John Donaldson
Center Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
John Donaldson was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Indianapolis ABCs. In 274 career games, he hit .284 with 287 hits, 6 home runs, and 140 RBI. He also pitched in 46 games, going 18-16 with a 2.77 ERA. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 5651.4.
- 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
- Center Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 180 lb
- Died
- 4/14/1970 in Chicago, IL, USA
Full name: John Wesley Donaldson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 274 | 1,012 | 149 | 287 | 35 | 16 | 6 | 140 | 31 | 71 | 3 | .284 | .333 | .368 | .701 | -503 |
Career AVG .284 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .333 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .368 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .701 vs. league average .716 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | ABC | WES | 6 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .357 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1918 | BRG | EAS | 17 | 66 | 8 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .318 | .255 (+25%) | .318 (+15%) | .326 (+30%) | .645 (+22%) | 0.0 |
| 1919 | DS | WES | 32 | 94 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 0 | .170 | .262 (-35%) | .322 (-27%) | .347 (-30%) | .670 (-28%) | -405.8 |
| 1920 | KCM | NNL | 68 | 268 | 35 | 80 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 41 | 10 | 16 | 1 | .299 | .271 (+10%) | .331 (+2%) | .363 (+11%) | .694 (+7%) | 269.4 |
| 1921 | KCM | NNL | 99 | 380 | 63 | 107 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 14 | 23 | 0 | .282 | .286 (-2%) | .344 (-6%) | .395 (-15%) | .739 (-11%) | -648.4 |
| 1922 | KCM | NNL | 24 | 90 | 14 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .333 | .285 (+17%) | .345 (+10%) | .397 (+20%) | .743 (+16%) | 223.3 |
| 1923 | KCM | NNL | 8 | 37 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .351 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | KCM | NNL | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1931 | KCM | IND | 18 | 58 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | .241 | .276 (-13%) | .338 (-8%) | .388 (-25%) | .726 (-17%) | -145.1 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 274 | 1,012 | 149 | 287 | 35 | 16 | 6 | 140 | 31 | 71 | 3 | .284 | — | — | — | — | -707 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | ABC | WES | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 37.1 | 30 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 2.41 | 2.83 (+15%) | 403.9 |
| 1918 | BRG | EAS | 4 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 77.0 | 82 | 17 | 20 | 38 | 1.99 | 2.83 (+30%) | 1458.2 |
| 1919 | DS | WES | 5 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 85.0 | 68 | 23 | 30 | 39 | 2.44 | 3.09 (+21%) | 796.9 |
| 1920 | KCM | NNL | 6 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 84.2 | 78 | 28 | 19 | 49 | 2.98 | 3.45 (+14%) | 2372.4 |
| 1921 | KCM | NNL | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 34.2 | 33 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 5.19 | 4.02 (-29%) | 620.1 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 18 | 16 | 46 | 32 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 318.2 | 291 | 98 | 91 | 159 | 2.77 | — | 5,651 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 4 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .273 |
| Away | 3 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .273 |
Last 7 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924-04-27 | KCM | SSN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-07-25 | KCM | DT1 | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-06-12 | KCM | CNN | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-05-09 | KCM | CAG | L | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-05-08 | KCM | CAG | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-05-07 | KCM | CAG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920-08-01 | KCM | CAG | W | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 243 | 223 | 442 | 31 | 28 | 4 |
| P | 46 | 20 | 17 | 110 | 4 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | ABC | P | 5 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | BRG | OF | 9 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1918 | BRG | P | 10 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 2 | 2 |
| 1919 | DS | OF | 22 | 17 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1919 | DS | P | 11 | 10 | 2 | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920 | KCM | 1B | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | KCM | OF | 60 | 59 | 130 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 1920 | KCM | P | 12 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | KCM | OF | 99 | 96 | 183 | 16 | 16 | 1 |
| 1921 | KCM | P | 8 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1922 | KCM | OF | 24 | 24 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1923 | KCM | OF | 8 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | KCM | OF | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931 | KCM | OF | 19 | 17 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 46 |
| First Base | 2 |
| Left Field | 31 |
| Center Field | 199 |
| Right Field | 13 |
John Donaldson: the record in brief
John Donaldson's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1918 to 1931. The season rows list, in order, the Indianapolis ABCs (1918), the Brooklyn Royal Giants (1918), the Detroit Stars (1919), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1920 to 1931). Born on February 20, 1891, in Glasgow, MO, USA, Donaldson is listed as a center fielder and threw and hit left-handed. The bio gives 6 feet, 1 inch and 180 pounds. The bio records the death on April 14, 1970, in Chicago, IL, USA. Donaldson's full given name, per the bio, is John Wesley Donaldson.
In 274 games and 1,012 at bats, Donaldson batted .284 with 287 hits, plus 6 homers, 140 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. Donaldson's career OPS of .701 combines a .333 on-base mark with .368 slugging. The .284 career average is close to the .277 the league hit across the same seasons. The hits column peaks at 107, in 1921. Donaldson drove in a season-high 48 runs in 1921.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Donaldson
- Was John Donaldson a pitcher?
- Both. John Donaldson pitched in 46 games, going 18-16 with a 2.77 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Center Fielder.
- How many home runs did John Donaldson hit?
- John Donaldson hit 6 career home runs with 287 hits.
- What teams did John Donaldson play for?
- John Donaldson played for 4 teams: the Indianapolis ABCs (1918), the Brooklyn Royal Giants (1918), the Detroit Stars (1919), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1920–1924, 1931).
- What were John Donaldson's career stats?
- In 274 games, John Donaldson had 287 hits, 6 home runs, 140 RBI, 149 runs, and 31 stolen bases, with a .284 batting average. As a pitcher, in 46 games, he went 18-16 with a 2.77 ERA, 159 strikeouts, 318.2 innings pitched, and 2 saves.
- What position did John Donaldson play?
- John Donaldson played primarily as a center fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John Donaldson and how much did he weigh?
- John Donaldson was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did John Donaldson hit each season?
- John Donaldson's home runs by season: 0 in 1918, 1 in 1919, 4 in 1920, 0 in 1921, 1 in 1922, 0 in 1923, 0 in 1924, and 0 in 1931. His most in one season was 4, in 1920.
- What was John Donaldson's career batting average?
- John Donaldson batted .284 over his career, with 287 hits in 1,012 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Donaldson have?
- John Donaldson drove in 140 runs in his career.
- What was John Donaldson's career ERA?
- John Donaldson finished with a 2.77 career ERA, going 18-16 with 159 strikeouts.
- Is John Donaldson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Donaldson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.