NL 49 110 11 37 6 0 0 14 0 9 13 0.336 .257 (+31%) .325 (+17%) .395 (-1%) .720 (+7%) 146.4
1987 PIT NL 75 192 16 52 8 1 1 22 0 15 23 0.271 .262 (+3%) .331 (-3%) .415 (-18%) .746 (-12%) -393.9
1988 PIT NL 49 118 8 33 6 0 2 18 1 9 9 0.280 .254 (+10%) .317 (+6%) .377 (+1%) .695 (+3%) 66.5
1989 PIT NL 91 230 16 50 6 1 1 22 2 20 20 0.217 .254 (-14%) .319 (-12%) .375 (-29%) .694 (-21%) -856.3
1990 MIN AL 71 170 18 57 7 1 0 18 0 12 16 0.335 .257 (+30%) .324 (+18%) .385 (+1%) .710 (+9%) 305.4
1991 MIN AL 61 134 9 28 5 1 0 11 0 15 12 0.209 .255 (-18%) .323 (-9%) .384 (-32%) .708 (-22%) -470.6
1992 CLE AL 86 244 20 61 7 0 0 24 1 12 23 0.250 .255 (-2%) .322 (-8%) .377 (-26%) .699 (-18%) -733.6
1993 CLE AL 95 249 19 55 13 0 0 20 1 11 26 0.221 .265 (-17%) .332 (-20%) .403 (-32%) .735 (-27%) -1255.7
1994 TEX AL 29 76 3 21 2 0 0 9 0 5 11 0.276 .269 (+2%) .338 (-3%) .424 (-29%) .763 (-17%) -205.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 8 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0.125

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1991 ALCS MIN 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1991 WS MIN 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0.200

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
C 702 543 2934 324 45 40

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1982 PIT C 7 4 27 3 0 0
1983 PIT C 4 2 20 0 0 0
1983 NYN C 67 56 273 31 11 2
1984 NYN C 32 23 136 13 3 3
1985 PIT C 23 20 115 14 2 3
1986 PIT C 36 28 165 13 3 2
1987 PIT C 72 55 313 39 9 2
1988 PIT C 40 33 152 23 3 2
1989 PIT C 84 65 334 32 2 2
1990 MIN C 68 45 247 25 0 6
1991 MIN C 60 41 203 17 1 2
1992 CLE C 86 69 402 38 5 2
1993 CLE C 95 84 441 58 5 13
1994 TEX C 28 18 106 18 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 702
Designated Hitter 3

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1994 TEX AL $350,000
1993 CLE AL $395,000
1992 CLE AL $300,000
1991 MIN AL $450,000
1990 PIT NL $350,000
1989 PIT NL $300,000
1988 PIT NL $250,000
1987 PIT NL $190,000
1986 PIT NL $97,000
Total Career Earnings $2,682,000