Jim Gantner

Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1976-1992)

Jim Gantner was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1976 to 1992 for the Milwaukee Brewers, a span of 17 seasons. In 1,801 career games, he hit .274 with 1,696 hits, 47 home runs, and 568 RBI.

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

AVG .274
HR 47
RBI 568
H 1,696
OPS .671
PIV -5,340
Position
Second Baseman
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 180 lb
Born
1/5/1953 in Fond du Lac, WI, USA
MLB Debut
1976-09-03
Last Game
1992-10-03

Full name: James Elmer Gantner

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Career Batting Statistics

Jim Gantner — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,801 6,189 726 1,696 262 38 47 568 137 383 501 .274 .319 .351 .671 -5,340

Career AVG .274 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +5.8% above league average.

Career OBP .319 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .351 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 9.0% below league average.

Career OPS .671 vs. league average .710 across their career seasons — 5.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jim Gantner 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
1976 ML4 AL 26 69 6 17 1 0 0 7 1 6 11 .246 .255 (-4%) .320 (-1%) .360 (-28%) .681 (-15%) -133.6
1977 ML4 AL 14 47 4 14 1 0 1 2 2 2 5 .298 — — — — 0.0
1978 ML4 AL 43 97 14 21 1 0 1 8 2 5 10 .216 .257 (-16%) .323 (-17%) .378 (-32%) .702 (-25%) -358.4
1979 ML4 AL 70 208 29 59 10 3 2 22 3 16 17 .284 .265 (+7%) .329 (+2%) .397 (-2%) .727 (avg) -22.9
1980 ML4 AL 132 415 47 117 21 3 4 40 11 30 29 .282 .264 (+7%) .326 (+1%) .387 (-3%) .714 (-1%) -87.8
1981 ML4 AL 107 352 35 94 14 1 2 33 3 29 29 .267 .255 (+4%) .320 (+1%) .368 (-11%) .688 (-5%) -234.0
1982 ML4 AL 132 447 48 132 17 2 4 43 6 26 36 .295 .261 (+13%) .324 (+3%) .388 (-5%) .712 (-1%) -75.7
1983 ML4 AL 161 603 85 170 23 8 11 74 5 38 46 .282 .260 (+8%) .324 (+1%) .389 (+3%) .714 (+2%) 211.9
1984 ML4 AL 153 613 61 173 27 1 3 56 6 30 51 .282 .259 (+9%) .322 (-3%) .384 (-11%) .707 (-7%) -725.6
1985 ML4 AL 143 523 63 133 15 4 5 44 11 33 42 .254 .257 (-1%) .323 (-7%) .390 (-16%) .714 (-12%) -1009.4
1986 ML4 AL 139 497 58 136 25 1 7 38 13 26 50 .274 .257 (+6%) .325 (-4%) .395 (-6%) .720 (-5%) -469.7
1987 ML4 AL 81 265 37 72 14 0 4 30 6 19 22 .272 .262 (+3%) .331 (avg) .415 (-11%) .746 (-6%) -230.1
1988 ML4 AL 155 539 67 149 28 2 0 47 20 34 50 .276 .254 (+9%) .317 (+1%) .377 (-11%) .695 (-5%) -422.3
1989 ML4 AL 116 409 51 112 18 3 0 34 20 21 33 .274 .254 (+8%) .319 (+1%) .375 (-11%) .694 (-6%) -361.8
1990 ML4 AL 88 323 36 85 8 5 0 25 18 29 19 .263 .257 (+2%) .324 (+1%) .385 (-17%) .710 (-9%) -392.2
1991 ML4 AL 140 526 63 149 27 4 2 47 4 27 34 .283 .255 (+11%) .323 (-1%) .384 (-6%) .708 (-4%) -369.9
1992 ML4 AL 101 256 22 63 12 1 1 18 6 12 17 .246 .255 (-4%) .322 (-14%) .377 (-17%) .699 (-16%) -658.7
Career · 17 seasons 1,801 6,189 726 1,696 262 38 47 568 137 383 501 .274 — — — — -5,340

