Lew Burdette
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1950-1967)
Lew Burdette was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1967 for 7 teams, including the New York Yankees, a span of 18 seasons. Across 626 career appearances, he went 203-144 with a 3.66 ERA, 1,074 strikeouts, and 31 saves. He also batted .183 with 12 home runs. Lew Burdette was a 2-time All-Star, a World Series MVP, and a Babe Ruth Award. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 14032.5.
- 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
- 6'2" / 180 lb
- Died
- 2/6/2007 in Winter Garden, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1950-09-26
- Last Game
- 1967-07-16
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · World Series MVP · Babe Ruth Award
Full name: Selva Lewis Burdette
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | NYA | AL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 | — | 0.0 |
| 1951 | BSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6.23 | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 6 | 11 | 45 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 137.0 | 138 | 55 | 47 | 47 | 3.61 | 3.70 (+2%) | 585.6 |
| 1953 | ML1 | NL | 15 | 5 | 46 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 175.0 | 177 | 63 | 56 | 58 | 3.24 | 4.14 (+22%) | 2921.1 |
| 1954 | ML1 | NL | 15 | 14 | 38 | 32 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 238.0 | 224 | 73 | 62 | 79 | 2.76 | 3.90 (+29%) | 2518.8 |
| 1955 | ML1 | NL | 13 | 8 | 42 | 33 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 230.0 | 253 | 103 | 73 | 70 | 4.03 | 4.00 (-1%) | -1175.1 |
| 1956 | ML1 | NL | 19 | 10 | 39 | 35 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 256.1 | 234 | 77 | 52 | 110 | 2.70 | 3.96 (+32%) | 4694.1 |
| 1957 | ML1 | NL | 17 | 9 | 37 | 33 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 256.2 | 260 | 106 | 59 | 78 | 3.72 | 3.83 (+3%) | 34.0 |
| 1958 | ML1 | NL | 20 | 10 | 40 | 36 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 275.1 | 279 | 89 | 50 | 113 | 2.91 | 3.86 (+25%) | 5519.9 |
| 1959 | ML1 | NL | 21 | 15 | 41 | 39 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 289.2 | 312 | 131 | 38 | 105 | 4.07 | 3.90 (-4%) | -169.3 |
| 1960 | ML1 | NL | 19 | 13 | 45 | 32 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 275.2 | 277 | 103 | 35 | 83 | 3.36 | 3.82 (+12%) | 4097.1 |
| 1961 | ML1 | NL | 18 | 11 | 40 | 36 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 272.1 | 295 | 121 | 33 | 92 | 4.00 | 4.03 (+1%) | 1809.3 |
| 1962 | ML1 | NL | 10 | 9 | 37 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 143.2 | 172 | 78 | 23 | 59 | 4.89 | 3.96 (-24%) | -2569.1 |
| 1963 | ML1 | NL | 6 | 5 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 84.0 | 71 | 34 | 24 | 28 | 3.64 | 3.46 (-5%) | -3292.2 |
| 1963 | SLN | NL | 3 | 8 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 98.0 | 106 | 41 | 16 | 45 | 3.77 | 3.46 (-9%) | 995.5 |
| 1964 | SLN | NL | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1.80 | 3.58 (+50%) | -156.1 |
| 1964 | CHN | NL | 9 | 9 | 28 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 131.0 | 152 | 71 | 19 | 40 | 4.88 | 3.58 (-36%) | -1180.0 |
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20.1 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 5.31 | 3.50 (-52%) | -601.0 |
| 1965 | PHI | NL | 3 | 3 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 70.2 | 95 | 43 | 17 | 23 | 5.48 | 3.50 (-57%) | -390.8 |
| 1966 | CAL | AL | 7 | 2 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 79.2 | 80 | 30 | 12 | 27 | 3.39 | 3.52 (+4%) | 1015.3 |
| 1967 | CAL | AL | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18.1 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 4.91 | 3.30 (-49%) | -624.6 |
| Career · 21 seasons | 203 | 144 | 626 | 373 | 158 | 33 | 31 | 3,067.1 | 3,186 | 1,246 | 628 | 1,074 | 3.66 | — | 14,033 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 666 | 1,011 | 101 | 185 | 27 | 4 | 12 | 75 | 2 | 32 | 271 | .183 | .216 | .253 | .469 | -4,783 |
Career AVG .183 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 28.2% below league average.
