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.
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 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.