Bud Harrelson

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1965-1980)

Bud Harrelson was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1980 for the New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Texas Rangers, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,533 career games, he hit .236 with 1,120 hits, 7 home runs, and 267 RBI. Bud Harrelson was a 2-time All-Star and a Gold Glove.

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 .236
HR 7
RBI 267
H 1,120
OPS .616
PIV -5,515
Position
Shortstop
Bats / Throws
B / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 160 lb
Born
6/6/1944 in Niles, CA, USA
Died
1/10/2024 in East Northport, NY, USA
MLB Debut
1965-09-02
Last Game
1980-10-05
Awards
2× All-Star · Gold Glove

Full name: Derrel McKinley Harrelson

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Career Batting Statistics

Bud Harrelson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,533 4,744 539 1,120 136 45 7 267 127 633 653 .236 .327 .288 .616 -5,515

Career AVG .236 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 6.9% below league average.

Career OBP .327 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .288 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 22.9% below league average.

Career OPS .616 vs. league average .694 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bud Harrelson 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
1965 NYN NL 19 37 3 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 11 .108 — — — — 0.0
1966 NYN NL 33 99 20 22 2 4 0 4 7 13 23 .222 .248 (-11%) .309 (+1%) .376 (-14%) .685 (-7%) -97.9
1967 NYN NL 151 540 59 137 16 4 1 28 12 48 64 .254 .242 (+5%) .306 (+3%) .357 (-15%) .663 (-6%) -419.3
1968 NYN NL 111 402 38 88 7 3 0 14 4 29 68 .219 .236 (-8%) .298 (-9%) .340 (-26%) .638 (-18%) -990.3
1969 NYN NL 123 395 42 98 11 6 0 24 1 54 54 .248 .248 (avg) .320 (+6%) .369 (-17%) .689 (-6%) -236.1
1970 NYN NL 157 564 72 137 18 8 1 42 23 95 74 .243 .253 (-4%) .325 (+8%) .385 (-20%) .711 (-7%) -415.9
1971 NYN NL 142 547 55 138 16 6 0 32 28 53 59 .252 .249 (+1%) .316 (+1%) .365 (-17%) .682 (-9%) -647.3
1972 NYN NL 115 418 54 90 10 4 1 24 12 58 57 .215 .243 (-12%) .310 (+1%) .353 (-25%) .664 (-13%) -656.8
1973 NYN NL 106 356 35 92 12 3 0 20 5 48 49 .258 .256 (+1%) .325 (+7%) .378 (-18%) .703 (-7%) -221.1
1974 NYN NL 106 331 48 75 10 0 1 13 9 71 39 .227 .256 (-12%) .324 (+13%) .369 (-28%) .693 (-9%) -121.3
1975 NYN NL 34 73 5 16 2 0 0 3 0 12 13 .219 .257 (-15%) .327 (+1%) .374 (-34%) .701 (-18%) -160.9
1976 NYN NL 118 359 34 84 12 4 1 26 9 63 56 .234 .255 (-8%) .320 (+10%) .360 (-17%) .681 (-5%) -20.9
1977 NYN NL 107 269 25 48 6 2 1 12 5 27 28 .178 .264 (-32%) .329 (-23%) .401 (-43%) .730 (-34%) -1443.2
1978 PHI NL 71 103 16 22 1 0 0 9 5 18 21 .214 .257 (-17%) .323 (+2%) .378 (-41%) .702 (-21%) -260.2
1979 PHI NL 53 71 7 20 6 0 0 7 3 13 14 .282 .265 (+6%) .329 (+20%) .397 (-8%) .727 (+5%) 113.8
1980 TEX AL 87 180 26 49 6 0 1 9 4 29 23 .272 .264 (+3%) .326 (+14%) .387 (-17%) .714 (-3%) 62.4
Career · 16 seasons 1,533 4,744 539 1,120 136 45 7 267 127 633 653 .236 — — — — -5,515

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

Bud Harrelson — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
20 70 6 14 2 1 0 6 10 10 .200

Playoff Batting by Year

Bud Harrelson — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1973 NLCS NYN 5 18 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 1 .167
1973 WS NYN 7 24 2 6 1 0 0 1 5 3 .250
1969 NLCS NYN 3 11 2 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 .182
1969 WS NYN 5 17 1 3 0 0 0 0 3 4 .176

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1533 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Bud Harrelson — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home75722622785422132.240
Away77624822615785135.233

Last 10 Games — Batting

Bud Harrelson — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1980-10-05 TEXSEAW 301000010
1980-10-04 TEXSEAW 301100210
1980-10-03 TEXSEAW 402000201
1980-10-02 TEXMINL 200000001
1980-10-02 TEXMINL 210000010
1980-09-28 TEXSEAW 412000000
1980-09-27 TEXSEAW 311100001
1980-09-26 TEXSEAL 212000000
1980-09-25 TEXSEAL 200000000
1980-09-24 TEXMINL 110000010

