Wes Ferrell
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1927-1941)
Wes Ferrell was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1927 to 1941 for 6 teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 15 seasons. Across 374 career appearances, he went 193-128 with a 4.04 ERA and 985 strikeouts. He also batted .280 with 38 home runs. Wes Ferrell was a 2-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,502.
- 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
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 195 lb
- Died
- 12/9/1976 in Sarasota, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1927-09-09
- Last Game
- 1941-05-06
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: Wesley Cheek Ferrell
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 27.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1928 | CLE | AL | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2.25 | 4.13 (+46%) | 241.7 |
| 1929 | CLE | AL | 21 | 10 | 43 | 25 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 242.2 | 256 | 97 | 109 | 100 | 3.60 | 4.60 (+22%) | 2047.6 |
| 1930 | CLE | AL | 25 | 13 | 43 | 35 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 296.2 | 299 | 109 | 106 | 143 | 3.31 | 4.80 (+31%) | 3720.0 |
| 1931 | CLE | AL | 22 | 12 | 40 | 35 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 276.1 | 276 | 115 | 130 | 123 | 3.75 | 4.10 (+9%) | -112.2 |
| 1932 | CLE | AL | 23 | 13 | 38 | 34 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 287.2 | 299 | 117 | 104 | 105 | 3.66 | 4.13 (+11%) | -886.1 |
| 1933 | CLE | AL | 11 | 12 | 28 | 26 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 201.0 | 225 | 94 | 70 | 41 | 4.21 | 3.86 (-9%) | -1201.7 |
| 1934 | BOS | AL | 14 | 5 | 26 | 23 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 181.0 | 205 | 73 | 49 | 67 | 3.63 | 4.29 (+15%) | 3346.8 |
| 1935 | BOS | AL | 25 | 14 | 41 | 38 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 322.1 | 336 | 126 | 108 | 110 | 3.52 | 4.35 (+19%) | 1387.5 |
| 1936 | BOS | AL | 20 | 15 | 39 | 38 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 301.0 | 330 | 140 | 119 | 106 | 4.19 | 4.59 (+9%) | 1703.3 |
| 1937 | BOS | AL | 3 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 73.1 | 111 | 62 | 34 | 31 | 7.61 | 4.34 (-75%) | -3542.5 |
| 1937 | WS1 | AL | 11 | 13 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 207.2 | 214 | 91 | 88 | 92 | 3.94 | 4.34 (+9%) | 179.9 |
| 1938 | WS1 | AL | 13 | 8 | 23 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 149.0 | 193 | 98 | 68 | 36 | 5.92 | 4.35 (-36%) | -2601.4 |
| 1938 | NYA | AL | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 | 52 | 27 | 18 | 7 | 8.10 | 4.35 (-86%) | -2009.0 |
| 1939 | NYA | AL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19.1 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 4.66 | 4.28 (-9%) | -1037.5 |
| 1940 | BRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6.75 | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | BSN | NL | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 5.14 | 3.94 (-31%) | -179.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 193 | 128 | 374 | 323 | 227 | 17 | 13 | 2,623.0 | 2,845 | 1,177 | 1,040 | 985 | 4.04 | — | 1,058 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 548 | 1,176 | 175 | 329 | 57 | 12 | 38 | 208 | 2 | 129 | 185 | .280 | .351 | .446 | .797 | 1,502 |
Career AVG .280 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .351 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .446 vs. league average .396 across their career seasons — +12.6% above league average.
Career OPS .797 vs. league average .738 across their career seasons — +8.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | CLE | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1928 | CLE | AL | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1929 | CLE | AL | 47 | 93 | 12 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 28 | .237 | .289 (-18%) | .353 (-20%) | .415 (-7%) | .769 (-13%) | -239.4 |
| 1930 | CLE | AL | 53 | 118 | 19 | 35 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 15 | .297 | .293 (+1%) | .354 (+2%) | .429 (-3%) | .784 (-1%) | -21.5 |
| 1931 | CLE | AL | 48 | 116 | 24 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 30 | 0 | 10 | 21 | .319 | .276 (+15%) | .338 (+10%) | .388 (+60%) | .726 (+37%) | 703.9 |
| 1932 | CLE | AL | 55 | 128 | 14 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 21 | .242 | .275 (-12%) | .335 (-18%) | .391 (-8%) | .726 (-13%) | -287.6 |
| 1933 | CLE | AL | 61 | 140 | 26 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 20 | 22 | .271 | .270 (+1%) | .329 (+10%) | .377 (+25%) | .707 (+18%) | 468.0 |
| 1934 | BOS | AL | 34 | 78 | 12 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 15 | .282 | .278 (+1%) | .340 (avg) | .392 (+24%) | .733 (+13%) | 162.0 |
| 1935 | BOS | AL | 75 | 150 | 25 | 52 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 32 | 0 | 21 | 16 | .347 | .279 (+24%) | .342 (+25%) | .399 (+33%) | .742 (+29%) | 884.2 |
| 1936 | BOS | AL | 61 | 135 | 20 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 14 | 10 | .267 | .283 (-6%) | .349 (-4%) | .404 (+8%) | .753 (+2%) | 48.1 |
| 1937 | BOS | AL | 18 | 33 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 3 | .364 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | WS1 | AL | 53 | 106 | 7 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 18 | .255 | .276 (-8%) | .342 (-9%) | .398 (-24%) | .740 (-17%) | 0.0 |
| 1938 | WS1 | AL | 26 | 49 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 7 | .224 | — | — | — | — | 66.2 |
| 1938 | NYA | AL | 5 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 66.2 |
| 1939 | NYA | AL | 3 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | BRO | NL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | BSN | NL | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 548 | 1,176 | 175 | 329 | 57 | 12 | 38 | 208 | 2 | 129 | 185 | .280 | — | — | — | — | 1,850 | ||
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 (922 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 293 | 583 | 89 | 165 | 17 | 113 | .283 |
| Away | 255 | 592 | 86 | 164 | 21 | 98 | .277 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 196 | 1382.2 | 1465 | 572 | 496 | 558 | 3.72 |
