Les German
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1890-1897)
Les German was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1897 for the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Giants, and the Washington Nationals, a span of 8 seasons. Across 130 career appearances, he went 34-63 with a 5.45 ERA and 151 strikeouts. He also batted .260 with 3 home runs.
- 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
- 5'8" / 165 lb
- Died
- 6/10/1934 in Germantown, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1890-08-27
- Last Game
- 1897-08-06
Full name: Lester Stanley German
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | BL3 | AA | 5 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 132.1 | 147 | 71 | 54 | 37 | 4.83 | 3.88 (-24%) | -624.8 |
| 1893 | NY1 | NL | 8 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 152.0 | 162 | 70 | 70 | 35 | 4.14 | 4.66 (+11%) | -741.4 |
| 1894 | NY1 | NL | 9 | 8 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 143.0 | 186 | 88 | 68 | 21 | 5.54 | 5.33 (-4%) | -1671.6 |
| 1895 | NY1 | NL | 7 | 11 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 178.1 | 243 | 118 | 78 | 36 | 5.96 | 4.77 (-25%) | -1689.2 |
| 1896 | NY1 | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13.50 | — | 0.0 |
| 1896 | WAS | NL | 2 | 20 | 28 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 166.2 | 240 | 117 | 74 | 20 | 6.32 | 4.36 (-45%) | -2434.3 |
| 1897 | WAS | NL | 3 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 83.2 | 117 | 52 | 33 | 2 | 5.59 | 4.30 (-30%) | -1485.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 34 | 63 | 130 | 93 | 74 | 0 | 2 | 858.2 | 1,104 | 520 | 378 | 151 | 5.45 | — | -8,646 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 148 | 411 | 60 | 107 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 51 | 11 | 33 | 20 | .260 | .323 | .316 | .639 | -977 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — 8.4% below league average.
Career OBP .323 vs. league average .354 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.
Career SLG .316 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 17.8% below league average.
Career OPS .639 vs. league average .739 across their career seasons — 13.5% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | BL3 | AA | 17 | 51 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | .118 | .260 (-55%) | .336 (-30%) | .351 (-61%) | .687 (-46%) | -346.1 |
| 1893 | NY1 | NL | 22 | 74 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 1 | .311 | .279 (+11%) | .356 (-1%) | .379 (-11%) | .735 (-6%) | -69.0 |
| 1894 | NY1 | NL | 24 | 60 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 5 | .300 | .309 (-3%) | .379 (-12%) | .435 (-23%) | .814 (-18%) | -189.4 |
| 1895 | NY1 | NL | 35 | 111 | 16 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 7 | .261 | .296 (-12%) | .361 (-8%) | .399 (-8%) | .761 (-8%) | -140.9 |
| 1896 | NY1 | NL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1896 | WAS | NL | 30 | 70 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | .229 | .290 (-21%) | .354 (-16%) | .387 (-26%) | .741 (-21%) | 0.0 |
| 1897 | WAS | NL | 19 | 44 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .341 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 148 | 411 | 60 | 107 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 51 | 11 | 33 | 20 | .260 | — | — | — | — | -745 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 3B | 14 | 0 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 1 |
| OF | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| P | 130 | 0 | 44 | 186 | 22 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | BL3 | P | 17 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| 1893 | NY1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1893 | NY1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1893 | NY1 | P | 20 | 0 | 8 | 30 | 5 | 0 |
| 1894 | NY1 | P | 24 | 0 | 10 | 36 | 4 | 1 |
| 1895 | NY1 | 3B | 11 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 1 |
| 1895 | NY1 | P | 25 | 0 | 6 | 37 | 2 | 5 |
| 1896 | NY1 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1896 | WAS | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1896 | WAS | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1896 | WAS | P | 28 | 0 | 11 | 46 | 6 | 1 |
| 1897 | WAS | 2B | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1897 | WAS | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1897 | WAS | P | 15 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 130 |
| Second Base | 2 |
| Third Base | 14 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Les German (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Les German: the record in brief
August 27, 1890 and August 6, 1897 bracket Les German's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the Baltimore Orioles (1890), the New York Giants (1893 through 1896), and the Washington Senators (1896 through 1897). German played primarily as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Born on June 1, 1869, in Baltimore, MD, USA, German was listed at 5 feet, 8 inches and 165 pounds. German died on June 10, 1934, in Germantown, MD, USA. German's full given name, per the bio, is Lester Stanley German.
German pitched in 130 games, starting 93, and finished with a 34-63 record and 5.45 ERA. German had 151 strikeouts and 74 complete games. The league ERA over German's seasons was 4.45, so the 5.45 figure ran 22.4% worse than average. The best win total was 9, in 1894. 1893 was German's sharpest full season, a 4.14 ERA against the league's 4.66.
Frequently Asked Questions about Les German
- What years did Les German play?
- Les German played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1897.
- Was Les German a pitcher?
- Yes. Les German pitched in the major leagues, recording 34 wins and 151 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Les German hit?
- Les German hit 3 career home runs with 107 hits.
- What teams did Les German play for?
- Les German played for 3 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1890), the New York Giants (1893–1896), and the Washington Senators (1896–1897).
- What were Les German's career stats?
- In 130 games, Les German went 34-63 with a 5.45 ERA, 151 strikeouts, 858.2 innings pitched, and 2 saves. At the plate he had 107 hits and 3 home runs.
- What position did Les German play?
- Les German played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Les German and how much did he weigh?
- Les German was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 165 pounds.
- What was Les German's career ERA?
- Les German finished with a 5.45 career ERA, going 34-63 with 151 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Les German have?
- Les German recorded 151 career strikeouts.
- Is Les German in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Les German has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.