Roy Campanella
Catcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1948-1957)
Roy Campanella was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1957 for 4 teams, including the Washington Elite Giants, a span of 10 seasons. In 1,455 career games, he hit .283 with 1,427 hits, 260 home runs, and 1,015 RBI. Roy Campanella was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 and was a 11-time All-Star and a 3-time MVP. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 19,598.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 190 lb
- Died
- 6/26/1993 in Woodland Hills, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1948-04-20
- Last Game
- 1957-09-29
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1969 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 11× All-Star · 3× MVP
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,455 | 5,050 | 787 | 1,427 | 235 | 32 | 260 | 1,015 | 39 | 608 | 514 | .283 | .363 | .496 | .859 | 19,598 |
Career AVG .283 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +7.3% above league average.
Career OBP .363 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +8.4% above league average.
Career SLG .496 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +29.7% above league average.
Career OPS .859 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — +19.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | WEG | NN2 | 7 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | BEG | NN2 | 9 | 30 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | BEG | NN2 | 18 | 46 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .217 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | BEG | NN2 | 35 | 119 | 18 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 1 | 6 | 1 | .261 | .267 (-3%) | .335 (-10%) | .387 (+21%) | .722 (+7%) | 91.2 |
| 1941 | BEG | NN2 | 37 | 128 | 26 | 41 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 12 | 6 | .320 | .262 (+22%) | .332 (+18%) | .373 (+47%) | .705 (+33%) | 681.1 |
| 1942 | BEG | NN2 | 42 | 150 | 22 | 42 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 14 | 6 | .280 | .253 (+11%) | .323 (+7%) | .349 (+12%) | .672 (+10%) | 221.3 |
| 1944 | BEG | NN2 | 34 | 138 | 28 | 54 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 4 | 8 | 0 | .391 | .261 (+50%) | .325 (+30%) | .357 (+56%) | .683 (+44%) | 920.9 |
| 1944 | PS | NN2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 920.9 |
| 1945 | BEG | NN2 | 57 | 207 | 51 | 77 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 48 | 3 | 31 | 0 | .372 | .260 (+43%) | .328 (+39%) | .354 (+63%) | .683 (+52%) | 1844.2 |
| 1948 | BRO | NL | 83 | 279 | 32 | 72 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 45 | 3 | 36 | 45 | .258 | .263 (-2%) | .340 (+1%) | .379 (+10%) | .719 (+6%) | 296.1 |
| 1949 | BRO | NL | 130 | 436 | 65 | 125 | 22 | 2 | 22 | 82 | 3 | 67 | 36 | .287 | .262 (+9%) | .343 (+12%) | .384 (+30%) | .727 (+21%) | 1939.2 |
| 1950 | BRO | NL | 126 | 437 | 70 | 123 | 19 | 3 | 31 | 89 | 1 | 55 | 51 | .281 | .265 (+6%) | .346 (+5%) | .401 (+37%) | .747 (+22%) | 1918.2 |
| 1951 | BRO | NL | 143 | 505 | 90 | 164 | 33 | 1 | 33 | 108 | 1 | 53 | 51 | .325 | .260 (+24%) | .336 (+17%) | .385 (+53%) | .721 (+36%) | 3616.4 |
| 1952 | BRO | NL | 128 | 468 | 73 | 126 | 18 | 1 | 22 | 97 | 8 | 57 | 59 | .269 | .252 (+7%) | .326 (+8%) | .369 (+23%) | .696 (+16%) | 1434.7 |
| 1953 | BRO | NL | 144 | 519 | 103 | 162 | 26 | 3 | 41 | 142 | 4 | 67 | 58 | .312 | .264 (+18%) | .335 (+18%) | .397 (+54%) | .733 (+37%) | 3958.1 |
| 1954 | BRO | NL | 111 | 397 | 43 | 82 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 51 | 1 | 42 | 49 | .207 | .261 (-21%) | .333 (-14%) | .390 (+3%) | .723 (-5%) | -399.3 |
| 1955 | BRO | NL | 123 | 446 | 81 | 142 | 20 | 1 | 32 | 107 | 2 | 56 | 41 | .318 | .258 (+23%) | .332 (+19%) | .393 (+48%) | .726 (+35%) | 3053.4 |
| 1956 | BRO | NL | 124 | 388 | 39 | 85 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 73 | 1 | 66 | 61 | .219 | .258 (-15%) | .331 (avg) | .397 (-1%) | .728 (avg) | 108.0 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 103 | 330 | 31 | 80 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 62 | 1 | 34 | 50 | .242 | .257 (-6%) | .323 (-3%) | .391 (-1%) | .715 (-2%) | -85.9 |
| Career · 19 seasons | 1,455 | 5,050 | 787 | 1,427 | 235 | 32 | 260 | 1,015 | 39 | 608 | 514 | .283 | — | — | — | — | 20,519 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | BEG | NN2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15.1 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 5.28 | 3.67 (-44%) | 315.1 |
| Career · 1 season | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15.1 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 5.28 | — | 315 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 146 | 19 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 13 | 20 | .247 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | WS | BRO | 7 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | .182 |
| 1955 | WS | BRO | 7 | 27 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | .259 |
| 1953 | WS | BRO | 6 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | .273 |
| 1952 | WS | BRO | 7 | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | .214 |
| 1949 | WS | BRO | 5 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .267 |
| 1939 | NLC | BEG | 5 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .353 |
| 1939 | NLP1 | BEG | 4 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .200 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1439 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 716 | 2345 | 415 | 725 | 153 | 511 | .309 |
| Away | 721 | 2527 | 345 | 671 | 112 | 444 | .266 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 15.1 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 0.00 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-09-29 | BRO | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-27 | BRO | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-24 | BRO | PIT | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-22 | BRO | PHI | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-09-20 | BRO | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-15 | BRO | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-09-14 | BRO | ATL | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1957-09-13 | BRO | ATL | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1957-09-12 | BRO | ATL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1957-09-11 | BRO | CHC | W | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 2 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-04 | BLG | NY6 | — | 6.1 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1945-06-14 | BLG | NW2 | W | 9.0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| C | 1371 | 606 | 7501 | 685 | 107 | 89 |
