Ken Harrelson
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1963-1971)
Ken Harrelson was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1971 for 4 teams, including the Kansas City Athletics, a span of 9 seasons. In 900 career games, he hit .239 with 703 hits, 131 home runs, and 421 RBI. Ken Harrelson was an All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 5,762.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1963-06-09
- Last Game
- 1971-06-20
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Kenneth Smith Harrelson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900 | 2,941 | 374 | 703 | 94 | 14 | 131 | 421 | 53 | 382 | 577 | .239 | .325 | .414 | .740 | 5,762 |
Career AVG .239 vs. league average .247 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .325 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .414 vs. league average .369 across their career seasons — +12.3% above league average.
Career OPS .740 vs. league average .682 across their career seasons — +8.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | KC1 | AL | 79 | 226 | 16 | 52 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 1 | 23 | 58 | .230 | .246 (-7%) | .308 (-3%) | .371 (-2%) | .680 (-3%) | -101.3 |
| 1964 | KC1 | AL | 49 | 139 | 15 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 34 | .194 | .250 (-22%) | .312 (-16%) | .377 (+1%) | .690 (-7%) | -158.5 |
| 1965 | KC1 | AL | 150 | 483 | 61 | 115 | 17 | 3 | 23 | 66 | 9 | 66 | 112 | .238 | .245 (-3%) | .310 (+6%) | .371 (+15%) | .682 (+11%) | 1090.5 |
| 1966 | KC1 | AL | 63 | 210 | 24 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 9 | 27 | 59 | .224 | .248 (-10%) | .309 (+1%) | .376 (-15%) | .685 (-8%) | -179.0 |
| 1966 | WS2 | AL | 71 | 250 | 25 | 62 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 4 | 26 | 53 | .248 | .248 (avg) | .309 (+4%) | .376 (-1%) | .685 (+1%) | -179.0 |
| 1967 | WS2 | AL | 26 | 79 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 15 | .203 | .242 (-16%) | .306 (-15%) | .357 (-11%) | .663 (-13%) | -163.7 |
| 1967 | KC1 | AL | 61 | 174 | 23 | 53 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 8 | 17 | 17 | .305 | .242 (+26%) | .306 (+18%) | .357 (+32%) | .663 (+25%) | -163.7 |
| 1967 | BOS | AL | 23 | 80 | 9 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 12 | .200 | .242 (-17%) | .306 (-19%) | .357 (+8%) | .663 (-4%) | -163.7 |
| 1968 | BOS | AL | 150 | 535 | 79 | 147 | 17 | 4 | 35 | 109 | 2 | 69 | 90 | .275 | .236 (+16%) | .298 (+19%) | .340 (+52%) | .638 (+37%) | 3581.6 |
| 1969 | BOS | AL | 10 | 46 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 6 | .217 | — | — | — | — | -0.9 |
| 1969 | CLE | AL | 149 | 519 | 83 | 115 | 13 | 4 | 27 | 84 | 17 | 95 | 96 | .222 | .248 (-11%) | .320 (+7%) | .369 (+13%) | .689 (+10%) | -0.9 |
| 1970 | CLE | AL | 17 | 39 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | .282 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | CLE | AL | 52 | 161 | 20 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 24 | 21 | .199 | .249 (-20%) | .316 (-5%) | .365 (-17%) | .682 (-11%) | -229.3 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 900 | 2,941 | 374 | 703 | 94 | 14 | 131 | 421 | 53 | 382 | 577 | .239 | — | — | — | — | 3,332 | ||
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 (900 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 460 | 1464 | 196 | 376 | 65 | 231 | .257 |
| Away | 440 | 1477 | 178 | 327 | 66 | 190 | .221 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-06-20 | CLE | DET | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-06-17 | CLE | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-06-16 | CLE | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-15 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-13 | CLE | MIL | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-12 | CLE | MIL | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-09 | CLE | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-08 | CLE | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-06-06 | CLE | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-06-05 | CLE | MIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 469 | 433 | 3780 | 280 | 41 | 338 |
| OF | 365 | 351 | 623 | 20 | 9 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | KC1 | 1B | 34 | 31 | 283 | 16 | 6 | 24 |
