Frank Hankinson

Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1878-1888)

Frank Hankinson was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1878 to 1888 for 6 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 11 seasons. In 849 career games, he hit .228 with 747 hits, 13 home runs, and 344 RBI. He also pitched in 32 games, going 16-12 with a 2.50 ERA. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 102.2.

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

AVG .228
HR 13
RBI 344
H 747
OPS .568
PIV -4,494
Position
Third Baseman
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 168 lb
Born
4/29/1856 in New York, NY, USA
Died
4/5/1911 in Palisades Park, NJ, USA
MLB Debut
1878-05-01
Last Game
1888-10-14

Full name: Frank Edward Hankinson

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Career Batting Statistics

Frank Hankinson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
849 3,272 410 747 122 39 13 344 31 170 266 .228 .267 .301 .568 -4,494

Career AVG .228 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.

Career OBP .267 vs. league average .293 across their career seasons — 8.9% below league average.

Career SLG .301 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 10.0% below league average.

Career OPS .568 vs. league average .628 across their career seasons — 9.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Frank Hankinson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1878 CHN NL 58 240 38 64 8 3 1 27 0 5 36 .267 .259 (+3%) .278 (+1%) .319 (+6%) .597 (+4%) 109.4
1879 CHN NL 44 171 14 31 4 0 0 8 0 2 14 .181 .255 (-29%) .270 (-30%) .328 (-38%) .599 (-34%) -743.5
1880 CL2 NL 69 263 32 55 7 4 1 19 0 1 23 .209 .244 (-15%) .267 (-21%) .319 (-13%) .586 (-17%) -593.6
1881 TRN NL 85 321 34 62 15 0 1 19 0 10 41 .193 .260 (-26%) .290 (-25%) .338 (-26%) .628 (-26%) -1139.0
1883 NY1 NL 94 337 40 74 13 6 2 30 0 19 38 .220 .257 (-15%) .285 (-9%) .345 (-10%) .631 (-9%) -419.2
1884 NY1 NL 105 389 44 90 16 7 2 43 0 23 59 .231 .243 (-5%) .278 (-2%) .327 (-1%) .606 (-1%) -71.8
1885 NY4 AA 94 362 43 81 12 2 2 44 0 12 0 .224 .244 (-8%) .287 (-13%) .325 (-13%) .613 (-13%) -644.0
1886 NY4 AA 136 522 66 126 14 5 2 63 10 49 0 .241 .246 (-2%) .302 (+1%) .331 (-10%) .634 (-5%) -237.8
1887 NY4 AA 127 512 79 137 29 11 1 71 19 38 43 .268 .270 (-1%) .331 (-4%) .373 (avg) .705 (-2%) -241.3
1888 KC2 AA 37 155 20 27 4 1 1 20 2 11 12 .174 .238 (-27%) .290 (-21%) .319 (-27%) .610 (-24%) -512.8
Career · 10 seasons 849 3,272 410 747 122 39 13 344 31 170 266 .228 — — — — -4,494

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 Pitching Statistics

Frank Hankinson — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
16 12 32 28 28 2 1 266.2 281 74 1 31 81 2.50 102.2

Career ERA 2.50 vs. league average 2.72 across their career seasons — 8.3% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Frank Hankinson — Season-by-Season Pitching
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1878 CHN NL 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 9.0 11 6 0 4 6.00 2.30 (-160%) 0.0
1879 CHN NL 15 10 26 25 25 2 0 230.2 248 64 27 69 2.50 2.50 (avg) 25.7
1880 CL2 NL 1 1 4 2 2 0 1 25.0 20 3 3 8 1.08 2.37 (+55%) 76.5
1885 NY4 AA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 0 4.50 — 0.0
Career · 4 seasons 16 12 32 28 28 2 1 266.2 281 74 31 81 2.50 — 102

