He threw left-handed, batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg).

Barton attended the University of Nevada, Reno, and was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 21st round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft.

He made his MLB debut with them, at age 29, in August 1992 and worked in 14 games and 121⁄3 innings pitched during the course of the season, allowed ten hits and seven bases on balls, and compiled an earned run average of 2.92, with no decisions and no saves.

Used largely in short relief and as a situational lefty, he worked in 51 games for the Giants over the remainder of the season, winning four of five decisions and notching one save.

Barton remained in the game, however, as a minor league pitching coach in the Giants' and Los Angeles Dodgers' farm systems, and an area scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks.