Willie Bobo
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Willie Bobo was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Kansas City Monarchs. In 377 career games, he hit .313 with 398 hits, 26 home runs, and 237 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 4,567.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Died
- 2/22/1931 in San Diego, CA, USA
Full name: Willie Alphonso Bobo
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 377 | 1,271 | 254 | 398 | 80 | 25 | 26 | 237 | 49 | 187 | 1 | .313 | .405 | .477 | .882 | 4,567 |
Career AVG .313 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — +10.1% above league average.
Career OBP .405 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — +16.8% above league average.
Career SLG .477 vs. league average .399 across their career seasons — +19.5% above league average.
Career OPS .882 vs. league average .746 across their career seasons — +18.2% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | KCM | NNL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | SLS | NNL | 70 | 268 | 56 | 85 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 57 | 6 | 25 | 1 | .317 | .283 (+12%) | .345 (+12%) | .389 (+20%) | .734 (+16%) | 813.9 |
| 1925 | SLS | NNL | 87 | 323 | 74 | 116 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 84 | 14 | 55 | 0 | .359 | .288 (+25%) | .349 (+29%) | .407 (+51%) | .756 (+41%) | 2683.7 |
| 1926 | SLS | NNL | 51 | 156 | 38 | 53 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 13 | 29 | 0 | .340 | .279 (+21%) | .345 (+31%) | .390 (+22%) | .735 (+26%) | 846.6 |
| 1927 | SLS | NNL | 93 | 306 | 63 | 89 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 42 | 11 | 46 | 0 | .291 | .282 (+3%) | .344 (+12%) | .392 (+7%) | .736 (+9%) | 654.9 |
| 1928 | SLS | NNL | 12 | 22 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .545 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1928 | CTG | NNL | 17 | 57 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .193 | .280 (-31%) | .342 (-32%) | .395 (-33%) | .737 (-33%) | 0.0 |
| 1930 | NEG | NNL | 46 | 135 | 15 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 26 | 0 | .237 | .293 (-19%) | .354 (+2%) | .429 (-14%) | .784 (-7%) | -118.2 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 377 | 1,271 | 254 | 398 | 80 | 25 | 26 | 237 | 49 | 187 | 1 | .313 | — | — | — | — | 4,881 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | SLS | NNL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 36.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 36.00 | — | 0 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Away | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
Last 3 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-07-30 | SSN | CAG | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-08-11 | SSN | KCM | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1924-04-27 | SSN | KCM | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 364 | 270 | 2865 | 117 | 73 | 151 |
| OF | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | KCM | 1B | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 1924 | SLS | 1B | 69 | 69 | 789 | 43 | 23 | 38 |
| 1924 | SLS | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | SLS | 1B | 87 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1926 | SLS | 1B | 42 | 39 | 430 | 8 | 14 | 33 |
| 1926 | SLS | OF | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | SLS | 1B | 93 | 92 | 1006 | 42 | 16 | 60 |
| 1927 | SLS | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | SLS | 1B | 9 | 6 | 73 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1928 | CTG | 1B | 17 | 16 | 162 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 1930 | NEG | 1B | 46 | 45 | 387 | 16 | 13 | 13 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| First Base | 364 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Willie Bobo: the record in brief
Willie Bobo's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1923 to 1930. By club, Bobo's seasons break down as the Kansas City Monarchs (1923), the St. Louis Stars (1924 through 1928), the Cleveland Tigers (1928), and the Nashville Elite Giants (1930). Bobo is listed as a first baseman. The bio says Bobo threw and hit left-handed. Bobo was born on February 7, 1898, in TX, USA. Bobo died on February 22, 1931, in San Diego, CA, USA. Willie Bobo was the playing name; the full given name is Willie Alphonso.
The batting record for Bobo: 377 games, 398 hits in 1,271 at bats, and a .313 average, plus 26 homers, 237 RBI, and 49 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .405 and the slugging percentage .477, for an OPS of .882. Over the seasons Bobo played, league hitters batted .284; the .313 career figure is 10.1% above that. 1925 was Bobo's biggest home run year, with 14.
Frequently Asked Questions about Willie Bobo
- Was Willie Bobo a pitcher?
- No. Willie Bobo was a position player (First Baseman), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Willie Bobo hit?
- Willie Bobo hit 26 career home runs with 398 hits.
- What was Willie Bobo's career batting average?
- Willie Bobo batted .313 over his career, with 398 hits in 1,271 at bats.
- How many RBI did Willie Bobo have?
- Willie Bobo drove in 237 runs in his career.
- What was Willie Bobo's career ERA?
- Willie Bobo finished with a 36.00 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.
- Is Willie Bobo in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Willie Bobo has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.