What years did Ralph Branca play?

Ralph Branca played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1956.

Was Ralph Branca a pitcher?

Yes. Ralph Branca pitched in the major leagues, recording 88 wins and 829 strikeouts.

How many home runs did Ralph Branca hit?

Ralph Branca hit 2 career home runs with 66 hits.

What teams did Ralph Branca play for?

Ralph Branca played for 3 teams: the Brooklyn Dodgers (1944–1953, 1956), the Detroit Tigers (1953–1954), and the New York Yankees (1954).

Did Ralph Branca win a Cy Young Award?

No. Ralph Branca did not win the Cy Young Award.

What awards did Ralph Branca win?

Ralph Branca was selected to 3 All-Star Games.

What were Ralph Branca's career stats?

In 322 games, Ralph Branca went 88-68 with a 3.79 ERA, 829 strikeouts, 1,484.0 innings pitched, and 19 saves. At the plate he had 66 hits and 2 home runs.

What position did Ralph Branca play?

Ralph Branca played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.

How tall was Ralph Branca and how much did he weigh?

Ralph Branca was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds.

What was Ralph Branca's career ERA?

Ralph Branca finished with a 3.79 career ERA, going 88-68 with 829 strikeouts.

How many strikeouts did Ralph Branca have?

Ralph Branca recorded 829 career strikeouts.

Is Ralph Branca in the Hall of Fame?

No. Ralph Branca has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

How many All-Star Games did Ralph Branca make?

Ralph Branca was selected to 3 All-Star Games.

Ralph Branca

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1944-1956)

Ralph Branca was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1956 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Detroit Tigers, and the New York Yankees, a span of 13 seasons. Across 322 career appearances, he went 88-68 with a 3.79 ERA and 829 strikeouts. He also batted .142 with 2 home runs. Ralph Branca was a 3-time All-Star.

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 October 15, 2026

W–L 88–68

ERA 3.79

WHIP 1.37

SO 829

Pitcher PIV -7111.2

Position: Pitcher
Bats / Throws: R / R
Height / Weight: 6'3" / 220 lb
Born: 1/6/1926 in Mount Vernon, NY, USA
Died: 11/23/2016 in Rye, NY, USA
MLB Debut: 1944-06-12
Last Game: 1956-09-07
Awards: 3× All-Star

Full name: Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Pitching Statistics

Ralph Branca — Career Pitching Statistics
W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
88	68	322	188	71	12	19	1484.0	1,372	625	149	663	829	3.79	-7111.2

Career ERA 3.79 vs. league average 3.92 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Ralph Branca Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1944	BRO	NL	0	2	21	1	0	0	1	44.2	46	35	32	16	7.05	3.57 (-97%)	-1624.0
1945	BRO	NL	5	6	16	15	7	0	1	109.2	73	37	79	69	3.04	3.67 (+17%)	-1171.2
1946	BRO	NL	3	1	24	10	2	2	3	67.1	62	29	41	42	3.88	3.59 (-8%)	-584.0
1947	BRO	NL	21	12	43	36	15	4	1	280.0	251	83	98	148	2.67	3.97 (+33%)	1462.8
1948	BRO	NL	14	9	36	28	11	1	1	215.2	189	84	80	122	3.51	4.10 (+15%)	-830.7
1949	BRO	NL	13	5	34	27	9	2	1	186.2	181	91	91	109	4.39	4.12 (-7%)	-851.1
1950	BRO	NL	7	9	43	15	5	0	7	142.0	152	74	55	100	4.69	4.36 (-8%)	-624.8
1951	BRO	NL	13	12	42	27	13	3	3	204.0	180	74	85	118	3.26	4.04 (+19%)	1131.8
1952	BRO	NL	4	2	16	7	2	0	0	61.0	52	26	21	26	3.84	3.70 (-4%)	-1174.2
1953	BRO	NL	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	11.0	15	12	5	5	9.82	4.14 (-137%)	-1149.8
1953	DET	AL	4	7	17	14	7	0	1	102.0	98	47	31	50	4.15	4.14 (avg)	1730.1
1954	DET	AL	3	3	17	5	0	0	0	45.1	63	29	30	15	5.76	3.90 (-48%)	-3200.9
1954	NYA	AL	1	0	5	3	0	0	0	12.2	9	4	13	7	2.84	3.90 (+27%)	-225.2
1956	BRO	NL	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2.0	1	0	2	2	0.00	—	0.0
Career · 14 seasons			88	68	322	188	71	12	19	1,484.0	1,372	625	663	829	3.79	—	-7,111

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

Ralph Branca — Career Batting Statistics
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
322	464	35	66	6	1	2	31	0	36	160	.142	.204	.172	.376	-2,323

Career AVG .142 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 45.5% below league average.

