Matt Walbeck, baseball player, 1993-2003

Matt Walbeck

Born: 10/2/1969 in Sacramento, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1993-04-07 | Final Game: 2003-09-28

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Matthew Lovick Walbeck

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Biography

Matt Walbeck was a professional baseball player born in 1969, who played as a position player in Major League Baseball from 1993 to 2003. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 682 games, where he showcased his skills primarily as a catcher and utility player. Walbeck recorded a total of 492 hits, with 28 home runs and 208 runs batted in, culminating in a career batting average of .233. Known for his defensive capabilities behind the plate, he also demonstrated speed on the bases, stealing 13 bases throughout his tenure in the league. Walbeck's career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the increase in offensive production and a focus on power hitting. While his statistics may not reflect the prolific power of some of his contemporaries, he was valued for his versatility and resilience. After retiring from playing, Walbeck continued to contribute to the game, transitioning into coaching and player development roles, influencing a new generation of players with his extensive experience and knowledge of the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
682 2109 215 492 79 5 28 208 13 133 343 0.233 0.280 0.315 0.596 -8910.3

Career AVG .233 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — 12.6% below league average.

Career OBP .280 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 16.8% below league average.

Career SLG .315 vs. league average .423 across their career seasons — 25.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.596 vs. league average 0.760 across their career seasons — 21.6% 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
1993 CHC NL 11 30 2 6 2 0 1 6 0 1 6 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1994 MIN AL 97 338 31 69 12 0 5 35 1 17 37 0.204 .269 (-24%) .338 (-27%) .424 (-33%) .763 (-31%) -2054.8
1995 MIN AL 115 393 40 101 18 1 1 44 3 25 71 0.257 .266 (-4%) .337 (-11%) .417 (-24%) .755 (-18%) -1436.4
1996 MIN AL 63 215 25 48 10 0 2 24 3 9 34 0.223 .269 (-17%) .340 (-26%) .426 (-30%) .767 (-28%) -1180.5
1997 DET AL 47 137 18 38 3 0 3 10 3 12 19 0.277 .266 (+4%) .336 (-2%) .419 (-13%) .756 (-8%) -186.3
1998 LAA AL 108 338 41 87 15 2 6 46 1 30 68 0.257 .266 (-3%) .335 (-5%) .420 (-13%) .755 (-9%) -655.0
1999 LAA AL 107 288 26 69 8 1 3 22 2 26 46 0.240 .271 (-12%) .344 (-11%) .433 (-30%) .778 (-21%) -1190.2
2000 LAA AL 47 146 17 29 5 0 6 12 0 7 22 0.199 .270 (-27%) .344 (-30%) .437 (-19%) .782 (-24%) -671.9
2001 PHI NL 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
2002 DET AL 27 85 4 20 2 0 0 3 0 3 14 0.235 .261 (-10%) .331 (-22%) .416 (-38%) .747 (-31%) -454.6
2003 DET AL 59 138 11 24 4 1 1 6 0 3 26 0.174 .264 (-34%) .332 (-41%) .422 (-43%) .754 (-42%) -1080.6

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 1 0 0 1
C 651 565 3303 248 34 25

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1993 CHN C 11 7 49 2 0 0
1994 MIN C 95 89 496 45 4 3
1995 MIN C 113 107 604 35 6 3
1996 MIN C 61 54 326 19 2 2
1997 DET C 44 38 240 15 3 2
1998 ANA C 104 91 682 46 7 3
1999 ANA C 97 79 407 46 5 9
2000 ANA 1B 2 0 1 0 0 1
2000 ANA C 44 38 200 16 2 0
2002 DET C 27 24 127 8 1 2
2003 DET C 55 38 172 16 4 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 651
First Base 2
Designated Hitter 6

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2003 DET AL $400,000
2000 ANA AL $925,000
1999 ANA AL $825,000
1998 ANA AL $700,000
1997 DET AL $550,000
1996 MIN AL $225,000
1995 MIN AL $166,000
1994 MIN AL $115,000
1993 CHN NL $109,000
Total Career Earnings $4,015,000