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 Pitching Statistics

Jim Gantner — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.0

Career ERA 0.00 vs. league average 4.00 across their career seasons — 100.0% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jim Gantner — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1979 ML4 AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 2 0 0 0 0.00 — 0.0
Career · 1 season 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 2 0 0 0 0.00 — 0

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

Jim Gantner — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
16 54 7 13 5 1 0 6 2 4 .241

Playoff Batting by Year

Jim Gantner — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1982 ALCS ML4 5 16 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 1 .188
1982 WS ML4 7 24 5 8 4 1 0 4 1 1 .333
1981 AEDIV ML4 4 14 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 .143

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1802 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Jim Gantner — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home907303335380718259.266
Away894315637388929309.282

Pitching — Home / Away

Jim Gantner — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Away11.020000.00

Last 10 Games — Batting

Jim Gantner — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1992-10-03 MILOAKL 000000000
1992-09-21 MILBALL 101000000
1992-09-18 MILBALW 302100100
1992-09-17 MILBOSW 100000000
1992-09-16 MILBOSL 301000000
1992-09-15 MILBOSW 100000000
1992-09-14 MILBOSW 100000000
1992-09-13 MILBALW 000000000
1992-09-12 MILBALW 000000000
1992-09-09 MILCLEL 000000000

Last 1 Games — Pitching

Jim Gantner — Last 1 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1979-08-29 MILKCR — 1.0200000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Jim Gantner — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 3 0 3 0 0 1
2B 1449 1379 3139 4347 115 1036
3B 360 278 212 573 36 64
P 1 0 0 1 0 0
SS 7 5 4 21 1 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Jim Gantner — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1976 ML4 3B 24 23 17 37 1 3
1977 ML4 3B 14 12 8 29 4 3
1978 ML4 1B 1 0 1 0 0 1
1978 ML4 2B 21 16 41 55 2 10
1978 ML4 3B 15 8 2 25 2 2
1978 ML4 SS 1 1 2 2 1 0
1979 ML4 2B 22 20 50 76 2 16
1979 ML4 3B 42 33 28 71 5 8
1979 ML4 P 1 0 0 1 0 0
1979 ML4 SS 3 3 2 13 0 2
1980 ML4 2B 66 62 118 203 4 53
1980 ML4 3B 69 51 41 126 11 15
1980 ML4 SS 1 1 0 6 0 2
1981 ML4 2B 107 100 251 352 10 95
1982 ML4 2B 131 127 307 398 13 104
1983 ML4 2B 158 158 374 512 14 128
1984 ML4 2B 153 150 362 469 13 111
1985 ML4 2B 124 121 262 402 8 89
1985 ML4 3B 24 18 16 34 3 5
1985 ML4 SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1986 ML4 2B 135 130 304 347 10 87
1986 ML4 3B 3 3 5 6 0 0
1986 ML4 SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1987 ML4 2B 57 51 95 153 4 36
1987 ML4 3B 38 25 24 40 2 8
1988 ML4 2B 154 149 325 428 11 92
1988 ML4 3B 1 0 0 2 0 0
1989 ML4 2B 114 109 241 362 8 88
1990 ML4 2B 80 76 164 220 7 54
1990 ML4 3B 9 9 3 20 2 2
1991 ML4 2B 59 53 109 190 7 31
1991 ML4 3B 90 83 51 155 5 15
1992 ML4 1B 2 0 2 0 0 0
1992 ML4 2B 68 57 136 180 2 42
1992 ML4 3B 31 13 17 28 1 3

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Jim Gantner Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 1
First Base 3
Second Base 1449
Third Base 360
Shortstop 7
Designated Hitter 9

Awards & Honors

Jim Gantner — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1983 Player of the Week Week of 1983-07-29
1982 Player of the Week Week of 1982-07-16

Salary History

Jim Gantner's recorded salaries total $6,637,500 over 8 seasons, 1985 to 1992. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gantner's career ran from 1976 to 1992. His seasons before 1985 are not included.