| OF | 45 | 42 | 66 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| P | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | WEG | C | 7 | 6 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | BEG | C | 8 | 7 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | BEG | C | 16 | 15 | 63 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 1940 | BEG | C | 32 | 29 | 180 | 25 | 7 | 1 |
| 1941 | BEG | C | 36 | 33 | 182 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 1941 | BEG | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | BEG | C | 27 | 25 | 119 | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 1942 | BEG | OF | 15 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1944 | BEG | C | 20 | 19 | 112 | 15 | 2 | 2 |
| 1944 | BEG | OF | 15 | 15 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1944 | PS | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | BEG | 3B | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1945 | BEG | C | 42 | 41 | 255 | 37 | 8 | 2 |
| 1945 | BEG | OF | 13 | 13 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | BEG | P | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | BRO | C | 78 | 0 | 413 | 45 | 9 | 12 |
| 1949 | BRO | C | 127 | 0 | 684 | 55 | 11 | 5 |
| 1950 | BRO | C | 123 | 0 | 683 | 54 | 11 | 14 |
| 1951 | BRO | C | 140 | 0 | 722 | 72 | 11 | 12 |
| 1952 | BRO | C | 122 | 0 | 662 | 55 | 4 | 7 |
| 1953 | BRO | C | 140 | 0 | 807 | 57 | 10 | 9 |
| 1954 | BRO | C | 111 | 106 | 600 | 58 | 7 | 7 |
| 1955 | BRO | C | 121 | 118 | 672 | 54 | 6 | 8 |
| 1956 | BRO | C | 121 | 113 | 659 | 49 | 11 | 3 |
| 1957 | BRO | C | 100 | 94 | 618 | 51 | 5 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 2 |
| Catcher | 1370 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 14 |
| Center Field | 7 |
| Right Field | 24 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1955 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1953 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1953 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1953 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1951 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1951 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1950 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C |
| 1949 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C |
| 1949 | TSN All-Star | C |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 226.0 | 336 | 8 |
| 1953 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 297.0 | 336 | 17 |
| 1952 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 25.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1951 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 243.0 | 336 | 11 |
| 1950 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 29.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1949 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 15th | 22.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1948 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 21th | 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%.
Roy Campanella (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella: the record in brief
Roy Campanella appears in the season tables from 1937, when the club was a Negro Leagues team; the bio's debut date, April 20, 1948, marks the first game in the American or National League era of the record, and the final game as September 29, 1957. Campanella played for the Washington Elite Giants (1937), the Baltimore Elite Giants (1938 through 1945), the Philadelphia Stars (1944), and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1948 through 1957). Campanella, born on November 19, 1921, in Philadelphia, PA, USA, is listed as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. Size on record: 5'9" and 190 pounds. The bio records the death on June 26, 1993, in Woodland Hills, CA, USA.
Campanella finished with 1,427 hits from 5,050 at bats in 1,455 games, which works out to .283, plus 260 homers, 1,015 RBI, and 39 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .363 and .496 give Campanella a career OPS of .859.
Frequently Asked Questions about Roy Campanella
- What years did Roy Campanella play?
- Roy Campanella played in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1957.
- Was Roy Campanella a pitcher?
- No. Roy Campanella was a position player (Catcher), though he did pitch in 2 career games.
- How many home runs did Roy Campanella hit?
- Roy Campanella hit 260 career home runs with 1,427 hits.
- Is Roy Campanella in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Roy Campanella was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.
- What teams did Roy Campanella play for?
- Roy Campanella played for 3 teams: the Baltimore Elite Giants (1937–1942, 1944–1945), the Philadelphia Stars (1944), and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1948–1957).
- How many MVP awards did Roy Campanella win?
- Roy Campanella won 3 MVP awards, in 1951, 1953, and 1955.
- What awards did Roy Campanella win?
- Roy Campanella won 3 MVP awards (1951, 1953, and 1955). He was selected to 11 All-Star Games.
- What were Roy Campanella's career stats?
- In 1,455 games, Roy Campanella had 1,427 hits, 260 home runs, 1,015 RBI, 787 runs, and 39 stolen bases, with a .283 batting average.
- What position did Roy Campanella play?
- Roy Campanella played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Roy Campanella and how much did he weigh?
- Roy Campanella was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Roy Campanella hit each season?
- Roy Campanella's home runs by season: 0 in 1937, 0 in 1938, 0 in 1939, 6 in 1940, 4 in 1941, 1 in 1942, 2 in 1944, 5 in 1945, 9 in 1948, 22 in 1949, 31 in 1950, 33 in 1951, 22 in 1952, 41 in 1953, 19 in 1954, 32 in 1955, 20 in 1956, and 13 in 1957. His most in one season was 41, in 1953.
- What was Roy Campanella's career batting average?
- Roy Campanella batted .283 over his career, with 1,427 hits in 5,050 at bats.
- How many RBI did Roy Campanella have?
- Roy Campanella drove in 1,015 runs in his career.
- What was Roy Campanella's career ERA?
- Roy Campanella finished with a 5.28 career ERA, going 1-0 with 16 strikeouts.