| Away | 178 | 1238.1 | 1384 | 604 | 545 | 431 | 4.39 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-05-06 | BSN | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-04-26 | BSN | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941-04-21 | BSN | PHI | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1941-04-17 | BSN | PHI | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-10 | BRO | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-05-05 | BRO | STL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939-05-24 | NYY | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939-05-15 | NYY | PHA | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939-05-08 | NYY | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1938-09-19 | NYY | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-05-06 | BSN | STL | — | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-04-26 | BSN | BRO | L | 0.2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941-04-21 | BSN | PHI | W | 9.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 1941-04-17 | BSN | PHI | W | 3.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1940-05-10 | BRO | NY1 | — | 4.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1939-05-24 | NYY | DET | L | 4.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 1939-05-15 | NYY | PHA | W | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939-05-08 | NYY | CHW | L | 8.0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 1938-09-19 | NYY | SLA | L | 4.1 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1938-09-03 | NYY | BOS | — | 4.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 13 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| P | 374 | 0 | 122 | 532 | 17 | 30 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | CLE | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | CLE | P | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929 | CLE | P | 43 | 0 | 10 | 63 | 2 | 3 |
| 1930 | CLE | P | 43 | 0 | 19 | 39 | 2 | 0 |
| 1931 | CLE | P | 40 | 0 | 19 | 74 | 3 | 3 |
| 1932 | CLE | P | 38 | 0 | 14 | 59 | 1 | 5 |
| 1933 | CLE | OF | 13 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1933 | CLE | P | 28 | 0 | 12 | 48 | 0 | 4 |
| 1934 | BOS | P | 26 | 0 | 8 | 23 | 1 | 2 |
| 1935 | BOS | P | 41 | 0 | 9 | 76 | 2 | 1 |
| 1936 | BOS | P | 39 | 0 | 9 | 42 | 2 | 2 |
| 1937 | BOS | P | 12 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 1 | 4 |
| 1937 | WS1 | P | 25 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | WS1 | P | 23 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 1 | 3 |
| 1938 | NYA | P | 5 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 3 |
| 1939 | NYA | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | BRO | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | BSN | P | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 374 |
| Left Field | 13 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
| 1935 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
| 1932 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
| 1931 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
| 1931 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
| 1930 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
| 1930 | TSN All-Star | P |
| 1929 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 2nd | 62.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1934 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 16.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1932 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 5.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1931 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 11th | 12.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Wes Ferrell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Wes Ferrell
Wes Ferrell: the record in brief
Wes Ferrell's major league career runs from a debut on September 9, 1927 to a final game on May 6, 1941. By club, Ferrell's seasons break down as the Cleveland Indians (1927 to 1933), the Boston Red Sox (1934 to 1937), the Washington Senators (1937 to 1938), the New York Yankees (1938 through 1939), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1940), and the Boston Braves (1941). Ferrell played primarily as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on February 2, 1908, in Greensboro, NC, USA and a listed size of 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds. Ferrell died on December 9, 1976, in Sarasota, FL, USA. On the record, Wes Ferrell was born Wesley Cheek Ferrell.
The pitching table credits Ferrell with a 193-128 record and a 4.04 ERA in 374 games. The totals include 985 strikeouts, 227 complete games, 17 shutouts, and 13 saves. That 4.04 ERA compares with a 4.27 league average across the same seasons, 5.4% better.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wes Ferrell
- What years did Wes Ferrell play?
- Wes Ferrell played in Major League Baseball from 1927 to 1941.
- Was Wes Ferrell a pitcher?
- Yes. Wes Ferrell pitched in the major leagues, recording 193 wins and 985 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Wes Ferrell hit?
- Wes Ferrell hit 38 career home runs with 329 hits.
- What teams did Wes Ferrell play for?
- Wes Ferrell played for 6 teams: the Cleveland Indians (1927–1933), the Boston Red Sox (1934–1937), the Washington Senators (1937–1938), the New York Yankees (1938–1939), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1940), and the Boston Braves (1941).
- What awards did Wes Ferrell win?
- Wes Ferrell was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Wes Ferrell's career stats?
- In 374 games, Wes Ferrell went 193-128 with a 4.04 ERA, 985 strikeouts, 2,623.0 innings pitched, and 13 saves. At the plate he had 329 hits and 38 home runs.
- What position did Wes Ferrell play?
- Wes Ferrell played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Wes Ferrell and how much did he weigh?
- Wes Ferrell was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 195 pounds.
- What was Wes Ferrell's career ERA?
- Wes Ferrell finished with a 4.04 career ERA, going 193-128 with 985 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Wes Ferrell have?
- Wes Ferrell recorded 985 career strikeouts.
- Is Wes Ferrell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Wes Ferrell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Wes Ferrell make?
- Wes Ferrell was selected to 2 All-Star Games.