Career OBP .216 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 33.3% below league average.
Career SLG .253 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 34.3% below league average.
Career OPS .469 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — 33.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | NYA | AL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1951 | BSN | NL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 45 | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .114 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1953 | ML1 | NL | 46 | 53 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | .170 | .264 (-36%) | .335 (-49%) | .397 (-57%) | .733 (-54%) | -459.4 |
| 1954 | ML1 | NL | 39 | 79 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | .089 | .261 (-66%) | .333 (-64%) | .390 (-74%) | .723 (-70%) | -902.0 |
| 1955 | ML1 | NL | 45 | 86 | 10 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 20 | .233 | .258 (-10%) | .332 (-22%) | .393 (-26%) | .726 (-24%) | -346.2 |
| 1956 | ML1 | NL | 45 | 86 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 16 | .186 | .258 (-28%) | .331 (-37%) | .397 (-50%) | .728 (-44%) | -628.2 |
| 1957 | ML1 | NL | 41 | 88 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 22 | .148 | .257 (-43%) | .323 (-44%) | .391 (-39%) | .715 (-41%) | -590.9 |
| 1958 | ML1 | NL | 47 | 99 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 24 | .242 | .257 (-6%) | .324 (-16%) | .394 (-8%) | .719 (-12%) | -196.0 |
| 1959 | ML1 | NL | 52 | 104 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 36 | .202 | .256 (-21%) | .323 (-29%) | .392 (-26%) | .715 (-27%) | -472.7 |
| 1960 | ML1 | NL | 46 | 91 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 22 | .176 | .255 (-31%) | .323 (-26%) | .387 (-29%) | .711 (-28%) | -406.8 |
| 1961 | ML1 | NL | 42 | 103 | 10 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 39 | .204 | .258 (-21%) | .328 (-33%) | .399 (-15%) | .727 (-23%) | -410.9 |
| 1962 | ML1 | NL | 39 | 51 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .176 | .257 (-32%) | .326 (-36%) | .393 (-55%) | .719 (-47%) | -370.1 |
| 1963 | ML1 | NL | 17 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | .038 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1963 | SLN | NL | 21 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | .097 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | SLN | NL | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | CHN | NL | 28 | 43 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12 | .279 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | PHI | NL | 19 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .300 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CAL | AL | 54 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | CAL | AL | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 21 seasons | 666 | 1,011 | 101 | 185 | 27 | 4 | 12 | 75 | 2 | 32 | 271 | .183 | — | — | — | — | -4,783 | ||
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 (1290 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 323 | 485 | 51 | 88 | 2 | 34 | .181 |
| Away | 342 | 521 | 50 | 96 | 10 | 41 | .184 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 299 | 1568.1 | 1547 | 579 | 298 | 565 | 3.32 |
| Away | 326 | 1491.2 | 1632 | 661 | 331 | 506 | 3.99 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-07-16 | LAA | MIN | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967-07-14 | LAA | CHW | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-07-03 | LAA | BOS | — | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967-06-27 | LAA | TEX | — | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967-06-17 | LAA | BAL | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1967-06-06 | LAA | BAL | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-06-03 | LAA | MIN | — | 0.1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-05-31 | LAA | TEX | — | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967-05-21 | LAA | MIN | — | 1.0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967-05-19 | LAA | MIN | — | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | NYA | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1951 | BSN | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | BSN | P | 45 | 0 | 9 | 29 | 1 | 3 |
| 1953 | ML1 | P | 46 | 0 | 11 | 37 | 1 | 6 |
| 1954 | ML1 | P | 38 | 32 | 17 | 49 | 4 | 4 |
| 1955 | ML1 | P | 42 | 33 | 18 | 47 | 2 | 6 |
