Paul Derringer

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1931-1945)

Paul Derringer was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1945 for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 15 seasons. Across 579 career appearances, he went 223-212 with a 3.46 ERA, 1,507 strikeouts, and 29 saves. He also batted .175 with 2 home runs. Paul Derringer was a 6-time All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 67059.4.

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

W–L 223–212
ERA 3.46
WHIP 1.28
SO 1,507
Pitcher PIV 67059.4
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'3" / 205 lb
Born
10/17/1906 in Springfield, KY, USA
Died
11/17/1987 in Sarasota, FL, USA
MLB Debut
1931-04-16
Last Game
1945-09-27
Awards
6× All-Star

Full name: Samuel Paul Derringer

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Career Pitching Statistics

Paul Derringer — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
223 212 579 445 251 32 29 3645.0 3,912 1,401 158 761 1,507 3.46 67059.4

Career ERA 3.46 vs. league average 4.05 across their career seasons — 14.5% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Paul Derringer Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1931 SLN NL 18 8 35 23 15 4 2 211.2 225 79 65 134 3.36 4.10 (+18%) 3853.3
1932 SLN NL 11 14 39 30 14 1 0 233.1 296 105 67 78 4.05 4.13 (+2%) 2737.7
1933 SLN NL 0 2 3 2 1 0 0 17.0 24 8 9 3 4.24 3.86 (-10%) -198.4
1933 CIN NL 7 25 33 31 16 2 1 231.0 240 83 51 86 3.23 3.86 (+16%) 4469.9
1934 CIN NL 15 21 47 31 18 1 4 261.0 297 104 59 122 3.59 4.29 (+16%) 6087.9
1935 CIN NL 22 13 45 33 20 3 2 276.2 295 108 49 120 3.51 4.35 (+19%) 6148.7
1936 CIN NL 19 19 51 37 13 2 5 282.1 331 126 42 121 4.02 4.59 (+12%) 8171.1
1937 CIN NL 10 14 43 26 12 1 1 222.2 240 100 55 94 4.04 4.34 (+7%) 4846.0
1938 CIN NL 21 14 41 37 26 4 3 307.0 315 100 49 132 2.93 4.35 (+33%) 6456.8
1939 CIN NL 25 7 38 35 28 5 0 301.0 321 98 35 128 2.93 4.28 (+32%) 8331.9
1940 CIN NL 20 12 37 37 26 3 0 296.2 280 101 48 115 3.06 4.21 (+27%) 5957.9
1941 CIN NL 12 14 29 28 17 2 1 228.1 233 84 54 76 3.31 3.94 (+16%) 1058.5
1942 CIN NL 10 11 29 27 13 1 0 208.2 203 71 49 68 3.06 3.57 (+14%) 3446.3
1943 CHN NL 10 14 32 22 10 2 3 174.0 184 69 39 75 3.57 3.50 (-2%) 2338.7
1944 CHN NL 7 13 42 16 7 0 3 180.0 205 83 39 69 4.15 3.57 (-16%) 346.9
1945 CHN NL 16 11 35 30 15 1 4 213.2 223 82 51 86 3.45 3.67 (+6%) 3006.0
Career · 16 seasons 223 212 579 445 251 32 29 3,645.0 3,912 1,401 761 1,507 3.46 — 67,059

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

Paul Derringer — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
579 1,260 70 220 30 3 2 102 0 16 219 .175 .186 .208 .394 -9,119

Career AVG .175 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — 35.3% below league average.

Career OBP .186 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 44.5% below league average.

Career SLG .208 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 45.3% below league average.

