Otto Velez

Born: 11/29/1950 in Ponce, P.R.

MLB Debut: 1973-09-04 | Final Game: 1983-08-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Otoniel Velez

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Biography

Otto Velez was a professional baseball player known for his versatility and power during his career in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1983. Born in 1950, Velez played primarily as a position player and appeared in 637 games. Over the course of his career, he accumulated 452 hits, with a notable total of 78 home runs and 272 RBIs, reflecting his ability to drive in runs and contribute offensively for his teams. His batting average settled at .251, showcasing his consistent presence at the plate. Velez's career unfolded during a dynamic era in baseball, marked by a shift towards increased offensive production. He was part of a generation of players that helped set the stage for the power-hitting trends that would dominate the game in the following decades. Although he recorded only 6 stolen bases, Velez's overall impact was felt through his contributions to the teams he played for, leaving a lasting legacy as a reliable hitter in the league. His journey through Major League Baseball is a testament to the evolving nature of the game during the late 20th century.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
637	1802	244	452	87	11	78	272	6	336	414	0.251	0.369	0.441	0.810	5861.0

Career AVG .251 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .369 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +13.5% above league average.

Career SLG .441 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — +15.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.810 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +14.6% above 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
1973	NYY	AL	23	77	9	15	4	0	2	7	0	15	24	0.195	.256 (-24%)	.325 (avg)	.378 (-14%)	.703 (-8%)	-59.3
1974	NYY	AL	27	67	9	14	1	1	2	10	0	15	24	0.209	.256 (-19%)	.324 (+6%)	.369 (-7%)	.693 (-1%)	21.0
1975	NYY	AL	6	8	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1976	NYY	AL	49	94	11	25	6	0	2	10	0	23	26	0.266	.255 (+4%)	.320 (+28%)	.360 (+9%)	.681 (+18%)	395.4
1977	TOR	AL	120	360	50	92	19	3	16	62	4	65	87	0.256	.264 (-3%)	.329 (+11%)	.401 (+14%)	.730 (+13%)	1016.9
1978	TOR	AL	91	248	29	66	14	2	9	38	1	45	41	0.266	.257 (+3%)	.323 (+18%)	.378 (+18%)	.702 (+18%)	941.0
1979	TOR	AL	99	274	45	79	21	0	15	48	0	46	45	0.288	.265 (+9%)	.329 (+20%)	.397 (+33%)	.727 (+27%)	1547.7
1980	TOR	AL	104	357	54	96	12	3	20	62	0	54	86	0.269	.264 (+2%)	.326 (+12%)	.387 (+26%)	.714 (+19%)	1372.7
1981	TOR	AL	80	240	32	51	9	2	11	28	0	55	60	0.212	.255 (-17%)	.320 (+14%)	.368 (+10%)	.688 (+11%)	677.0
1982	TOR	AL	28	52	4	10	1	0	1	5	1	13	15	0.192	.261 (-26%)	.324 (+9%)	.388 (-31%)	.712 (-13%)	-51.4
1983	CLE	AL	10	25	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	3	6	0.080	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1976	ALCS	NYA	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
1976	WS	NYA	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	41	32	275	13	4	17
3B	3	2	3	3	0	0
OF	276	239	512	21	15	7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1973	NYA	OF	23	23	45	2	2	0
1974	NYA	1B	21	18	136	5	2	8
1974	NYA	3B	2	2	3	3	0	0
1974	NYA	OF	3	2	1	0	1	0
1975	NYA	1B	1	1	11	0	0	1
1976	NYA	1B	8	4	43	1	1	4
1976	NYA	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1976	NYA	OF	24	20	46	1	1	1
1977	TOR	OF	79	72	140	5	4	1
1978	TOR	1B	1	1	11	2	0	0
1978	TOR	OF	74	58	150	10	3	4
1979	TOR	1B	6	4	29	2	0	2
1979	TOR	OF	73	64	130	3	4	1
1980	TOR	1B	3	3	36	3	1	2
1981	TOR	1B	1	1	9	0	0	0