Career OBP .204 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 39.0% below league average.

Career SLG .172 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 54.4% below league average.

Career OPS .376 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — 47.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Ralph Branca Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1944	BRO	NL	21	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1945	BRO	NL	16	40	1	4	1	0	0	0	0	11	.100	—	—	—	—	0.0
1946	BRO	NL	24	18	3	2	0	0	0	0	5	8	.111	—	—	—	—	0.0
1947	BRO	NL	43	97	8	12	1	0	0	9	7	34	.124	.262 (-53%)	.336 (-46%)	.376 (-64%)	.712 (-56%)	-853.6
1948	BRO	NL	36	74	3	15	1	0	0	2	5	16	.203	.263 (-23%)	.340 (-26%)	.379 (-43%)	.719 (-35%)	-407.3
1949	BRO	NL	34	62	5	5	1	0	0	2	9	26	.081	.262 (-69%)	.343 (-43%)	.384 (-75%)	.727 (-60%)	-595.9
1950	BRO	NL	43	34	3	4	0	0	2	7	4	10	.118	—	—	—	—	0.0
1951	BRO	NL	42	63	6	11	1	0	0	4	2	26	.175	.260 (-33%)	.336 (-41%)	.385 (-51%)	.721 (-46%)	-466.2
1952	BRO	NL	16	19	0	3	0	0	0	2	0	9	.158	—	—	—	—	0.0
1953	BRO	NL	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1953	DET	AL	17	34	3	4	0	1	0	4	2	14	.118	—	—	—	—	0.0
1954	DET	AL	17	13	2	4	1	0	0	1	2	3	.308	—	—	—	—	0.0
1954	NYA	AL	5	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	—	—	—	—	0.0
1956	BRO	NL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
Career · 14 seasons			322	464	35	66	6	1	2	31	36	160	.142	—	—	—	—	-2,323

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.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Ralph Branca — Playoff Career Batting
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
4	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Ralph Branca — Playoff Batting by Year
Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1949	WS	BRO	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000
1947	WS	BRO	3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000

Playoff Career Pitching

Ralph Branca — Playoff Career Pitching
W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1	2	4	2	0	17.0	16	12	9	14	6.35

Playoff Pitching by Year

Ralph Branca — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year	Round	Team	W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1949	WS	BRO	0	1	1	1	0	8.2	4	4	4	6	4.15
1947	WS	BRO	1	1	3	1	0	8.1	12	8	5	8	8.64

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (638 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Ralph Branca — Batting — Home / Away
Split	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	AVG
Home	158	203	15	28	0	19	.138
Away	161	258	20	38	2	12	.147

Pitching — Home / Away

Ralph Branca — Pitching — Home / Away
Split	G	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Home	158	730.1	645	299	313	449	3.68
Away	161	742.2	715	328	344	372	3.97

Last 10 Games — Batting

Ralph Branca — Last 10 Games — Batting
Date	Tm	Opp	Res	AB	R	H
1956-09-07	BRO	NY1	L	0	0	0
1954-09-05	NYY	MIN	L	0	0	0
1954-08-21	NYY	BOS	L	0	0	0
1954-08-14	NYY	BOS	W	2	1	1
1954-08-01	NYY	BAL	W	2	0	1
1954-07-27	NYY	CHW	L	0	0	0
1954-07-05	DET	CLE	L	0	0	0
1954-07-03	DET	BAL	L	0	0	0
1954-06-29	DET	CHW	L	0	0	0
1954-06-27	DET	MIN	L	0	0	0

