Johnny Grubb
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1972-1987)
Johnny Grubb was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1987 for 4 teams, including the San Diego Padres, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,424 career games, he hit .278 with 1,153 hits, 99 home runs, and 475 RBI. Johnny Grubb was an All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 8,894.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1972-09-10
- Last Game
- 1987-09-28
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: John Raymond Grubb
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,424 | 4,154 | 553 | 1,153 | 207 | 29 | 99 | 475 | 27 | 566 | 558 | .278 | .366 | .413 | .779 | 8,894 |
Career AVG .278 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +7.2% above league average.
Career OBP .366 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +12.9% above league average.
Career SLG .413 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — +7.4% above league average.
Career OPS .779 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — +9.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | SDN | NL | 7 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1973 | SDN | NL | 113 | 389 | 52 | 121 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 9 | 37 | 50 | .311 | .256 (+21%) | .325 (+15%) | .378 (+17%) | .703 (+16%) | 1208.5 |
| 1974 | SDN | NL | 140 | 444 | 53 | 127 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 42 | 4 | 46 | 47 | .286 | .256 (+11%) | .324 (+9%) | .369 (+9%) | .693 (+9%) | 829.0 |
| 1975 | SDN | NL | 144 | 553 | 72 | 149 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 38 | 2 | 59 | 59 | .269 | .257 (+5%) | .327 (+5%) | .374 (-3%) | .701 (+1%) | 133.5 |
| 1976 | SDN | NL | 109 | 384 | 54 | 109 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 1 | 65 | 53 | .284 | .255 (+11%) | .320 (+22%) | .360 (+7%) | .681 (+14%) | 1288.5 |
| 1977 | CLE | AL | 34 | 93 | 8 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 18 | .301 | .264 (+14%) | .329 (+29%) | .401 (+15%) | .730 (+21%) | 419.9 |
| 1978 | CLE | AL | 113 | 378 | 54 | 100 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 61 | 5 | 59 | 60 | .265 | .257 (+3%) | .323 (+13%) | .378 (+19%) | .702 (+16%) | 1250.5 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 21 | 33 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 5 | .394 | — | — | — | — | 1250.5 |
| 1979 | TEX | AL | 102 | 289 | 42 | 79 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 37 | 2 | 34 | 44 | .273 | .265 (+3%) | .329 (+6%) | .397 (+7%) | .727 (+7%) | 414.0 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 110 | 274 | 40 | 76 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 32 | 2 | 42 | 35 | .277 | .264 (+5%) | .326 (+15%) | .387 (+10%) | .714 (+12%) | 760.0 |
| 1981 | TEX | AL | 67 | 199 | 26 | 46 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 23 | 25 | .231 | .255 (-10%) | .320 (-1%) | .368 (-10%) | .688 (-6%) | -146.9 |
| 1982 | TEX | AL | 103 | 308 | 35 | 86 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 39 | 37 | .279 | .261 (+7%) | .324 (+14%) | .388 (-5%) | .712 (+4%) | 357.9 |
| 1983 | DET | AL | 57 | 134 | 20 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 28 | 17 | .254 | .260 (-3%) | .324 (+19%) | .389 (+5%) | .714 (+12%) | 386.2 |
| 1984 | DET | AL | 86 | 176 | 25 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 36 | 36 | .267 | .259 (+3%) | .322 (+22%) | .384 (+12%) | .707 (+17%) | 713.4 |
| 1985 | DET | AL | 78 | 155 | 19 | 38 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 24 | 25 | .245 | .257 (-5%) | .323 (+6%) | .390 (+2%) | .714 (+4%) | 132.1 |
| 1986 | DET | AL | 81 | 210 | 32 | 70 | 13 | 1 | 13 | 51 | 0 | 28 | 28 | .333 | .257 (+29%) | .325 (+26%) | .395 (+49%) | .720 (+39%) | 1524.6 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | 59 | 114 | 9 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 16 | .202 | .262 (-23%) | .331 (-12%) | .415 (-26%) | .746 (-20%) | -377.2 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,424 | 4,154 | 553 | 1,153 | 207 | 29 | 99 | 475 | 27 | 566 | 558 | .278 | — | — | — | — | 10,144 | ||
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
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1424 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 733 | 2105 | 307 | 605 | 51 | 255 | .287 |
| Away | 691 | 2049 | 246 | 548 | 48 | 220 | .267 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-09-28 | DET | BAL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-27 | DET | TOR | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-20 | DET | MIL | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-12 | DET | MIL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-09-09 | DET | BAL | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-06 | DET | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-09-04 | DET | TEX | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-01 | DET | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-08-30 | DET | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-08-29 | DET | TEX | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 9 | 5 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 3B | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| OF | 1042 | 930 | 1992 | 66 | 39 | 13 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | SDN | OF | 6 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | SDN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | SDN | OF | 102 | 96 | 229 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| 1974 | SDN | 3B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | SDN | OF | 122 | 110 | 321 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
