Jim Gentile
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1957-1966)
Jim Gentile was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1966 for 6 teams, including the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 10 seasons. In 936 career games, he hit .260 with 759 hits, 179 home runs, and 549 RBI. Jim Gentile was a 3-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 13,778.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 210 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1957-09-10
- Last Game
- 1966-09-30
- Awards
- 3× All-Star
Full name: James Edward Gentile
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 936 | 2,922 | 434 | 759 | 113 | 6 | 179 | 549 | 3 | 475 | 663 | .260 | .368 | .486 | .854 | 13,778 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .368 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — +15.7% above league average.
Career SLG .486 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — +26.6% above league average.
Career OPS .854 vs. league average .702 across their career seasons — +21.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1958 | LAN | NL | 12 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | .133 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1960 | BAL | AL | 138 | 384 | 67 | 112 | 17 | 0 | 21 | 98 | 0 | 68 | 72 | .292 | .255 (+14%) | .323 (+24%) | .387 (+29%) | .711 (+27%) | 2338.7 |
| 1961 | BAL | AL | 148 | 486 | 96 | 147 | 25 | 2 | 46 | 141 | 1 | 96 | 106 | .302 | .258 (+17%) | .328 (+29%) | .399 (+62%) | .727 (+47%) | 4934.1 |
| 1962 | BAL | AL | 152 | 545 | 80 | 137 | 21 | 1 | 33 | 87 | 1 | 77 | 100 | .251 | .257 (-2%) | .326 (+6%) | .393 (+21%) | .719 (+14%) | 1591.1 |
| 1963 | BAL | AL | 145 | 496 | 65 | 123 | 16 | 1 | 24 | 72 | 1 | 76 | 101 | .248 | .246 (+1%) | .308 (+14%) | .371 (+15%) | .680 (+15%) | 1669.3 |
| 1964 | KC1 | AL | 136 | 439 | 71 | 110 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 71 | 0 | 84 | 122 | .251 | .250 (avg) | .312 (+19%) | .377 (+23%) | .690 (+21%) | 2096.2 |
| 1965 | KC1 | AL | 38 | 118 | 14 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 26 | .246 | .245 (avg) | .310 (-2%) | .371 (+46%) | .682 (+24%) | 417.0 |
| 1965 | HOU | NL | 81 | 227 | 22 | 55 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 31 | 0 | 34 | 72 | .242 | .245 (-1%) | .310 (+13%) | .371 (+5%) | .682 (+9%) | 417.0 |
| 1966 | HOU | NL | 49 | 144 | 16 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 21 | 39 | .243 | .248 (-2%) | .309 (+15%) | .376 (+18%) | .685 (+17%) | 464.5 |
| 1966 | CLE | AL | 33 | 47 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 18 | .128 | — | — | — | — | 464.5 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 936 | 2,922 | 434 | 759 | 113 | 6 | 179 | 549 | 3 | 475 | 663 | .260 | — | — | — | — | 14,392 | ||
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 (936 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 470 | 1395 | 212 | 357 | 76 | 230 | .256 |
| Away | 466 | 1527 | 220 | 402 | 103 | 319 | .263 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-09-30 | CLE | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-25 | CLE | KC1 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966-09-24 | CLE | KC1 | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-23 | CLE | KC1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-15 | CLE | KC1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966-09-14 | CLE | KC1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966-09-13 | CLE | KC1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-09 | CLE | LAA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-07 | CLE | BOS | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-05 | CLE | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | BRO | 1B | 2 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1958 | LAN | 1B | 8 | 8 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 1960 | BAL | 1B | 124 | 95 | 885 | 52 | 7 | 98 |
| 1961 | BAL | 1B | 144 | 137 | 1209 | 100 | 14 | 129 |
| 1962 | BAL | 1B | 150 | 149 | 1214 | 121 | 16 | 121 |
| 1963 | BAL | 1B | 143 | 138 | 1185 | 110 | 6 | 122 |
| 1964 | KC1 | 1B | 128 | 128 | 1018 | 84 | 13 | 92 |
| 1965 | KC1 | 1B | 35 | 29 | 239 | 17 | 5 | 24 |
| 1965 | HOU | 1B | 68 | 62 | 544 | 43 | 4 | 41 |
| 1966 | HOU | 1B | 43 | 38 | 321 | 30 | 4 | 28 |
| 1966 | CLE | 1B | 9 | 6 | 46 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 852 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 157.0 | 280 | 5 |
| 1960 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 21.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1960 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 2nd | 1.0 | 24 | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Gentile (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Jim Gentile
Jim Gentile: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jim Gentile's first major league game on September 10, 1957; the last one listed came on September 30, 1966. Club by club, the record runs the Brooklyn Dodgers (1957), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958), the Baltimore Orioles (1960 through 1963), the Kansas City Athletics (1964 through 1965), the Houston Astros (1965 through 1966), and the Cleveland Indians (1966). Gentile played primarily as a first baseman and both batted and threw left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on June 3, 1934, in San Francisco, CA, USA and a listed size of 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. The given name on file is James Edward Gentile.
Gentile finished with 759 hits from 2,922 at bats in 936 games, which works out to .260, along with 179 homers and 549 runs batted in. Gentile's career OPS of .854 combines a .368 on-base mark with .486 slugging. The .260 career average is close to the .253 the league hit across the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Gentile
- What years did Jim Gentile play?
- Jim Gentile played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1966.
- Was Jim Gentile a pitcher?
- No. Jim Gentile was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Jim Gentile hit?
- Jim Gentile hit 179 career home runs with 759 hits.
- What teams did Jim Gentile play for?
- Jim Gentile played for 5 teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (1957–1958), the Baltimore Orioles (1960–1963), the Kansas City Athletics (1964–1965), the Houston Astros (1965–1966), and the Cleveland Indians (1966).
- Did Jim Gentile win an MVP award?
- No. Jim Gentile did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Jim Gentile win?
- Jim Gentile was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
- What were Jim Gentile's career stats?
- In 936 games, Jim Gentile had 759 hits, 179 home runs, 549 RBI, 434 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .260 batting average.
- What position did Jim Gentile play?
- Jim Gentile played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jim Gentile and how much did he weigh?
- Jim Gentile was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 210 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jim Gentile hit each season?
- Jim Gentile's home runs by season: 1 in 1957, 0 in 1958, 21 in 1960, 46 in 1961, 33 in 1962, 24 in 1963, 28 in 1964, 17 in 1965, and 9 in 1966. His most in one season was 46, in 1961.
- What was Jim Gentile's career batting average?
- Jim Gentile batted .260 over his career, with 759 hits in 2,922 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Gentile have?
- Jim Gentile drove in 549 runs in his career.
- Is Jim Gentile in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Gentile has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Jim Gentile make?
- Jim Gentile was selected to 3 All-Star Games.