Joe Gordon
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1938-1950)
Joe Gordon was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1950 for the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,566 career games, he hit .268 with 1,530 hits, 253 home runs, and 975 RBI. Joe Gordon was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 and was a 9-time All-Star and an MVP. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 18,128.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 180 lb
- Died
- 4/14/1978 in Sacramento, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1938-04-18
- Last Game
- 1950-09-30
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 2009 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 9× All-Star · MVP
Full name: Joseph Lowell Gordon
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,566 | 5,707 | 914 | 1,530 | 264 | 52 | 253 | 975 | 89 | 759 | 702 | .268 | .357 | .466 | .822 | 18,128 |
Career AVG .268 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .357 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.
Career SLG .466 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — +23.8% above league average.
Career OPS .822 vs. league average .712 across their career seasons — +15.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | NYA | AL | 127 | 458 | 83 | 117 | 24 | 7 | 25 | 97 | 11 | 56 | 72 | .255 | .272 (-6%) | .341 (avg) | .392 (+28%) | .734 (+15%) | 1249.3 |
| 1939 | NYA | AL | 151 | 567 | 92 | 161 | 32 | 5 | 28 | 111 | 11 | 75 | 57 | .284 | .274 (+4%) | .342 (+8%) | .393 (+29%) | .735 (+19%) | 2267.4 |
| 1940 | NYA | AL | 155 | 616 | 112 | 173 | 32 | 10 | 30 | 103 | 18 | 52 | 57 | .281 | .267 (+5%) | .335 (+1%) | .387 (+32%) | .722 (+18%) | 2014.4 |
| 1941 | NYA | AL | 156 | 588 | 104 | 162 | 26 | 7 | 24 | 87 | 10 | 72 | 80 | .276 | .262 (+5%) | .332 (+8%) | .373 (+25%) | .705 (+17%) | 2007.1 |
| 1942 | NYA | AL | 147 | 538 | 88 | 173 | 29 | 4 | 18 | 103 | 12 | 79 | 95 | .322 | .253 (+27%) | .323 (+27%) | .349 (+40%) | .672 (+34%) | 3686.9 |
| 1943 | NYA | AL | 152 | 543 | 82 | 135 | 28 | 5 | 17 | 69 | 4 | 98 | 75 | .249 | .255 (-3%) | .324 (+12%) | .346 (+19%) | .671 (+16%) | 1923.4 |
| 1946 | NYA | AL | 112 | 376 | 35 | 79 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 47 | 2 | 49 | 72 | .210 | .256 (-18%) | .328 (-6%) | .358 (-6%) | .687 (-6%) | -308.6 |
| 1947 | CLE | AL | 155 | 562 | 89 | 153 | 27 | 6 | 29 | 93 | 7 | 62 | 49 | .272 | .262 (+4%) | .336 (+3%) | .376 (+32%) | .712 (+18%) | 1917.2 |
| 1948 | CLE | AL | 144 | 550 | 96 | 154 | 21 | 4 | 32 | 124 | 5 | 77 | 68 | .280 | .263 (+6%) | .340 (+9%) | .379 (+34%) | .719 (+22%) | 2489.6 |
| 1949 | CLE | AL | 148 | 541 | 74 | 136 | 18 | 3 | 20 | 84 | 5 | 83 | 33 | .251 | .262 (-4%) | .343 (+3%) | .384 (+6%) | .727 (+5%) | 637.6 |
| 1950 | CLE | AL | 119 | 368 | 59 | 87 | 12 | 1 | 19 | 57 | 4 | 56 | 44 | .236 | .265 (-11%) | .346 (-2%) | .401 (+7%) | .747 (+3%) | 243.8 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 1,566 | 5,707 | 914 | 1,530 | 264 | 52 | 253 | 975 | 89 | 759 | 702 | .268 | — | — | — | — | 18,128 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 103 | 12 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 17 | .243 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | WS | CLE | 6 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .182 |
| 1943 | WS | NYA | 5 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | .235 |
| 1942 | WS | NYA | 5 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .095 |
| 1941 | WS | NYA | 5 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .500 |
| 1939 | WS | NYA | 4 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .143 |
| 1938 | WS | NYA | 4 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | .400 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1565 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 769 | 2717 | 422 | 695 | 119 | 437 | .256 |
| Away | 796 | 2985 | 491 | 834 | 134 | 538 | .279 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-09-30 | CLE | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-24 | CLE | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1950-09-23 | CLE | DET | W | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1950-09-22 | CLE | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-20 | CLE | BOS | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-20 | CLE | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1950-09-17 | CLE | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-13 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-12 | CLE | NYY | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-09-10 | CLE | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 30 | 0 | 224 | 17 | 4 | 35 |
| 2B | 1519 | 0 | 3600 | 4706 | 260 | 1160 |
| SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | NYA | 2B | 126 | 0 | 290 | 450 | 31 | 98 |
| 1939 | NYA | 2B | 151 | 0 | 370 | 461 | 28 | 116 |