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Bud Harrelson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 70 33 115 128 6 36
3B 9 0 0 9 0 1
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 1400 1301 2387 3975 203 751

Season-by-Season Fielding

Bud Harrelson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1965 NYN SS 18 10 28 36 3 6
1966 NYN SS 29 25 52 91 1 26
1967 NYN SS 149 144 254 467 32 88
1968 NYN SS 106 100 199 317 15 58
1969 NYN SS 119 115 243 347 19 70
1970 NYN SS 156 155 305 401 21 84
1971 NYN SS 140 138 257 441 16 86
1972 NYN SS 115 113 191 334 16 51
1973 NYN SS 103 102 153 315 10 49
1974 NYN SS 97 92 196 325 17 65
1975 NYN SS 34 23 44 67 7 18
1976 NYN SS 117 113 183 330 20 44
1977 NYN SS 98 84 141 239 6 41
1978 PHI 2B 43 16 58 79 4 24
1978 PHI SS 15 6 14 30 0 7
1979 PHI 2B 25 17 54 47 1 11
1979 PHI 3B 9 0 0 9 0 1
1979 PHI OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1979 PHI SS 17 4 9 15 3 1
1980 TEX 2B 2 0 3 2 1 1
1980 TEX SS 87 77 118 220 17 57

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Bud Harrelson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Second Base 71
Third Base 9
Shortstop 1399
Left Field 1

Awards & Honors

Bud Harrelson — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1971 Gold Glove SS
1971 TSN All-Star SS

College History

Bud Harrelson — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
San Francisco State University San Francisco CA 1963

Award Voting History

Bud Harrelson — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1973 Most Valuable Player NL 29th 2.0 336 0
1971 Most Valuable Player NL 22th 4.0 336 0
1970 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 10.0 336 0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Bud Harrelson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Otto Knabe
    .247 avg, 8 HR
  2. 97
    Jack Barry
    .243 avg, 10 HR
  3. 94
    Ossie Vitt
    .238 avg, 4 HR
  4. 93
    Dick Schofield
    .230 avg, 56 HR
  5. 93
    Roy Hartzell
    .252 avg, 12 HR
  6. 90
    Derrel Thomas
    .249 avg, 43 HR

Bud Harrelson: the record in brief

Bud Harrelson played a first major league game on September 2, 1965 and a last one on October 5, 1980. The season rows list, in order, the New York Mets (1965 to 1977), the Philadelphia Phillies (1978 through 1979), and the Texas Rangers (1980). Harrelson, born on June 6, 1944, in Niles, CA, USA, is listed as a shortstop and switch-hit and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5'11" and 160 pounds. Harrelson's death is recorded on January 10, 2024, in East Northport, NY, USA. Harrelson's full given name, per the bio, is Derrel McKinley Harrelson.

The batting record for Harrelson: 1,533 games, 1,120 hits in 4,744 at bats, and a .236 average; the totals also include 7 home runs, 267 runs batted in, and 127 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .327 and the slugging percentage .288, for an OPS of .616. Measured against the leagues Harrelson played in, the .236 career average compares with a .254 league average over the same seasons, 6.9% below the league. The highest hit total in a season was 138, in 1971.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bud Harrelson

What years did Bud Harrelson play?
Bud Harrelson played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1980.
Was Bud Harrelson a pitcher?
No. Bud Harrelson was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Bud Harrelson hit?
Bud Harrelson hit 7 career home runs with 1,120 hits.
What teams did Bud Harrelson play for?
Bud Harrelson played for 3 teams: the New York Mets (1965–1977), the Philadelphia Phillies (1978–1979), and the Texas Rangers (1980).
Did Bud Harrelson win an MVP award?
No. Bud Harrelson did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Bud Harrelson win?
Bud Harrelson won the Gold Glove (1971). He was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
What were Bud Harrelson's career stats?
In 1,533 games, Bud Harrelson had 1,120 hits, 7 home runs, 267 RBI, 539 runs, and 127 stolen bases, with a .236 batting average.
What position did Bud Harrelson play?
Bud Harrelson played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Bud Harrelson and how much did he weigh?
Bud Harrelson was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 160 pounds.
How many home runs did Bud Harrelson hit each season?
Bud Harrelson's home runs by season: 0 in 1965, 0 in 1966, 1 in 1967, 0 in 1968, 0 in 1969, 1 in 1970, 0 in 1971, 1 in 1972, 0 in 1973, 1 in 1974, 0 in 1975, 1 in 1976, 1 in 1977, 0 in 1978, 0 in 1979, and 1 in 1980. His most in one season was 1, in 1967, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976–1977, 1980.
What was Bud Harrelson's career batting average?
Bud Harrelson batted .236 over his career, with 1,120 hits in 4,744 at bats.
How many RBI did Bud Harrelson have?
Bud Harrelson drove in 267 runs in his career.
Is Bud Harrelson in the Hall of Fame?
No. Bud Harrelson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Bud Harrelson make?
Bud Harrelson was selected to 2 All-Star Games.