Career OPS .394 vs. league average .716 across their career seasons — 44.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Paul Derringer Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1931 SLN NL 35 72 2 7 0 0 0 1 0 1 18 .097 .276 (-65%) .338 (-68%) .388 (-75%) .726 (-72%) -822.8
1932 SLN NL 39 73 8 13 4 0 0 4 0 2 11 .178 .275 (-35%) .335 (-37%) .391 (-41%) .726 (-39%) -462.8
1933 SLN NL 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1933 CIN NL 33 76 5 14 0 0 0 4 0 1 14 .184 .270 (-32%) .329 (-38%) .377 (-51%) .707 (-45%) 0.0
1934 CIN NL 47 92 6 18 2 2 0 4 0 3 21 .196 .278 (-30%) .340 (-35%) .392 (-34%) .733 (-34%) -531.2
1935 CIN NL 45 93 3 13 1 0 0 7 0 0 14 .140 .279 (-50%) .342 (-59%) .399 (-62%) .742 (-61%) -924.7
1936 CIN NL 51 90 7 18 2 0 0 7 0 2 15 .200 .283 (-30%) .349 (-38%) .404 (-45%) .753 (-42%) -625.6
1937 CIN NL 43 80 2 16 3 1 0 11 0 0 20 .200 .276 (-28%) .342 (-42%) .398 (-34%) .740 (-38%) -509.1
1938 CIN NL 41 119 8 21 1 0 2 15 0 2 24 .176 .272 (-35%) .341 (-44%) .392 (-40%) .734 (-42%) -824.8
1939 CIN NL 38 110 10 23 3 0 0 17 0 1 11 .209 .274 (-24%) .342 (-37%) .393 (-40%) .735 (-38%) -695.1
1940 CIN NL 37 108 4 18 4 0 0 8 0 0 19 .167 .267 (-38%) .335 (-50%) .387 (-47%) .722 (-49%) -855.1
1941 CIN NL 29 84 2 13 1 0 0 6 0 0 15 .155 .262 (-41%) .332 (-53%) .373 (-55%) .705 (-54%) -720.4
1942 CIN NL 29 68 4 9 2 0 0 4 0 3 9 .132 .253 (-48%) .323 (-48%) .349 (-54%) .672 (-51%) -526.7
1943 CHN NL 32 58 4 13 3 0 0 2 0 0 6 .224 .255 (-12%) .324 (-31%) .346 (-20%) .671 (-26%) -240.2
1944 CHN NL 42 57 2 9 1 0 0 4 0 1 9 .158 .261 (-40%) .325 (-47%) .357 (-51%) .683 (-49%) -429.6
1945 CHN NL 35 75 3 15 3 0 0 8 0 0 12 .200 .260 (-23%) .328 (-39%) .354 (-32%) .683 (-36%) -424.4
Career · 16 seasons 579 1,260 70 220 30 3 2 102 0 16 219 .175 — — — — -8,592

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

Paul Derringer — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
11 14 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .071

Playoff Batting by Year

Paul Derringer — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1945 WS CHN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1940 WS CIN 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
1939 WS CIN 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .200
1931 WS SLN 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Paul Derringer — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 4 11 7 0 52.2 45 20 27 30 3.42

Playoff Pitching by Year

Paul Derringer — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1945 WS CHN 0 0 3 0 0 5.1 5 4 7 1 6.75
1940 WS CIN 2 1 3 3 0 19.1 17 6 10 6 2.79
1939 WS CIN 0 1 2 2 0 15.1 9 4 3 9 2.35
1931 WS SLN 0 2 3 2 0 12.2 14 6 7 14 4.26

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1158 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Paul Derringer — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home29661834112058.181
Away28364437109243.169

Pitching — Home / Away

Paul Derringer — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home2961890.219456783728123.23
Away2831752.219657343926963.77

Last 10 Games — Batting

Paul Derringer — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1945-09-27 CHCCINW 401000000
1945-09-17 CHCBROL 000000000
1945-09-14 CHCPHIL 300000000
1945-09-08 CHCNY1L 301000000
1945-09-03 CHCCINW 401000100
1945-08-30 CHCPITL 100000001
1945-08-26 CHCSTLL 100000000
1945-08-18 CHCBROW 200000000
1945-08-13 CHCPHIW 300000000
1945-08-09 CHCBSNL 200000000