| 1956 | ML1 | P | 39 | 35 | 19 | 48 | 1 | 4 |
| 1957 | ML1 | P | 37 | 33 | 22 | 53 | 4 | 3 |
| 1958 | ML1 | P | 40 | 36 | 27 | 53 | 1 | 4 |
| 1959 | ML1 | P | 41 | 39 | 21 | 47 | 1 | 6 |
| 1960 | ML1 | P | 45 | 32 | 31 | 68 | 2 | 6 |
| 1961 | ML1 | P | 40 | 36 | 27 | 60 | 1 | 2 |
| 1962 | ML1 | P | 37 | 19 | 8 | 33 | 2 | 1 |
| 1963 | ML1 | P | 15 | 13 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 2 |
| 1963 | SLN | P | 21 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| 1964 | SLN | P | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | CHN | P | 28 | 17 | 10 | 34 | 0 | 3 |
| 1965 | CHN | P | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | PHI | P | 19 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 1966 | CAL | P | 54 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| 1967 | CAL | P | 19 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 626 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Babe Ruth Award | P |
| 1957 | World Series MVP |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Richmond | Richmond | VA | 1946 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 14.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1958 | Cy Young Award | ML | 3rd | 3.0 | 16 | 3 |
| 1958 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 11th | 47.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1957 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 24th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 22th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Lew Burdette (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Lew Burdette: the record in brief
According to the bio, Lew Burdette debuted on September 26, 1950 and played a final game on July 16, 1967. Burdette played for the New York Yankees (1950), the Boston Braves (1951 to 1952), the Milwaukee Braves (1953 to 1963), the St. Louis Cardinals (1963 to 1964), the Chicago Cubs (1964 through 1965), the Philadelphia Phillies (1965), and the California Angels (1966 through 1967). Burdette played primarily as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. Born on November 22, 1926, in Nitro, WV, USA, Burdette was listed at 6 feet, 2 inches and 180 pounds. Burdette's death is recorded on February 6, 2007, in Winter Garden, FL, USA. Burdette's full given name, per the bio, is Selva Lewis Burdette.
Burdette went 203-144 with a 3.66 ERA in 626 games, 373 of them starts. Also on Burdette's record: 1,074 strikeouts, 158 complete games, 33 shutouts, and 31 saves. Burdette's 3.66 ERA was close to the 3.80 league figure for those seasons. 1959 brought Burdette a season-high 21 wins.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lew Burdette
- What years did Lew Burdette play?
- Lew Burdette played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1967.
- Was Lew Burdette a pitcher?
- Yes. Lew Burdette pitched in the major leagues, recording 203 wins and 1074 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Lew Burdette hit?
- Lew Burdette hit 12 career home runs with 185 hits.
- What teams did Lew Burdette play for?
- Lew Burdette played for 6 teams: the New York Yankees (1950), the Milwaukee Braves (1951–1963), the St. Louis Cardinals (1963–1964), the Chicago Cubs (1964–1965), the Philadelphia Phillies (1965), and the California Angels (1966–1967).
- Did Lew Burdette win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Lew Burdette did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Lew Burdette win?
- Lew Burdette won the World Series MVP award (1957). He was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Lew Burdette's career stats?
- In 626 games, Lew Burdette went 203-144 with a 3.66 ERA, 1,074 strikeouts, 3,067.1 innings pitched, and 31 saves. At the plate he had 185 hits and 12 home runs.
- What position did Lew Burdette play?
- Lew Burdette played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Lew Burdette and how much did he weigh?
- Lew Burdette was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 180 pounds.
- What was Lew Burdette's career ERA?
- Lew Burdette finished with a 3.66 career ERA, going 203-144 with 1,074 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Lew Burdette have?
- Lew Burdette recorded 1,074 career strikeouts.
- Is Lew Burdette in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lew Burdette has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Lew Burdette make?
- Lew Burdette was selected to 2 All-Star Games.