Jim Gantner — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1992 ML4 AL $1,150,000
1991 ML4 AL $1,000,000
1990 ML4 AL $700,000
1989 ML4 AL $900,000
1988 ML4 AL $937,500
1987 ML4 AL $375,000
1986 ML4 AL $887,500
1985 ML4 AL $687,500
Total recorded salary (partial) $6,637,500

College History

Jim Gantner — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh Oshkosh WI 1973, 1974

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Jim Gantner (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Jose Vizcaino
    .270 avg, 36 HR
  2. 94
    Manny Trillo
    .263 avg, 61 HR
  3. 94
    Erick Aybar
    .271 avg, 58 HR
  4. 93
    Cookie Rojas
    .263 avg, 54 HR
  5. 92
    Felix Millan
    .279 avg, 22 HR
  6. 92
    Tito Fuentes
    .268 avg, 45 HR

Jim Gantner: the record in brief

The profile opens with Jim Gantner's first major league game on September 3, 1976; the last one listed came on October 3, 1992. The team column never changes: it is the Milwaukee Brewers from 1976 to 1992. Gantner played primarily as a second baseman and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Born on January 5, 1953, in Fond du Lac, WI, USA, Gantner was listed at 6'0" and 180 pounds. Jim Gantner was the playing name; the full given name is James Elmer.

Gantner's career batting table shows 1,801 games, 6,189 at bats and 1,696 hits, a .274 average, adding 47 home runs, 568 RBI, and 137 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .319 clip and slugging .351, Gantner finished with a .671 OPS. Set against a .259 league average for the same years, Gantner's .274 average sits 5.8% above it. Gantner's most home runs in a season came in 1983, when the total reached 11 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Gantner collected a career-high 173 hits in 1984. 1988 brought a season-best 20 stolen bases.

Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Gantner

What years did Jim Gantner play?
Jim Gantner played in Major League Baseball from 1976 to 1992.
Was Jim Gantner a pitcher?
No. Jim Gantner was a position player (Second Baseman), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
How many home runs did Jim Gantner hit?
Jim Gantner hit 47 career home runs with 1,696 hits.
What teams did Jim Gantner play for?
Jim Gantner played for one team, the Milwaukee Brewers (1976–1992).
What were Jim Gantner's career stats?
In 1,801 games, Jim Gantner had 1,696 hits, 47 home runs, 568 RBI, 726 runs, and 137 stolen bases, with a .274 batting average.
How much did Jim Gantner earn in his career?
Jim Gantner's recorded salaries total $6,637,500 over 8 seasons, 1985 to 1992. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gantner's career ran from 1976 to 1992. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
What was Jim Gantner's salary?
Jim Gantner's last recorded salary was $1,150,000, in 1992. His highest recorded salary was $1,150,000, in 1992, and his lowest was $375,000, in 1987. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1992.
What position did Jim Gantner play?
Jim Gantner played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Jim Gantner and how much did he weigh?
Jim Gantner was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
How many home runs did Jim Gantner hit each season?
Jim Gantner's home runs by season: 0 in 1976, 1 in 1977, 1 in 1978, 2 in 1979, 4 in 1980, 2 in 1981, 4 in 1982, 11 in 1983, 3 in 1984, 5 in 1985, 7 in 1986, 4 in 1987, 0 in 1988, 0 in 1989, 0 in 1990, 2 in 1991, and 1 in 1992. His most in one season was 11, in 1983.
What was Jim Gantner's career batting average?
Jim Gantner batted .274 over his career, with 1,696 hits in 6,189 at bats.
How many RBI did Jim Gantner have?
Jim Gantner drove in 568 runs in his career.
What was Jim Gantner's career ERA?
Jim Gantner finished with a 0.00 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.
Is Jim Gantner in the Hall of Fame?
No. Jim Gantner has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.