Doc Ayers
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1913-1921)
Doc Ayers was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1913 to 1921 for the Washington Senators and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 9 seasons. Across 299 career appearances, he went 65-79 with a 2.84 ERA and 622 strikeouts. He also batted .171 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 9791.2.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/26/1968 in Pulaski, VA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1913-09-09
- Last Game
- 1921-05-21
Full name: Yancey Wyatt Ayers
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | WS1 | AL | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17.2 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 1.53 | 3.07 (+50%) | 687.9 |
| 1914 | WS1 | AL | 12 | 15 | 49 | 32 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 265.1 | 221 | 75 | 54 | 148 | 2.54 | 2.93 (+13%) | 4484.0 |
| 1915 | WS1 | AL | 14 | 9 | 40 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 211.1 | 178 | 52 | 38 | 96 | 2.21 | 2.90 (+24%) | 3814.8 |
| 1916 | WS1 | AL | 5 | 9 | 43 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 157.0 | 173 | 66 | 52 | 69 | 3.78 | 2.78 (-36%) | -459.0 |
| 1917 | WS1 | AL | 11 | 10 | 40 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 207.2 | 192 | 50 | 59 | 78 | 2.17 | 2.69 (+19%) | 23.6 |
| 1918 | WS1 | AL | 10 | 12 | 40 | 24 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 219.2 | 215 | 69 | 63 | 67 | 2.83 | 2.83 (avg) | 414.5 |
| 1919 | WS1 | AL | 0 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 43.2 | 52 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 2.89 | 3.09 (+6%) | -342.6 |
| 1919 | DET | AL | 5 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 93.2 | 88 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 2.69 | 3.09 (+13%) | -243.4 |
| 1920 | DET | AL | 7 | 14 | 46 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 208.2 | 217 | 90 | 62 | 103 | 3.88 | 3.45 (-13%) | 1411.4 |
| 1921 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 65 | 79 | 299 | 140 | 58 | 17 | 15 | 1,428.2 | 1,357 | 451 | 382 | 622 | 2.84 | — | 9,791 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 299 | 420 | 20 | 72 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 13 | 72 | .171 | .198 | .205 | .403 | -1,882 |
Career AVG .171 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 34.1% below league average.
Career OBP .198 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 38.8% below league average.
Career SLG .205 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — 40.7% below league average.
Career OPS .403 vs. league average .669 across their career seasons — 39.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | WS1 | AL | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1914 | WS1 | AL | 49 | 83 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 22 | .169 | .255 (-34%) | .322 (-39%) | .339 (-36%) | .661 (-37%) | -478.2 |
| 1915 | WS1 | AL | 40 | 63 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | .190 | .250 (-24%) | .318 (-29%) | .332 (-43%) | .651 (-36%) | -326.2 |
| 1916 | WS1 | AL | 43 | 43 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .140 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1917 | WS1 | AL | 40 | 63 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | .206 | .248 (-17%) | .312 (-30%) | .323 (-31%) | .635 (-31%) | -282.9 |
| 1918 | WS1 | AL | 40 | 66 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .152 | .255 (-41%) | .318 (-41%) | .326 (-40%) | .645 (-40%) | -395.7 |
| 1919 | WS1 | AL | 11 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .417 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1919 | DET | AL | 24 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1920 | DET | AL | 46 | 59 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .153 | .271 (-44%) | .331 (-46%) | .363 (-39%) | .694 (-42%) | -399.1 |
| 1921 | DET | AL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 299 | 420 | 20 | 72 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 13 | 72 | .171 | — | — | — | — | -1,882 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (598 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 145 | 217 | 10 | 32 | 0 | 13 | .147 |
| Away | 154 | 198 | 10 | 40 | 0 | 12 | .202 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 145 | 775.1 | 736 | 211 | 187 | 344 | 2.45 |
| Away | 154 | 647.2 | 628 | 243 | 200 | 283 | 3.38 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-05-21 | DET | BOS | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-04-21 | DET | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-10-01 | DET | CLE | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-27 | DET | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-26 | DET | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-23 | DET | SLA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-20 | DET | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-14 | DET | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-12 | DET | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-09-10 | DET | PHA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-05-21 | DET | BOS | — | 3.0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-04-21 | DET | CHW | — | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-10-01 | DET | CLE | L | 7.0 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1920-09-27 | DET | CHW | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920-09-26 | DET | CHW | — | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920-09-23 | DET | SLA | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1920-09-20 | DET | MIN | L | 7.0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1920-09-14 | DET | NYY | — | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1920-09-12 | DET | NYY | — | 3.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920-09-10 | DET | PHA | W | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | WS1 | P | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1914 | WS1 | P | 49 | 0 | 17 | 64 | 10 | 0 |
| 1915 | WS1 | P | 40 | 0 | 12 | 42 | 6 | 3 |
| 1916 | WS1 | P | 43 | 0 | 5 | 27 | 5 | 1 |
| 1917 | WS1 | P | 40 | 0 | 13 | 55 | 2 | 3 |
| 1918 | WS1 | P | 40 | 0 | 8 | 65 | 5 | 1 |
| 1919 | WS1 | P | 11 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 2 |
| 1919 | DET | P | 24 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 4 | 2 |
| 1920 | DET | P | 46 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 4 | 1 |
| 1921 | DET | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 299 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical College of Virginia | Richmond | VA | 1912 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Doc Ayers (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Doc Ayers: the record in brief
Doc Ayers played a first major league game on September 9, 1913 and a last one on May 21, 1921. By club, Ayers's seasons break down as the Washington Senators (1913 through 1919) and the Detroit Tigers (1919 to 1921). Ayers played primarily as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Born on May 21, 1891, in Snake Creek, VA, USA, Ayers was listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. The bio records the death on May 26, 1968, in Pulaski, VA, USA. Doc Ayers was the playing name; the full given name is Yancey Wyatt.
Ayers's career pitching line is 65 wins, 79 losses and a 2.84 ERA over 299 appearances. Also on Ayers's record: 622 strikeouts, 58 complete games, 17 shutouts, and 15 saves. Against a 3.09 league ERA for the same years, Ayers was 8.0% better. No season topped the 14 wins of 1915. The strikeout high was 148 in 1914. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.17 in 1917, when the league's was 2.69.
Frequently Asked Questions about Doc Ayers
- What years did Doc Ayers play?
- Doc Ayers played in Major League Baseball from 1913 to 1921.
- Was Doc Ayers a pitcher?
- Yes. Doc Ayers pitched in the major leagues, recording 65 wins and 622 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Doc Ayers hit?
- Doc Ayers hit 0 career home runs with 72 hits.
- What was Doc Ayers's career batting average?
- Doc Ayers batted .171 over his career, with 72 hits in 420 at bats.
- How many RBI did Doc Ayers have?
- Doc Ayers drove in 23 runs in his career.
- What was Doc Ayers's career ERA?
- Doc Ayers finished with a 2.84 career ERA, going 65-79 with 622 strikeouts.