Babe Borton
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1912-1916)
Babe Borton was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1916 for 4 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 5 seasons. In 317 career games, he hit .270 with 254 hits, 4 home runs, and 136 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,784.
- 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
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 178 lb
- Died
- 7/29/1954 in Berkeley, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1912-09-02
- Last Game
- 1916-09-30
Full name: William Baker Borton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 317 | 940 | 139 | 254 | 31 | 17 | 4 | 136 | 21 | 160 | 110 | .270 | .381 | .352 | .734 | 2,784 |
Career AVG .270 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — +5.5% above league average.
Career OBP .381 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — +18.2% above league average.
Career SLG .352 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .734 vs. league average .663 across their career seasons — +10.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | CHA | AL | 31 | 105 | 15 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 9 | .371 | .268 (+38%) | .335 (+24%) | .358 (+17%) | .694 (+20%) | 364.3 |
| 1913 | CHA | AL | 28 | 80 | 9 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 23 | 5 | .275 | .259 (+6%) | .325 (+36%) | .345 (-2%) | .670 (+16%) | 358.7 |
| 1913 | NYA | AL | 33 | 108 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 18 | 19 | .130 | .259 (-50%) | .325 (-20%) | .345 (-57%) | .670 (-39%) | 358.7 |
| 1915 | SLF | FL | 159 | 549 | 97 | 157 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 83 | 17 | 92 | 64 | .286 | .250 (+14%) | .318 (+24%) | .332 (+17%) | .651 (+21%) | 2531.4 |
| 1916 | SLA | AL | 66 | 98 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 19 | 13 | .224 | .248 (-10%) | .314 (+12%) | .326 (-6%) | .640 (+2%) | 112.1 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 317 | 940 | 139 | 254 | 31 | 17 | 4 | 136 | 21 | 160 | 110 | .270 | — | — | — | — | 3,725 | ||
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 (317 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 179 | 516 | 75 | 135 | 4 | 73 | .262 |
| Away | 138 | 422 | 64 | 120 | 0 | 63 | .284 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-09-30 | SLA | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-09-24 | SLA | PHA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1916-09-22 | SLA | PHA | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-21 | SLA | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1916-09-19 | SLA | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-09-17 | SLA | MIN | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1916-09-16 | SLA | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-15 | SLA | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-13 | SLA | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1916-09-11 | SLA | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 269 |
Babe Borton: the record in brief
According to the bio, Babe Borton debuted on September 2, 1912 and played a final game on September 30, 1916. The team column moves through the Chicago White Sox (1912 through 1913), the New York Yankees (1913), the St. Louis Terriers (1915), and the St. Louis Browns (1916). The bio lists Borton as a first baseman who both batted and threw left-handed. Borton is listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 178 pounds. Borton was born on August 14, 1888, in Marion, IL, USA. Borton died on July 29, 1954, in Berkeley, CA, USA. On the record, Babe Borton was born William Baker Borton.
Borton finished with 254 hits from 940 at bats in 317 games, which works out to .270; the totals also include 4 home runs, 136 runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .381 clip and slugging .352, Borton finished with a .734 OPS. Over the seasons Borton played, league hitters batted .256; the .270 career figure is 5.5% above that.
Frequently Asked Questions about Babe Borton
- What years did Babe Borton play?
- Babe Borton played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1916.
- Was Babe Borton a pitcher?
- No. Babe Borton was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Babe Borton hit?
- Babe Borton hit 4 career home runs with 254 hits.
- What teams did Babe Borton play for?
- Babe Borton played for 4 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1912–1913), the New York Yankees (1913), the St. Louis Terriers (1915), and the St. Louis Browns (1916).
- What were Babe Borton's career stats?
- In 317 games, Babe Borton had 254 hits, 4 home runs, 136 RBI, 139 runs, and 21 stolen bases, with a .270 batting average.
- What position did Babe Borton play?
- Babe Borton played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Babe Borton and how much did he weigh?
- Babe Borton was listed at 6 feet and 178 pounds.
- How many home runs did Babe Borton hit each season?
- Babe Borton's home runs by season: 0 in 1912, 0 in 1913, 3 in 1915, and 1 in 1916. His most in one season was 3, in 1915.
- What was Babe Borton's career batting average?
- Babe Borton batted .270 over his career, with 254 hits in 940 at bats.
- How many RBI did Babe Borton have?
- Babe Borton drove in 136 runs in his career.
- Is Babe Borton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Babe Borton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.