Leon Culberson
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1943-1948)
Leon Culberson was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1948 for the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Senators, a span of 6 seasons. In 370 career games, he hit .266 with 324 hits, 14 home runs, and 131 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 654.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 180 lb
- Died
- 9/17/1989 in Rome, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1943-05-16
- Last Game
- 1948-05-12
Full name: Delbert Leon Culberson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 370 | 1,217 | 148 | 324 | 59 | 18 | 14 | 131 | 27 | 106 | 126 | .266 | .327 | .379 | .705 | 654 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .327 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .379 vs. league average .362 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .705 vs. league average .693 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | BOS | AL | 80 | 312 | 36 | 85 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 34 | 13 | 30 | 35 | .272 | .255 (+6%) | .324 (+3%) | .346 (+13%) | .671 (+8%) | 392.2 |
| 1944 | BOS | AL | 75 | 282 | 41 | 67 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 6 | 20 | 20 | .238 | .261 (-9%) | .325 (-12%) | .357 (-7%) | .683 (-9%) | -446.0 |
| 1945 | BOS | AL | 97 | 331 | 26 | 91 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 45 | 4 | 20 | 37 | .275 | .260 (+5%) | .328 (-4%) | .354 (+21%) | .683 (+9%) | 366.6 |
| 1946 | BOS | AL | 59 | 179 | 34 | 56 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 16 | 19 | .313 | .256 (+22%) | .328 (+12%) | .358 (+20%) | .687 (+16%) | 482.9 |
| 1947 | BOS | AL | 47 | 84 | 10 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 10 | .238 | .262 (-9%) | .336 (+5%) | .376 (-34%) | .712 (-15%) | -142.2 |
| 1948 | WS1 | AL | 12 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 5 | .172 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 370 | 1,217 | 148 | 324 | 59 | 18 | 14 | 131 | 27 | 106 | 126 | .266 | — | — | — | — | 654 | ||
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 (371 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 191 | 637 | 98 | 183 | 6 | 69 | .287 |
| Away | 180 | 580 | 50 | 141 | 8 | 63 | .243 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-05-12 | MIN | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-05-10 | MIN | SLA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1948-05-04 | MIN | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1948-05-02 | MIN | PHA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-04-29 | MIN | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-04-26 | MIN | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-04-25 | MIN | PHA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1948-04-25 | MIN | PHA | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1948-04-24 | MIN | PHA | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1948-04-23 | MIN | PHA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 8 |
| Left Field | 39 |
| Center Field | 244 |
| Right Field | 45 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Leon Culberson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Leon Culberson: the record in brief
According to the bio, Leon Culberson debuted on May 16, 1943 and played a final game on May 12, 1948. The season rows list, in order, the Boston Red Sox (1943 to 1947) and the Washington Senators (1948). At 5 feet, 11 inches and 180 pounds, Culberson is listed as an outfielder. The bio says Culberson batted and threw right-handed. Culberson was born on August 6, 1918, in Hall's Station, GA, USA. Culberson's death is recorded on September 17, 1989, in Rome, GA, USA. On the record, Leon Culberson was born Delbert Leon Culberson.
Across 370 games at the plate, Culberson's career line reads 324 hits in 1,217 at bats for a .266 average, along with 14 home runs, 131 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .327 and the slugging percentage .379, for an OPS of .705. The .266 career average is close to the .260 the league hit across the same seasons. 1945 produced Culberson's most hits, 91 of them for the Boston Red Sox.
Frequently Asked Questions about Leon Culberson
- What years did Leon Culberson play?
- Leon Culberson played in Major League Baseball from 1943 to 1948.
- Was Leon Culberson a pitcher?
- No. Leon Culberson was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Leon Culberson hit?
- Leon Culberson hit 14 career home runs with 324 hits.
- What teams did Leon Culberson play for?
- Leon Culberson played for 2 teams: the Boston Red Sox (1943–1947) and the Washington Senators (1948).
- What were Leon Culberson's career stats?
- In 370 games, Leon Culberson had 324 hits, 14 home runs, 131 RBI, 148 runs, and 27 stolen bases, with a .266 batting average.
- What position did Leon Culberson play?
- Leon Culberson played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Leon Culberson and how much did he weigh?
- Leon Culberson was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Leon Culberson hit each season?
- Leon Culberson's home runs by season: 3 in 1943, 2 in 1944, 6 in 1945, 3 in 1946, 0 in 1947, and 0 in 1948. His most in one season was 6, in 1945.
- What was Leon Culberson's career batting average?
- Leon Culberson batted .266 over his career, with 324 hits in 1,217 at bats.
- How many RBI did Leon Culberson have?
- Leon Culberson drove in 131 runs in his career.
- Is Leon Culberson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Leon Culberson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.