Joe Garagiola

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1946-1954)

Joe Garagiola was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1954 for 4 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 9 seasons. In 676 career games, he hit .257 with 481 hits, 42 home runs, and 255 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,710.

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 .257
HR 42
RBI 255
H 481
OPS .739
PIV 1,710
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 190 lb
Born
2/12/1926 in St. Louis, MO, USA
Died
3/23/2016 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
MLB Debut
1946-05-26
Last Game
1954-09-26

Full name: Joseph Henry Garagiola

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Career Batting Statistics

Joe Garagiola — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
676 1,872 198 481 82 16 42 255 5 267 173 .257 .354 .385 .739 1,710

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .354 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +5.3% above league average.

Career SLG .385 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .739 vs. league average .718 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Joe Garagiola 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
1946 SLN NL 74 211 21 50 4 1 3 22 0 23 25 .237 .256 (-8%) .328 (-5%) .358 (-14%) .687 (-10%) -292.8
1947 SLN NL 77 183 20 47 10 2 5 25 0 40 14 .257 .262 (-2%) .336 (+18%) .376 (+10%) .712 (+14%) 618.5
1948 SLN NL 24 56 9 6 1 0 2 7 0 12 9 .107 .263 (-59%) .340 (-19%) .379 (-39%) .719 (-29%) -246.6
1949 SLN NL 81 241 25 63 14 0 3 26 0 31 19 .261 .262 (avg) .343 (+1%) .384 (-7%) .727 (-3%) -90.9
1950 SLN NL 34 88 8 28 6 1 2 20 0 10 7 .318 .265 (+20%) .346 (+12%) .401 (+19%) .747 (+16%) 237.9
1951 SLN NL 27 72 9 14 3 2 2 9 0 9 7 .194 .260 (-25%) .336 (-16%) .385 (-3%) .721 (-9%) -124.0
1951 PIT NL 72 212 24 54 8 2 9 35 4 32 20 .255 .260 (-2%) .336 (+6%) .385 (+14%) .721 (+10%) -124.0
1952 PIT NL 118 344 35 94 15 4 8 54 0 50 24 .273 .252 (+8%) .326 (+13%) .369 (+11%) .696 (+12%) 870.6
1953 PIT NL 27 73 9 17 5 0 2 14 1 10 11 .233 .264 (-12%) .335 (+2%) .397 (-3%) .733 (-1%) 3.3
1953 CHN NL 74 228 21 62 9 4 1 21 0 21 23 .272 .264 (+3%) .335 (avg) .397 (-9%) .733 (-5%) 3.3
1954 CHN NL 63 153 16 43 5 0 5 21 0 28 12 .281 .261 (+8%) .333 (+21%) .390 (+6%) .723 (+13%) 490.5
1954 NY1 NL 5 11 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 .273 — — — — 490.5
Career · 12 seasons 676 1,872 198 481 82 16 42 255 5 267 173 .257 — — — — 1,836

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

Joe Garagiola — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 19 2 6 2 0 0 4 0 3 .316

Playoff Batting by Year

Joe Garagiola — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1946 WS SLN 5 19 2 6 2 0 0 4 0 3 .316

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (675 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Joe Garagiola — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home34794710525018145.264
Away3289219322824106.248

Last 10 Games — Batting

Joe Garagiola — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1954-09-26 NY1PHIW 212200100
1954-09-24 NY1PHIW 300000011
1954-09-17 NY1PHIL 100000000
1954-09-10 NY1CINL 100000000
1954-09-09 NY1CHCL 401000001
1954-09-06 CHCATLL 101000000
1954-09-06 CHCATLL 311000000
1954-09-05 CHCSTLL 202000010
1954-09-04 CHCSTLW 201000010
1954-09-03 CHCSTLW 402000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Joe Garagiola — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 614 50 2395 271 38 29

Season-by-Season Fielding

Joe Garagiola — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1946 SLN C 70 0 260 25 3 6
1947 SLN C 74 0 281 23 4 2
1948 SLN C 23 0 83 14 1 1
1949 SLN C 80 0 332 35 6 1
1950 SLN C 30 0 99 8 0 2
1951 SLN C 23 0 81 6 0 2
1951 PIT C 61 0 255 30 4 4
1952 PIT C 105 0 418 63 11 9
1953 PIT C 22 0 82 10 1 0
1953 CHN C 68 0 296 34 4 2
1954 CHN C 55 48 191 23 4 0
1954 NY1 C 3 2 17 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Joe Garagiola Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 614

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Joe Garagiola (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Bruce Edwards
    .256 avg, 39 HR
  2. 95
    Ken O'Dea
    .255 avg, 40 HR
  3. 94
    Alejandro Kirk
    .270 avg, 61 HR
  4. 92
    Todd Pratt
    .251 avg, 49 HR
  5. 91
    Francisco Cervelli
    .268 avg, 41 HR
  6. 91
    Adley Rutschman
    .252 avg, 74 HR

Joe Garagiola: the record in brief

Joe Garagiola's major league career runs from a debut on May 26, 1946 to a final game on September 26, 1954. By club, Garagiola's seasons break down as the St. Louis Cardinals (1946 through 1951), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1951 through 1953), the Chicago Cubs (1953 through 1954), and the New York Giants (1954). Garagiola played primarily as a catcher and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Born on February 12, 1926, in St. Louis, MO, USA, Garagiola was listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 190 pounds. Garagiola's death is recorded on March 23, 2016, in Scottsdale, AZ, USA. Joe Garagiola was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph Henry.

Across 676 games at the plate, Garagiola's career line reads 481 hits in 1,872 at bats for a .257 average, plus 42 home runs and 255 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .354 and .385 give Garagiola a career OPS of .739. The .257 career average is close to the .261 the league hit across the same seasons. Garagiola collected a career-high 94 hits in 1952.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Garagiola

What years did Joe Garagiola play?
Joe Garagiola played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1954.
Was Joe Garagiola a pitcher?
No. Joe Garagiola was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Joe Garagiola hit?
Joe Garagiola hit 42 career home runs with 481 hits.
What teams did Joe Garagiola play for?
Joe Garagiola played for 4 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1946–1951), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1951–1953), the Chicago Cubs (1953–1954), and the New York Giants (1954).
What were Joe Garagiola's career stats?
In 676 games, Joe Garagiola had 481 hits, 42 home runs, 255 RBI, 198 runs, and 5 stolen bases, with a .257 batting average.
What position did Joe Garagiola play?
Joe Garagiola played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Joe Garagiola and how much did he weigh?
Joe Garagiola was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
How many home runs did Joe Garagiola hit each season?
Joe Garagiola's home runs by season: 3 in 1946, 5 in 1947, 2 in 1948, 3 in 1949, 2 in 1950, 11 in 1951, 8 in 1952, 3 in 1953, and 5 in 1954. His most in one season was 11, in 1951.
What was Joe Garagiola's career batting average?
Joe Garagiola batted .257 over his career, with 481 hits in 1,872 at bats.
How many RBI did Joe Garagiola have?
Joe Garagiola drove in 255 runs in his career.
Is Joe Garagiola in the Hall of Fame?
No. Joe Garagiola has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.