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Paul Derringer — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1945-09-27 CHCCIN W 9.0843030
1945-09-17 CHCBRO L 2.1433400
1945-09-14 CHCPHI L 6.2743230
1945-09-08 CHCNY1 L 9.0733270
1945-09-03 CHCCIN W 9.0722190
1945-08-30 CHCPIT — 2.0433300
1945-08-26 CHCSTL L 5.0521130
1945-08-18 CHCBRO W 9.0933510
1945-08-13 CHCPHI W 9.0811121
1945-08-09 CHCBSN L 4.21166011

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Paul Derringer — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 579 0 153 656 26 30

Season-by-Season Fielding

Paul Derringer — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1931 SLN P 35 0 9 38 2 3
1932 SLN P 39 0 9 43 3 0
1933 SLN P 3 0 1 4 0 0
1933 CIN P 33 0 3 57 1 1
1934 CIN P 47 0 11 44 1 2
1935 CIN P 45 0 9 69 1 5
1936 CIN P 51 0 19 53 2 5
1937 CIN P 43 0 17 50 4 3
1938 CIN P 41 0 13 51 1 3
1939 CIN P 38 0 11 48 3 1
1940 CIN P 37 0 8 47 3 1
1941 CIN P 29 0 16 42 1 2
1942 CIN P 29 0 8 28 1 1
1943 CHN P 32 0 3 20 1 0
1944 CHN P 42 0 7 30 1 3
1945 CHN P 35 0 9 32 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Paul Derringer Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 579

Awards & Honors

Paul Derringer — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1940 TSN All-Star P
1939 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1935 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1931 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2

Award Voting History

Paul Derringer — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1940 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 121.0 336 1
1939 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 174.0 336 2
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 70.0 336 0
1936 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 6.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 4.0 80 0
1931 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 3.0 80 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Paul Derringer (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Larry Jackson
    194-183, 3.40 ERA
  2. 97
    Herb Pennock HOF
    240-162, 3.60 ERA
  3. 95
    Dolf Luque
    194-179, 3.24 ERA
  4. 93
    Rube Marquard HOF
    201-177, 3.08 ERA
  5. 91
    Larry French
    197-171, 3.44 ERA
  6. 91
    Lew Burdette
    203-144, 3.66 ERA

Compare Paul Derringer

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Derringer's closest peers by position and era.

vs Lefty Grove
vs Satchel Paige
vs Carl Hubbell
vs Bob Feller
vs Dizzy Dean
vs Dutch Leonard

Browse all MLB player comparisons →

See Paul Derringer in Another Era

What would Derringer's 1939 season look like in a different era's run environment? Try the cross-era translation with a live slider.

Translate Paul Derringer's peak season across eras →

Paul Derringer: the record in brief

Paul Derringer's major league career runs from a debut on April 16, 1931 to a final game on September 27, 1945. The season rows list, in order, the St. Louis Cardinals (1931 to 1933), the Cincinnati Reds (1933 to 1942), and the Chicago Cubs (1943 to 1945). Derringer is listed as a pitcher at 6 feet, 3 inches and 205 pounds. The bio says Derringer batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is October 17, 1906, in Springfield, KY, USA. Derringer died on November 17, 1987, in Sarasota, FL, USA. Paul Derringer was the playing name; the full given name is Samuel Paul.

Derringer went 223-212 with a 3.46 ERA in 579 games, 445 of them starts. Derringer had 1,507 strikeouts, 251 complete games, 32 shutouts, and 29 saves. The leagues Derringer pitched in allowed 4.05 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 14.5% better than average. No season topped the 25 wins of 1939. 1931 produced Derringer's most strikeouts, 134.

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul Derringer

What years did Paul Derringer play?
Paul Derringer played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1945.
Was Paul Derringer a pitcher?
Yes. Paul Derringer pitched in the major leagues, recording 223 wins and 1507 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Paul Derringer hit?
Paul Derringer hit 2 career home runs with 220 hits.
What was Paul Derringer's career batting average?
Paul Derringer batted .175 over his career, with 220 hits in 1,260 at bats.
How many RBI did Paul Derringer have?
Paul Derringer drove in 102 runs in his career.
What was Paul Derringer's career ERA?
Paul Derringer finished with a 3.46 career ERA, going 223-212 with 1,507 strikeouts.