| 1940 | NYA | 2B | 155 | 0 | 374 | 505 | 23 | 116 |
| 1941 | NYA | 1B | 30 | 0 | 224 | 17 | 4 | 35 |
| 1941 | NYA | 2B | 131 | 0 | 332 | 397 | 32 | 109 |
| 1942 | NYA | 2B | 147 | 0 | 354 | 442 | 28 | 121 |
| 1943 | NYA | 2B | 152 | 0 | 407 | 490 | 29 | 114 |
| 1946 | NYA | 2B | 108 | 0 | 281 | 346 | 17 | 87 |
| 1947 | CLE | 2B | 155 | 0 | 341 | 466 | 18 | 110 |
| 1948 | CLE | 2B | 144 | 0 | 330 | 436 | 23 | 97 |
| 1948 | CLE | SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949 | CLE | 2B | 145 | 0 | 297 | 430 | 15 | 123 |
| 1950 | CLE | 2B | 105 | 0 | 224 | 283 | 16 | 69 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 30 |
| Second Base | 1518 |
| Shortstop | 3 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1948 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1947 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1947 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1943 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1942 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1942 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1942 | TSN Guide MVP | |
| 1941 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1941 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1940 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1940 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1939 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 2B |
| 1939 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oregon | Eugene | OR | 1934, 1935 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 63.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1947 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 7th | 59.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 25th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 1st | 270.0 | 336 | 12 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 7th | 60.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 9th | 43.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1938 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 23.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Gordon (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Joe Gordon
Joe Gordon: the record in brief
The profile opens with Joe Gordon's first major league game on April 18, 1938; the last one listed came on September 30, 1950. By club, Gordon's seasons break down as the New York Yankees (1938 to 1946) and the Cleveland Indians (1947 to 1950). The bio lists Gordon as a second baseman who batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 180 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The birth record reads February 18, 1915, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Gordon died on April 14, 1978, in Sacramento, CA, USA. Gordon's full given name, per the bio, is Joseph Lowell Gordon.
The batting record for Gordon: 1,566 games, 1,530 hits in 5,707 at bats, and a .268 average, adding 253 home runs, 975 runs batted in, and 89 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .357 and the slugging percentage .466, for an OPS of .822. Gordon hit .268 while the league hit .263 over the same span, a figure close to average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Gordon
- What years did Joe Gordon play?
- Joe Gordon played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1950.
- Was Joe Gordon a pitcher?
- No. Joe Gordon was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Gordon hit?
- Joe Gordon hit 253 career home runs with 1,530 hits.
- Is Joe Gordon in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Joe Gordon was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
- What teams did Joe Gordon play for?
- Joe Gordon played for 2 teams: the New York Yankees (1938–1943, 1946) and the Cleveland Indians (1947–1950).
- How many MVP awards did Joe Gordon win?
- Joe Gordon won 1 MVP award, in 1942.
- What awards did Joe Gordon win?
- Joe Gordon won the MVP award (1942). He was selected to 9 All-Star Games.
- What were Joe Gordon's career stats?
- In 1,566 games, Joe Gordon had 1,530 hits, 253 home runs, 975 RBI, 914 runs, and 89 stolen bases, with a .268 batting average.
- What position did Joe Gordon play?
- Joe Gordon played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Gordon and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Gordon was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Gordon hit each season?
- Joe Gordon's home runs by season: 25 in 1938, 28 in 1939, 30 in 1940, 24 in 1941, 18 in 1942, 17 in 1943, 11 in 1946, 29 in 1947, 32 in 1948, 20 in 1949, and 19 in 1950. His most in one season was 32, in 1948.
- What was Joe Gordon's career batting average?
- Joe Gordon batted .268 over his career, with 1,530 hits in 5,707 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Gordon have?
- Joe Gordon drove in 975 runs in his career.
- How many All-Star Games did Joe Gordon make?
- Joe Gordon was selected to 9 All-Star Games.