Jake Gibbs
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1962-1971)
Jake Gibbs was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1971 for the New York Yankees, a span of 10 seasons. In 538 career games, he hit .233 with 382 hits, 25 home runs, and 146 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
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1962-09-11
- Last Game
- 1971-09-29
Full name: Jerry Dean Gibbs
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 538 | 1,639 | 157 | 382 | 53 | 8 | 25 | 146 | 28 | 120 | 231 | .233 | .289 | .321 | .610 | -2,115 |
Career AVG .233 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 6.0% below league average.
Career OBP .289 vs. league average .314 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.
Career SLG .321 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 13.5% below league average.
Career OPS .610 vs. league average .685 across their career seasons — 10.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | NYA | AL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1963 | NYA | AL | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | NYA | AL | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | NYA | AL | 37 | 68 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 20 | .221 | .245 (-10%) | .310 (-14%) | .371 (-13%) | .682 (-14%) | -154.7 |
| 1966 | NYA | AL | 62 | 182 | 19 | 47 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 5 | 19 | 16 | .258 | .248 (+4%) | .309 (+6%) | .376 (-9%) | .685 (-3%) | -30.0 |
| 1967 | NYA | AL | 116 | 374 | 33 | 87 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 7 | 28 | 57 | .233 | .242 (-4%) | .306 (-5%) | .357 (-19%) | .663 (-13%) | -653.8 |
| 1968 | NYA | AL | 124 | 423 | 31 | 90 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 9 | 27 | 68 | .213 | .236 (-10%) | .298 (-10%) | .340 (-19%) | .638 (-15%) | -846.7 |
| 1969 | NYA | AL | 71 | 219 | 18 | 49 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 23 | 30 | .224 | .248 (-10%) | .320 (-8%) | .369 (-23%) | .689 (-16%) | -552.5 |
| 1970 | NYA | AL | 49 | 153 | 23 | 46 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 26 | 2 | 7 | 14 | .301 | .253 (+18%) | .325 (+2%) | .385 (+41%) | .711 (+23%) | 502.4 |
| 1971 | NYA | AL | 70 | 206 | 23 | 45 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 21 | 2 | 12 | 23 | .218 | .249 (-12%) | .316 (-15%) | .365 (-8%) | .682 (-11%) | -379.5 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 538 | 1,639 | 157 | 382 | 53 | 8 | 25 | 146 | 28 | 120 | 231 | .233 | — | — | — | — | -2,115 | ||
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 (537 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 285 | 855 | 84 | 173 | 19 | 79 | .202 |
| Away | 252 | 784 | 73 | 209 | 6 | 67 | .267 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-09-29 | NYY | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-22 | NYY | BAL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-20 | NYY | BAL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-19 | NYY | CLE | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-18 | NYY | CLE | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-09-08 | NYY | BOS | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-07 | NYY | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-06 | NYY | BOS | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-04 | NYY | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-31 | NYY | TEX | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 459 | 426 | 2441 | 209 | 37 | 27 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | NYA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1963 | NYA | C | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | NYA | C | 2 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | NYA | C | 21 | 15 | 106 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 1966 | NYA | C | 54 | 49 | 295 | 27 | 4 | 4 |
| 1967 | NYA | C | 99 | 93 | 582 | 55 | 16 | 7 |
| 1968 | NYA | C | 121 | 111 | 642 | 55 | 6 | 7 |
| 1969 | NYA | C | 66 | 66 | 364 | 31 | 4 | 6 |
| 1970 | NYA | C | 44 | 42 | 208 | 19 | 3 | 1 |
| 1971 | NYA | C | 51 | 48 | 229 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 458 |
| Third Base | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mississippi | Oxford | MS | 1959, 1960, 1961 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jake Gibbs (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jake Gibbs: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 11, 1962 and the final game on September 29, 1971, Jake Gibbs built the record summarized on this page. Every season row on the page belongs to the New York Yankees, from 1962 through 1971. At 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds, Gibbs is listed as a catcher. Gibbs batted left-handed and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Gibbs was born on November 7, 1938, in Grenada, MS, USA. Gibbs's full given name, per the bio, is Jerry Dean Gibbs.
The batting record for Gibbs: 538 games, 382 hits in 1,639 at bats, and a .233 average, plus 25 home runs, 146 RBI, and 28 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .289 and the slugging percentage .321, for an OPS of .610. Gibbs's .233 average ran 6.0% below the .248 that the league posted over the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .610 to a league .685, 10.9% below average. No season topped the 90 hits of 1968. Gibbs drove in a season-high 29 runs in 1968. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .233 in 1967, did not top the league's .242.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jake Gibbs
- What years did Jake Gibbs play?
- Jake Gibbs played in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1971.
- Was Jake Gibbs a pitcher?
- No. Jake Gibbs was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jake Gibbs hit?
- Jake Gibbs hit 25 career home runs with 382 hits.
- What was Jake Gibbs's career batting average?
- Jake Gibbs batted .233 over his career, with 382 hits in 1,639 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jake Gibbs have?
- Jake Gibbs drove in 146 runs in his career.
- Is Jake Gibbs in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jake Gibbs has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.