Johnny Butler
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1926-1929)
Johnny Butler was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1926 to 1929 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 4 seasons. In 375 career games, he hit .252 with 315 hits, 3 home runs, and 146 RBI.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Died
- 4/29/1967 in Seal Beach, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1926-04-18
- Last Game
- 1929-10-05
Full name: John Stephen Butler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 375 | 1,251 | 115 | 315 | 48 | 12 | 3 | 146 | 17 | 111 | 89 | .252 | .320 | .317 | .636 | -2,675 |
Career AVG .252 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 11.0% below league average.
Career OBP .320 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — 7.7% below league average.
Career SLG .317 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — 20.5% below league average.
Career OPS .636 vs. league average .745 across their career seasons — 14.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | BRO | NL | 147 | 501 | 54 | 135 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 68 | 6 | 54 | 44 | .269 | .279 (-4%) | .345 (avg) | .390 (-10%) | .735 (-5%) | -369.3 |
| 1927 | BRO | NL | 149 | 521 | 39 | 124 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 57 | 9 | 34 | 33 | .238 | .282 (-16%) | .344 (-15%) | .392 (-24%) | .736 (-20%) | -1682.0 |
| 1928 | CHN | NL | 62 | 174 | 17 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 19 | 7 | .270 | .280 (-4%) | .342 (+3%) | .395 (-22%) | .737 (-10%) | -216.6 |
| 1929 | SLN | NL | 17 | 55 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .164 | .289 (-43%) | .353 (-38%) | .415 (-47%) | .769 (-43%) | -407.1 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 375 | 1,251 | 115 | 315 | 48 | 12 | 3 | 146 | 17 | 111 | 89 | .252 | — | — | — | — | -2,675 | ||
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 (374 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 181 | 605 | 62 | 152 | 2 | 74 | .251 |
| Away | 193 | 644 | 53 | 163 | 1 | 67 | .253 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-10-05 | STL | PIT | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-10-05 | STL | PIT | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-09-29 | STL | PIT | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-09-29 | STL | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-09-28 | STL | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929-09-27 | STL | PIT | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1929-09-04 | STL | CHC | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-08-26 | STL | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-08-25 | STL | BSN | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929-08-24 | STL | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 8 | 0 | 17 | 23 | 2 | 2 |
| 3B | 170 | 0 | 167 | 306 | 19 | 19 |
| SS | 202 | 0 | 476 | 591 | 52 | 95 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | BRO | 2B | 8 | 0 | 17 | 23 | 2 | 2 |
| 1926 | BRO | 3B | 42 | 0 | 38 | 67 | 2 | 3 |
| 1926 | BRO | SS | 102 | 0 | 243 | 317 | 30 | 43 |
| 1927 | BRO | 3B | 60 | 0 | 65 | 105 | 7 | 7 |
| 1927 | BRO | SS | 90 | 0 | 214 | 251 | 20 | 49 |
| 1928 | CHN | 3B | 59 | 0 | 51 | 120 | 9 | 9 |
| 1928 | CHN | SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1929 | SLN | 3B | 9 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929 | SLN | SS | 8 | 0 | 17 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 9 |
| Third Base | 168 |
| Shortstop | 203 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 19th | 5.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Johnny Butler (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Johnny Butler: the record in brief
According to the bio, Johnny Butler debuted on April 18, 1926 and played a final game on October 5, 1929. The team column moves through the Brooklyn Robins (1926 to 1927), the Chicago Cubs (1928), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1929). The bio lists Butler as a shortstop who both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds. Butler was born on March 20, 1893, in Fall River, KS, USA. Butler died on April 29, 1967, in Seal Beach, CA, USA. The given name on file is John Stephen Butler.
Butler collected 315 hits in 1,251 at bats across 375 games, good for a .252 batting average; the totals also include 3 homers and 146 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .320 and the slugging percentage .317, for an OPS of .636. Butler's .252 average ran 11.0% below the .283 that the league posted over the same seasons. In OPS terms, Butler's .636 stands 14.6% below the league's .745. The hits column peaks at 135, in 1926. 1926 brought the most runs batted in, 68.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Butler
- What years did Johnny Butler play?
- Johnny Butler played in Major League Baseball from 1926 to 1929.
- Was Johnny Butler a pitcher?
- No. Johnny Butler was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Johnny Butler hit?
- Johnny Butler hit 3 career home runs with 315 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Butler play for?
- Johnny Butler played for 3 teams: the Brooklyn Robins (1926–1927), the Chicago Cubs (1928), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1929).
- What were Johnny Butler's career stats?
- In 375 games, Johnny Butler had 315 hits, 3 home runs, 146 RBI, 115 runs, and 17 stolen bases, with a .252 batting average.
- What position did Johnny Butler play?
- Johnny Butler played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Butler and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Butler was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Johnny Butler hit each season?
- Johnny Butler's home runs by season: 1 in 1926, 2 in 1927, 0 in 1928, and 0 in 1929. His most in one season was 2, in 1927.
- What was Johnny Butler's career batting average?
- Johnny Butler batted .252 over his career, with 315 hits in 1,251 at bats.
- How many RBI did Johnny Butler have?
- Johnny Butler drove in 146 runs in his career.
- Is Johnny Butler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Butler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.