| 1975 | SDN | OF | 139 | 136 | 334 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1976 | SDN | 1B | 9 | 5 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 1976 | SDN | 3B | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1976 | SDN | OF | 98 | 96 | 183 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 1977 | CLE | OF | 28 | 26 | 47 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | CLE | OF | 110 | 100 | 199 | 14 | 6 | 4 |
| 1978 | TEX | OF | 13 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979 | TEX | OF | 82 | 64 | 135 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| 1980 | TEX | OF | 77 | 69 | 112 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| 1981 | TEX | OF | 58 | 56 | 95 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | TEX | OF | 77 | 69 | 135 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 1983 | DET | OF | 26 | 23 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | DET | OF | 36 | 25 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | DET | OF | 18 | 14 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | DET | OF | 19 | 11 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | DET | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | DET | OF | 31 | 23 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 9 |
| Third Base | 8 |
| Left Field | 391 |
| Center Field | 409 |
| Right Field | 283 |
| Designated Hitter | 192 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Player of the Week | Week of 1986-07-25 |
Salary History
Johnny Grubb's recorded salaries total $865,000 over 3 seasons, 1985 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Grubb's career ran from 1972 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | DET | AL | $365,000 |
| 1986 | DET | AL | $250,000 |
| 1985 | DET | AL | $250,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $865,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| State College of Florida - Manatee-Sarasota | Bradenton | FL | 1968, 1969 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee | FL | 1970 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 6th | 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%.
Johnny Grubb (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Johnny Grubb: the record in brief
The profile opens with Johnny Grubb's first major league game on September 10, 1972; the last one listed came on September 28, 1987. By club, Grubb's seasons break down as the San Diego Padres (1972 through 1976), the Cleveland Indians (1977 through 1978), the Texas Rangers (1978 to 1982), and the Detroit Tigers (1983 to 1987). Grubb played primarily as an outfielder and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on August 4, 1948, in Richmond, VA, USA and a listed size of 6 feet, 3 inches and 175 pounds. The given name on file is John Raymond Grubb.
Grubb finished with 1,153 hits from 4,154 at bats in 1,424 games, which works out to .278, plus 99 home runs, 475 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .366 and the slugging percentage .413, for an OPS of .779. Set against a .259 league average for the same years, Grubb's .278 average sits 7.2% above it. No season beat the 14 home runs Grubb hit in 1978.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Grubb
- What years did Johnny Grubb play?
- Johnny Grubb played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1987.
- Was Johnny Grubb a pitcher?
- No. Johnny Grubb was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Johnny Grubb hit?
- Johnny Grubb hit 99 career home runs with 1,153 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Grubb play for?
- Johnny Grubb played for 4 teams: the San Diego Padres (1972–1976), the Cleveland Indians (1977–1978), the Texas Rangers (1978–1982), and the Detroit Tigers (1983–1987).
- Did Johnny Grubb win an MVP award?
- No. Johnny Grubb did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Johnny Grubb win?
- Johnny Grubb was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Johnny Grubb's career stats?
- In 1,424 games, Johnny Grubb had 1,153 hits, 99 home runs, 475 RBI, 553 runs, and 27 stolen bases, with a .278 batting average.
- How much did Johnny Grubb earn in his career?
- Johnny Grubb's recorded salaries total $865,000 over 3 seasons, 1985 to 1987. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Grubb's career ran from 1972 to 1987. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Johnny Grubb's salary?
- Johnny Grubb's last recorded salary was $365,000, in 1987. His highest recorded salary was $365,000, in 1987, and his lowest was $250,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1987.
- What position did Johnny Grubb play?
- Johnny Grubb played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Grubb and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Grubb was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Johnny Grubb hit each season?
- Johnny Grubb's home runs by season: 0 in 1972, 8 in 1973, 8 in 1974, 4 in 1975, 5 in 1976, 2 in 1977, 15 in 1978, 10 in 1979, 9 in 1980, 3 in 1981, 3 in 1982, 4 in 1983, 8 in 1984, 5 in 1985, 13 in 1986, and 2 in 1987. His most in one season was 15, in 1978.
- What was Johnny Grubb's career batting average?
- Johnny Grubb batted .278 over his career, with 1,153 hits in 4,154 at bats.
- How many RBI did Johnny Grubb have?
- Johnny Grubb drove in 475 runs in his career.