Nat Hicks
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1872-1877)
Nat Hicks was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1872 to 1877 for 4 teams, including the New York Mutuals, a span of 6 seasons. In 257 career games, he hit .264 with 301 hits, 1 home runs, and 116 RBI.
- 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
- 6'1" / 186 lb
- Died
- 4/21/1907 in Hoboken, NJ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1872-04-22
- Last Game
- 1877-06-05
Full name: Nathan Woodhull Hicks
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 257 | 1,142 | 172 | 301 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 116 | 9 | 25 | 23 | .264 | .279 | .307 | .587 | -393 |
Career AVG .264 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .279 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .307 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 7.3% below league average.
Career OPS .587 vs. league average .614 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | NY2 | 56 | 267 | 54 | 82 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 3 | .307 | .285 (+8%) | .296 (+9%) | .347 (+6%) | .644 (+7%) | 305.7 | |
| 1873 | NY2 | 28 | 120 | 12 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 0 | .242 | .290 (-17%) | .304 (-5%) | .357 (-14%) | .661 (-10%) | -141.7 | |
| 1874 | PH2 | 58 | 266 | 51 | 73 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 4 | .274 | .273 (avg) | .282 (+2%) | .333 (-6%) | .615 (-3%) | -59.0 | |
| 1875 | NY2 | 62 | 269 | 32 | 67 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 10 | .249 | .253 (-2%) | .260 (-2%) | .309 (-8%) | .570 (-5%) | -156.2 | |
| 1876 | NY3 | NL | 45 | 188 | 20 | 44 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .234 | .265 (-12%) | .277 (-11%) | .320 (-17%) | .598 (-14%) | -341.9 |
| 1877 | CN1 | NL | 8 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .188 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 257 | 1,142 | 172 | 301 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 116 | 9 | 25 | 23 | .264 | — | — | — | — | -393 | ||
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
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 252 | 108 | 1275 | 245 | 352 | 24 |
| OF | 12 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | NY2 | C | 54 | 52 | 295 | 34 | 47 | 3 |
| 1872 | NY2 | OF | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1873 | NY2 | C | 28 | 0 | 170 | 23 | 55 | 4 |
| 1874 | PH2 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1874 | PH2 | C | 57 | 56 | 261 | 59 | 69 | 4 |
| 1874 | PH2 | OF | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1875 | NY2 | C | 60 | 0 | 296 | 67 | 80 | 7 |
| 1875 | NY2 | OF | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1876 | NY3 | C | 45 | 0 | 222 | 47 | 94 | 3 |
| 1877 | CN1 | C | 8 | 0 | 31 | 15 | 7 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 251 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Center Field | 4 |
| Right Field | 7 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Nat Hicks (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Nat Hicks: the record in brief
Nat Hicks's major league career runs from a debut on April 22, 1872 to a final game on June 5, 1877. Hicks played for the New York Mutuals (1872 through 1876), the Philadelphia Whites (1874), and the Cincinnati Reds (1877). Hicks is listed as a catcher at 186 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. The bio says Hicks both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is April 19, 1845, in Hempstead, NY, USA. Hicks's death is recorded on April 21, 1907, in Hoboken, NJ, USA. The given name on file is Nathan Woodhull Hicks.
Hicks's career batting table shows 257 games, 1,142 at bats and 301 hits, a .264 average, plus 1 home run and 116 runs batted in. Hicks got on base at a .279 rate and slugged .307 (.587 OPS). Hicks hit .264 while the league hit .271 over the same span, a figure close to average. Hicks collected a career-high 82 hits in 1872. The RBI column peaks at 32 in 1872. In 1872, a season of regular play, Hicks hit .307 while the league hit .285. The seasons in which Hicks beat the league batting average were 1872.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nat Hicks
- What years did Nat Hicks play?
- Nat Hicks played in Major League Baseball from 1872 to 1877.
- Was Nat Hicks a pitcher?
- No. Nat Hicks was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Nat Hicks hit?
- Nat Hicks hit 1 career home runs with 301 hits.
- What was Nat Hicks's career batting average?
- Nat Hicks batted .264 over his career, with 301 hits in 1,142 at bats.
- How many RBI did Nat Hicks have?
- Nat Hicks drove in 116 runs in his career.
- Is Nat Hicks in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Nat Hicks has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.