Jake Early
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1949)
Jake Early was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1949 for the Washington Senators and the St. Louis Browns, a span of 11 seasons. In 747 career games, he hit .241 with 532 hits, 32 home runs, and 264 RBI. Jake Early was an All-Star.
- 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 168 lb
- Died
- 5/31/1985 in Melbourne, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-05-04
- Last Game
- 1949-09-30
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Jacob Willard Early
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 747 | 2,208 | 216 | 532 | 98 | 23 | 32 | 264 | 7 | 281 | 259 | .241 | .330 | .350 | .679 | -463 |
Career AVG .241 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.
Career OBP .330 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .350 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — 5.9% below league average.
Career OPS .679 vs. league average .706 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | WS1 | AL | 32 | 84 | 8 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 14 | .262 | .274 (-4%) | .342 (-11%) | .393 (avg) | .735 (-5%) | -105.2 |
| 1940 | WS1 | AL | 80 | 206 | 26 | 53 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 23 | 22 | .257 | .267 (-4%) | .335 (avg) | .387 (+5%) | .722 (+3%) | 93.1 |
| 1941 | WS1 | AL | 104 | 355 | 42 | 102 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 54 | 0 | 24 | 38 | .287 | .262 (+10%) | .332 (+2%) | .373 (+25%) | .705 (+14%) | 797.3 |
| 1942 | WS1 | AL | 104 | 353 | 31 | 72 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 46 | 0 | 37 | 37 | .204 | .253 (-19%) | .323 (-13%) | .349 (-20%) | .672 (-17%) | -868.9 |
| 1943 | WS1 | AL | 126 | 423 | 37 | 109 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 60 | 5 | 53 | 43 | .258 | .255 (+1%) | .324 (+6%) | .346 (+4%) | .671 (+5%) | 517.9 |
| 1946 | WS1 | AL | 64 | 189 | 13 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 23 | 27 | .201 | .256 (-22%) | .328 (-13%) | .358 (-17%) | .687 (-15%) | -422.9 |
| 1947 | SLA | AL | 87 | 214 | 25 | 48 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 54 | 34 | .224 | .262 (-15%) | .336 (+13%) | .376 (-11%) | .712 (+1%) | 222.3 |
| 1948 | WS1 | AL | 97 | 246 | 22 | 54 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 2 | 36 | 33 | .220 | .263 (-17%) | .340 (-5%) | .379 (-27%) | .719 (-17%) | -597.7 |
| 1949 | WS1 | AL | 53 | 138 | 12 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 26 | 11 | .246 | .262 (-6%) | .343 (+8%) | .384 (-23%) | .727 (-8%) | -98.6 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 747 | 2,208 | 216 | 532 | 98 | 23 | 32 | 264 | 7 | 281 | 259 | .241 | — | — | — | — | -463 | ||
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 (747 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 369 | 1051 | 108 | 259 | 13 | 121 | .246 |
| Away | 378 | 1157 | 106 | 273 | 19 | 140 | .236 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-09-30 | MIN | BOS | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-27 | MIN | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-23 | MIN | NYY | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949-09-23 | MIN | NYY | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1949-09-21 | MIN | SLA | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-20 | MIN | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-18 | MIN | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-16 | MIN | CLE | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-13 | MIN | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-11 | MIN | NYY | L | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | WS1 | C | 24 | 0 | 95 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 1940 | WS1 | C | 56 | 0 | 276 | 41 | 10 | 5 |
| 1941 | WS1 | C | 100 | 0 | 385 | 52 | 16 | 13 |
| 1942 | WS1 | C | 98 | 0 | 392 | 71 | 9 | 11 |
| 1943 | WS1 | C | 122 | 0 | 443 | 83 | 11 | 10 |
| 1946 | WS1 | C | 64 | 0 | 246 | 45 | 12 | 7 |
| 1947 | SLA | C | 85 | 0 | 301 | 43 | 4 | 5 |
| 1948 | WS1 | C | 92 | 0 | 268 | 51 | 3 | 7 |
| 1949 | WS1 | C | 53 | 0 | 160 | 22 | 5 | 6 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 694 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jake Early (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jake Early: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jake Early's first major league game on May 4, 1939; the last one listed came on September 30, 1949. By club, Early's seasons break down as the Washington Senators (1939 through 1949) and the St. Louis Browns (1947). Early, a catcher by primary position, batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Early is listed at 5 feet, 11 inches and 168 pounds. The birth record reads May 19, 1915, in Kings Mountain, NC, USA. Early died on May 31, 1985, in Melbourne, FL, USA. The given name on file is Jacob Willard Early.
Across 747 games at the plate, Early's career line reads 532 hits in 2,208 at bats for a .241 average, plus 32 homers and 264 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .330 and the slugging percentage .350, for an OPS of .679. Set against a .262 league average for the same years, Early's .241 average sits 8.0% below it. Early's most home runs in a season came in 1941, when the total reached 10 for the Washington Senators. The highest hit total in a season was 109, in 1943.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jake Early
- What years did Jake Early play?
- Jake Early played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1949.
- Was Jake Early a pitcher?
- No. Jake Early was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jake Early hit?
- Jake Early hit 32 career home runs with 532 hits.
- What teams did Jake Early play for?
- Jake Early played for 2 teams: the Washington Senators (1939–1943, 1946, 1948–1949) and the St. Louis Browns (1947).
- Did Jake Early win an MVP award?
- No. Jake Early did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Jake Early win?
- Jake Early was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Jake Early's career stats?
- In 747 games, Jake Early had 532 hits, 32 home runs, 264 RBI, 216 runs, and 7 stolen bases, with a .241 batting average.
- What position did Jake Early play?
- Jake Early played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jake Early and how much did he weigh?
- Jake Early was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 168 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jake Early hit each season?
- Jake Early's home runs by season: 0 in 1939, 5 in 1940, 10 in 1941, 3 in 1942, 5 in 1943, 4 in 1946, 3 in 1947, 1 in 1948, and 1 in 1949. His most in one season was 10, in 1941.
- What was Jake Early's career batting average?
- Jake Early batted .241 over his career, with 532 hits in 2,208 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jake Early have?
- Jake Early drove in 264 runs in his career.
- Is Jake Early in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jake Early has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Jake Early make?
- Jake Early was selected to 1 All-Star Game.