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

Frank Hankinson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 18 0 0 2
2B 13 0 32 40 4 3
3B 764 0 1029 1579 373 116
OF 35 0 39 6 4 0
P 32 0 19 75 6 1
SS 10 0 9 30 6 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Frank Hankinson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1878 CHN 3B 57 0 94 138 33 9
1878 CHN P 1 0 1 0 0 0
1879 CHN 3B 5 0 5 17 6 0
1879 CHN OF 14 0 21 3 2 0
1879 CHN P 26 0 16 67 6 1
1880 CL2 3B 56 0 68 89 29 7
1880 CL2 OF 12 0 9 2 0 0
1880 CL2 P 4 0 2 8 0 0
1881 TRN 3B 84 0 151 169 33 21
1881 TRN SS 1 0 1 1 1 1
1883 NY1 3B 93 0 122 166 43 9
1883 NY1 OF 1 0 1 0 1 0
1884 NY1 3B 105 0 135 182 47 8
1884 NY1 OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1885 NY4 3B 94 0 106 212 33 9
1885 NY4 P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1886 NY4 3B 136 0 181 316 72 26
1887 NY4 3B 127 0 161 276 69 26
1888 KC2 1B 2 0 18 0 0 2
1888 KC2 2B 13 0 32 40 4 3
1888 KC2 3B 7 0 6 14 8 1
1888 KC2 OF 7 0 8 1 1 0
1888 KC2 SS 9 0 8 29 5 6

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Frank Hankinson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 32
First Base 2
Second Base 13
Third Base 764
Shortstop 10
Left Field 26
Center Field 8
Right Field 1

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Frank Hankinson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Joe Gerhardt
    .227 avg, 7 HR
  2. 94
    Doug Flynn
    .238 avg, 7 HR
  3. 91
    Frank Duffy
    .232 avg, 26 HR
  4. 91
    Charley O'Leary
    .226 avg, 3 HR
  5. 90
    Lee Tannehill
    .220 avg, 3 HR
  6. 87
    Charley Bassett
    .231 avg, 15 HR

Frank Hankinson: the record in brief

Frank Hankinson's major league career runs from a debut on May 1, 1878 to a final game on October 14, 1888. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago White Stockings (1878 through 1879), the Cleveland Blues (1880), the Troy Trojans (1881), the New York Gothams (1883 to 1884), the New York Metropolitans (1885 to 1887), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1888). Listed as a third baseman, Hankinson batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds. The birth record reads April 29, 1856, in New York, NY, USA. The bio records the death on April 5, 1911, in Palisades Park, NJ, USA. Hankinson's full given name, per the bio, is Frank Edward Hankinson.

Across 849 games at the plate, Hankinson's career line reads 747 hits in 3,272 at bats for a .228 average, adding 13 homers, 344 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .267 and the slugging percentage .301, for an OPS of .568.

Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Hankinson

What years did Frank Hankinson play?
Frank Hankinson played in Major League Baseball from 1878 to 1888.
Was Frank Hankinson a pitcher?
Both. Frank Hankinson pitched in 32 games, going 16-12 with a 2.5 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Third Baseman.
How many home runs did Frank Hankinson hit?
Frank Hankinson hit 13 career home runs with 747 hits.
What teams did Frank Hankinson play for?
Frank Hankinson played for 6 teams: the Chicago White Stockings (1878–1879), the Cleveland Blues (1880), the Troy Trojans (1881), the New York Gothams (1883–1884), the New York Metropolitans (1885–1887), and the Kansas City Cowboys (1888).
What were Frank Hankinson's career stats?
In 849 games, Frank Hankinson had 747 hits, 13 home runs, 344 RBI, 410 runs, and 31 stolen bases, with a .228 batting average. As a pitcher, in 32 games, he went 16-12 with a 2.50 ERA, 81 strikeouts, 266.2 innings pitched, and 1 saves.
What position did Frank Hankinson play?
Frank Hankinson played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Frank Hankinson and how much did he weigh?
Frank Hankinson was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 168 pounds.
How many home runs did Frank Hankinson hit each season?
Frank Hankinson's home runs by season: 1 in 1878, 0 in 1879, 1 in 1880, 1 in 1881, 2 in 1883, 2 in 1884, 2 in 1885, 2 in 1886, 1 in 1887, and 1 in 1888. His most in one season was 2, in 1883, 1884, 1885, and 1886.
What was Frank Hankinson's career batting average?
Frank Hankinson batted .228 over his career, with 747 hits in 3,272 at bats.
How many RBI did Frank Hankinson have?
Frank Hankinson drove in 344 runs in his career.
What was Frank Hankinson's career ERA?
Frank Hankinson finished with a 2.50 career ERA, going 16-12 with 81 strikeouts.
Is Frank Hankinson in the Hall of Fame?
No. Frank Hankinson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.