| 1963 | KC1 | OF | 28 | 26 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964 | KC1 | 1B | 15 | 9 | 105 | 13 | 0 | 14 |
| 1964 | KC1 | OF | 24 | 21 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1965 | KC1 | 1B | 125 | 123 | 1044 | 70 | 9 | 93 |
| 1965 | KC1 | OF | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | KC1 | 1B | 58 | 58 | 485 | 48 | 8 | 42 |
| 1966 | KC1 | OF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966 | WS2 | 1B | 70 | 68 | 641 | 38 | 6 | 53 |
| 1967 | WS2 | 1B | 23 | 21 | 215 | 16 | 1 | 17 |
| 1967 | KC1 | 1B | 45 | 41 | 333 | 25 | 3 | 21 |
| 1967 | BOS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | BOS | OF | 23 | 22 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1968 | BOS | 1B | 19 | 17 | 135 | 9 | 3 | 9 |
| 1968 | BOS | OF | 132 | 127 | 241 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 1969 | BOS | 1B | 10 | 10 | 105 | 11 | 1 | 15 |
| 1969 | CLE | 1B | 16 | 3 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| 1969 | CLE | OF | 144 | 143 | 257 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 1970 | CLE | 1B | 13 | 13 | 80 | 7 | 0 | 15 |
| 1971 | CLE | 1B | 40 | 39 | 311 | 23 | 4 | 29 |
| 1971 | CLE | OF | 7 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 467 |
| Left Field | 70 |
| Right Field | 295 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1968 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1968 | TSN Player of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 103.0 | 280 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ken Harrelson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ken Harrelson: the record in brief
June 9, 1963 and June 20, 1971 bracket Ken Harrelson's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Harrelson's seasons break down as the Kansas City Athletics (1963 to 1967), the Washington Senators (1966 to 1967), the Boston Red Sox (1967 through 1969), and the Cleveland Indians (1969 to 1971). Harrelson played primarily as a first baseman and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on September 4, 1941, in Woodruff, SC, USA and a listed size of 6 feet, 2 inches and 190 pounds. Harrelson's full given name, per the bio, is Kenneth Smith Harrelson.
The batting record for Harrelson: 900 games, 703 hits in 2,941 at bats, and a .239 average, adding 131 home runs, 421 RBI, and 53 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .325 and .414 give Harrelson a career OPS of .740. The .239 career average is close to the .247 the league hit across the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ken Harrelson
- What years did Ken Harrelson play?
- Ken Harrelson played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1971.
- Was Ken Harrelson a pitcher?
- No. Ken Harrelson was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Ken Harrelson hit?
- Ken Harrelson hit 131 career home runs with 703 hits.
- What teams did Ken Harrelson play for?
- Ken Harrelson played for 4 teams: the Kansas City Athletics (1963–1967), the Washington Senators (1966–1967), the Boston Red Sox (1967–1969), and the Cleveland Indians (1969–1971).
- Did Ken Harrelson win an MVP award?
- No. Ken Harrelson did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Ken Harrelson win?
- Ken Harrelson was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Ken Harrelson's career stats?
- In 900 games, Ken Harrelson had 703 hits, 131 home runs, 421 RBI, 374 runs, and 53 stolen bases, with a .239 batting average.
- What position did Ken Harrelson play?
- Ken Harrelson played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ken Harrelson and how much did he weigh?
- Ken Harrelson was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ken Harrelson hit each season?
- Ken Harrelson's home runs by season: 6 in 1963, 7 in 1964, 23 in 1965, 12 in 1966, 12 in 1967, 35 in 1968, 30 in 1969, 1 in 1970, and 5 in 1971. His most in one season was 35, in 1968.
- What was Ken Harrelson's career batting average?
- Ken Harrelson batted .239 over his career, with 703 hits in 2,941 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ken Harrelson have?
- Ken Harrelson drove in 421 runs in his career.
- Is Ken Harrelson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ken Harrelson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Ken Harrelson make?
- Ken Harrelson was selected to 1 All-Star Game.