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Ralph Branca — Last 10 Games — Pitching
Date	Tm	Opp	Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
1956-09-07	BRO	NY1	—	2.0	1	0	0	2	2	0
1954-09-05	NYY	MIN	—	0.2	3	3	2	1	1	0
1954-08-21	NYY	BOS	—	1.0	0	1	1	2	0	0
1954-08-14	NYY	BOS	W	6.0	4	0	0	3	5	0
1954-08-01	NYY	BAL	—	4.0	2	1	1	6	1	0
1954-07-27	NYY	CHW	—	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	0
1954-07-05	DET	CLE	—	0.2	3	2	2	1	1	1
1954-07-03	DET	BAL	—	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	0
1954-06-29	DET	CHW	—	3.0	4	2	2	3	1	0
1954-06-27	DET	MIN	—	1.0	1	0	0	1	0	0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Ralph Branca — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	322	8	72	169	12	7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Ralph Branca — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1944	BRO	P	21	0	2	8	0	0
1945	BRO	P	16	0	7	20	2	1
1946	BRO	P	24	0	3	6	1	1
1947	BRO	P	43	0	9	35	3	0
1948	BRO	P	36	0	10	18	1	0
1949	BRO	P	34	0	6	15	2	0
1950	BRO	P	43	0	8	19	0	0
1951	BRO	P	42	0	12	19	0	2
1952	BRO	P	16	0	5	7	1	1
1953	BRO	P	7	0	0	2	0	1
1953	DET	P	17	0	7	10	1	0
1954	DET	P	17	5	2	6	0	1
1954	NYA	P	5	3	1	3	1	0
1956	BRO	P	1	0	0	1	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Ralph Branca Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position	Games
Pitcher	322

Awards & Honors

Ralph Branca — Awards & Honors
Year	Award	Notes
1947	Baseball Magazine All-Star	P2
1947	TSN All-Star	P

College History

Ralph Branca — College History
School Name	City	State	Years Attended
New York University	New York	NY	1944

Award Voting History

Ralph Branca — Award Voting History
Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max	Votes First
1948	Most Valuable Player	NL	21th	8.0	336	0
1947	Most Valuable Player	NL	11th	40.0	336	0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Ralph Branca (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

Ralph Branca: the record in brief

Ralph Branca's major league career runs from a debut on June 12, 1944 to a final game on September 7, 1956. Club by club, the record runs the Brooklyn Dodgers (1944 to 1956), the Detroit Tigers (1953 through 1954), and the New York Yankees (1954). Branca is listed as a pitcher at 6 feet, 3 inches and 220 pounds. Branca both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is January 6, 1926, in Mount Vernon, NY, USA. Branca's death is recorded on November 23, 2016, in Rye, NY, USA. Ralph Branca was the playing name; the full given name is Ralph Theodore Joseph.

Branca's career pitching line is 88 wins, 68 losses and a 3.79 ERA over 322 appearances. The totals include 829 strikeouts, 71 complete games, 12 shutouts, and 19 saves. Branca's 3.79 ERA was close to the 3.92 league figure for those seasons. Branca won 21 games in 1947, the most of any season listed.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ralph Branca

What years did Ralph Branca play?: Ralph Branca played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1956.
Was Ralph Branca a pitcher?: Yes. Ralph Branca pitched in the major leagues, recording 88 wins and 829 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Ralph Branca hit?: Ralph Branca hit 2 career home runs with 66 hits.
What teams did Ralph Branca play for?: Ralph Branca played for 3 teams: the Brooklyn Dodgers (1944–1953, 1956), the Detroit Tigers (1953–1954), and the New York Yankees (1954).
Did Ralph Branca win a Cy Young Award?: No. Ralph Branca did not win the Cy Young Award.
What awards did Ralph Branca win?: Ralph Branca was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
What were Ralph Branca's career stats?: In 322 games, Ralph Branca went 88-68 with a 3.79 ERA, 829 strikeouts, 1,484.0 innings pitched, and 19 saves. At the plate he had 66 hits and 2 home runs.
What position did Ralph Branca play?: Ralph Branca played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Ralph Branca and how much did he weigh?: Ralph Branca was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds.
What was Ralph Branca's career ERA?: Ralph Branca finished with a 3.79 career ERA, going 88-68 with 829 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Ralph Branca have?: Ralph Branca recorded 829 career strikeouts.
Is Ralph Branca in the Hall of Fame?: No. Ralph Branca has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Ralph Branca make?: Ralph Branca was selected to 3 All-Star Games.