Willard Hershberger
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1938-1940)
Willard Hershberger was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1940 for the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 3 seasons. In 160 career games, he hit .316 with 127 hits and 70 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 77.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 167 lb
- Died
- 8/3/1940 in Boston, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1938-04-19
- Last Game
- 1940-08-02
Full name: Willard McKee Hershberger
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | 402 | 41 | 127 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 70 | 2 | 20 | 16 | .316 | .356 | .381 | .737 | 77 |
Career AVG .316 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — +16.4% above league average.
Career OBP .356 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .381 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .737 vs. league average .731 across their career seasons — near 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 | CIN | NL | 49 | 105 | 12 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | .276 | .272 (+1%) | .341 (-8%) | .392 (-18%) | .734 (-13%) | -221.6 |
| 1939 | CIN | NL | 63 | 174 | 23 | 60 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 9 | 4 | .345 | .274 (+26%) | .342 (+12%) | .393 (+7%) | .735 (+9%) | 291.8 |
| 1940 | CIN | NL | 48 | 123 | 6 | 38 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 6 | 6 | .309 | .267 (+16%) | .335 (+5%) | .387 (-4%) | .722 (avg) | 6.4 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 160 | 402 | 41 | 127 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 70 | 2 | 20 | 16 | .316 | — | — | — | — | 77 | ||
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
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (160 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 80 | 183 | 17 | 60 | 0 | 32 | .328 |
| Away | 80 | 219 | 24 | 67 | 0 | 38 | .306 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940-08-02 | CIN | BSN | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1940-07-31 | CIN | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-30 | CIN | NY1 | W | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-29 | CIN | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-07-28 | CIN | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-27 | CIN | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-26 | CIN | PHI | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-24 | CIN | BRO | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-23 | CIN | BRO | W | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-23 | CIN | BRO | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 136 |
| Second Base | 1 |
Willard Hershberger: the record in brief
April 19, 1938 and August 2, 1940 bracket Willard Hershberger's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Every season row on the page belongs to the Cincinnati Reds, from 1938 through 1940. Hershberger, born on May 28, 1910, in Lemoncove, CA, USA, is listed as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Hershberger's listed size is 5'10" and 167 pounds. Hershberger died on August 3, 1940, in Boston, MA, USA. Willard Hershberger was the playing name; the full given name is Willard McKee.
Hershberger's career batting table shows 160 games, 402 at bats and 127 hits, a .316 average, plus 70 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .356 clip and slugging .381, Hershberger finished with a .737 OPS. Measured against the leagues Hershberger played in, the .316 career average compares with a .271 league average over the same seasons, 16.4% above the league. The highest hit total in a season was 60, in 1939. The RBI column peaks at 32 in 1939.
Frequently Asked Questions about Willard Hershberger
- What years did Willard Hershberger play?
- Willard Hershberger played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1940.
- Was Willard Hershberger a pitcher?
- No. Willard Hershberger was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Willard Hershberger hit?
- Willard Hershberger hit 0 career home runs with 127 hits.
- What teams did Willard Hershberger play for?
- Willard Hershberger played for one team, the Cincinnati Reds (1938–1940).
- What were Willard Hershberger's career stats?
- In 160 games, Willard Hershberger had 127 hits, 70 RBI, 41 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .316 batting average.
- What position did Willard Hershberger play?
- Willard Hershberger played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Willard Hershberger and how much did he weigh?
- Willard Hershberger was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 167 pounds.
- What was Willard Hershberger's career batting average?
- Willard Hershberger batted .316 over his career, with 127 hits in 402 at bats.
- How many RBI did Willard Hershberger have?
- Willard Hershberger drove in 70 runs in his career.
- Is Willard Hershberger in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Willard Hershberger has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.