Johnny Babich
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1934-1941)
Johnny Babich was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1934 to 1941 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Boston Braves, and the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 8 seasons. Across 112 career appearances, he went 30-45 with a 4.93 ERA and 231 strikeouts. He also batted .171 with 0 home runs.
- 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
- 1/19/2001 in Richmond, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1934-06-19
- Last Game
- 1941-08-28
Full name: John Charles Babich
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | BRO | NL | 7 | 11 | 25 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 135.0 | 148 | 63 | 51 | 62 | 4.20 | 4.29 (+2%) | 1146.7 |
| 1935 | BRO | NL | 7 | 14 | 37 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 143.1 | 191 | 106 | 52 | 55 | 6.66 | 4.35 (-53%) | 587.9 |
| 1936 | BSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 10.50 | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | PHA | AL | 14 | 13 | 31 | 30 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 229.1 | 222 | 95 | 80 | 94 | 3.73 | 4.21 (+12%) | 379.7 |
| 1941 | PHA | AL | 2 | 7 | 16 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 78.1 | 85 | 53 | 31 | 19 | 6.09 | 3.94 (-55%) | -2309.2 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 30 | 45 | 112 | 87 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 592.0 | 657 | 324 | 220 | 231 | 4.93 | — | -195 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 112 | 211 | 14 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 63 | .171 | .194 | .194 | .388 | -1,698 |
Career AVG .171 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — 37.8% below league average.
Career OBP .194 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 43.1% below league average.
Career SLG .194 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 50.4% below league average.
Career OPS .388 vs. league average .731 across their career seasons — 47.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | BRO | NL | 25 | 50 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | .140 | .278 (-50%) | .340 (-59%) | .392 (-64%) | .733 (-62%) | -497.6 |
| 1935 | BRO | NL | 37 | 49 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | .184 | — | — | — | — | -346.3 |
| 1936 | BSN | NL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | PHA | AL | 31 | 86 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 | .116 | .267 (-56%) | .335 (-56%) | .387 (-67%) | .722 (-62%) | -853.6 |
| 1941 | PHA | AL | 16 | 25 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 112 | 211 | 14 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 63 | .171 | — | — | — | — | -1,698 | ||
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 (224 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 58 | 104 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 10 | .173 |
| Away | 54 | 107 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 0 | .168 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 58 | 301.1 | 340 | 161 | 118 | 105 | 4.81 |
| Away | 54 | 290.2 | 322 | 157 | 102 | 126 | 4.86 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-08-28 | PHA | CLE | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-19 | PHA | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1941-08-14 | PHA | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-09 | PHA | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-02 | PHA | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1941-07-26 | PHA | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-07-06 | PHA | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-07-02 | PHA | MIN | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-06-28 | PHA | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1941-06-22 | PHA | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-08-28 | PHA | CLE | — | 0.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-19 | PHA | CHW | L | 8.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1941-08-14 | PHA | BOS | L | 3.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1941-08-09 | PHA | NYY | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-08-02 | PHA | CLE | L | 9.0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-07-26 | PHA | DET | — | 5.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1941-07-06 | PHA | NYY | L | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1941-07-02 | PHA | MIN | — | 4.2 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1941-06-28 | PHA | NYY | L | 6.0 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-06-22 | PHA | CHW | L | 2.1 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 112 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Johnny Babich (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Johnny Babich: the record in brief
Between the debut on June 19, 1934 and the final game on August 28, 1941, Johnny Babich built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Brooklyn Dodgers (1934 to 1935), the Boston Bees (1936), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1940 to 1941). Babich is listed as a pitcher at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. Babich both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Babich was born on May 14, 1913, in Albion, CA, USA. Babich's death is recorded on January 19, 2001, in Richmond, CA, USA. Babich's full given name, per the bio, is John Charles Babich.
Babich pitched in 112 games, starting 87, and finished with a 30-45 record and 4.93 ERA. Babich had 231 strikeouts and 34 complete games. Against a 4.27 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.93 mark was 15.3% worse. Babich won 14 games in 1940, the most of any season listed. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 3.73 in 1940, when the league's was 4.21.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Babich
- What years did Johnny Babich play?
- Johnny Babich played in Major League Baseball from 1934 to 1941.
- Was Johnny Babich a pitcher?
- Yes. Johnny Babich pitched in the major leagues, recording 30 wins and 231 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Johnny Babich hit?
- Johnny Babich hit 0 career home runs with 36 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Babich play for?
- Johnny Babich played for 3 teams: the Brooklyn Dodgers (1934–1935), the Boston Bees (1936), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1940–1941).
- What were Johnny Babich's career stats?
- In 112 games, Johnny Babich went 30-45 with a 4.93 ERA, 231 strikeouts, 592.0 innings pitched, and 1 saves. At the plate he had 36 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did Johnny Babich play?
- Johnny Babich played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Babich and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Babich was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 185 pounds.
- What was Johnny Babich's career ERA?
- Johnny Babich finished with a 4.93 career ERA, going 30-45 with 231 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Johnny Babich have?
- Johnny Babich recorded 231 career strikeouts.
- Is Johnny Babich in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Babich has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.