Kirby Higbe
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1937-1950)
Kirby Higbe was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1950 for 5 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 14 seasons. Across 418 career appearances, he went 118-101 with a 3.69 ERA, 971 strikeouts, and 24 saves. He also batted .153 with 3 home runs. Kirby Higbe was a 2-time All-Star.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 190 lb
- Died
- 5/6/1985 in Columbia, SC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1937-10-03
- Last Game
- 1950-07-07
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: Walter Kirby Higbe
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | CHN | NL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5.40 | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5.40 | 4.35 (-24%) | -261.3 |
| 1939 | CHN | NL | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.7 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 16 | 3.18 | 4.28 (+26%) | -161.2 |
| 1939 | PHI | NL | 10 | 14 | 34 | 26 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 187.3 | 208 | 101 | 101 | 79 | 4.85 | 4.28 (-13%) | -1932.0 |
| 1940 | PHI | NL | 14 | 19 | 41 | 36 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 283.0 | 242 | 117 | 121 | 137 | 3.72 | 4.21 (+12%) | 2345.4 |
| 1941 | BRO | NL | 22 | 9 | 48 | 39 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 298.0 | 244 | 104 | 132 | 121 | 3.14 | 3.94 (+20%) | -1395.7 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 16 | 11 | 38 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 221.7 | 180 | 80 | 106 | 115 | 3.25 | 3.57 (+9%) | -2380.4 |
| 1943 | BRO | NL | 13 | 10 | 35 | 27 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 185.0 | 189 | 76 | 95 | 108 | 3.70 | 3.50 (-6%) | 559.5 |
| 1946 | BRO | NL | 17 | 8 | 42 | 29 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 210.7 | 178 | 71 | 107 | 134 | 3.03 | 3.59 (+16%) | 2029.0 |
| 1947 | BRO | NL | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.7 | 18 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 5.17 | 3.97 (-30%) | 24.7 |
| 1947 | PIT | NL | 11 | 17 | 46 | 30 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 225.0 | 204 | 93 | 110 | 99 | 3.72 | 3.97 (+6%) | -3499.8 |
| 1948 | PIT | NL | 8 | 7 | 56 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 158.0 | 140 | 59 | 83 | 86 | 3.36 | 4.10 (+18%) | -472.7 |
| 1949 | PIT | NL | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.3 | 25 | 23 | 12 | 5 | 13.50 | 4.12 (-228%) | -684.0 |
| 1949 | NY1 | NL | 2 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 80.3 | 72 | 31 | 41 | 38 | 3.47 | 4.12 (+16%) | -1922.8 |
| 1950 | NY1 | NL | 0 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34.7 | 37 | 19 | 30 | 17 | 4.93 | 4.36 (-13%) | -511.9 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 118 | 101 | 418 | 238 | 98 | 11 | 24 | 1,952.1 | 1,763 | 800 | 979 | 971 | 3.69 | — | -8,263 | ||
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 Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 418 | 660 | 35 | 101 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 47 | 0 | 15 | 135 | .153 | .172 | .194 | .366 | -4,491 |
Career AVG .153 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 42.1% below league average.
Career OBP .172 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 48.9% below league average.
Career SLG .194 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 48.7% below league average.
Career OPS .366 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 48.8% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | CHN | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | CHN | NL | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | CHN | NL | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PHI | NL | 34 | 66 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | .167 | .274 (-39%) | .342 (-51%) | .393 (-54%) | .735 (-53%) | 0.0 |
| 1940 | PHI | NL | 41 | 103 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 26 | .165 | .267 (-38%) | .335 (-44%) | .387 (-50%) | .722 (-47%) | -783.7 |
| 1941 | BRO | NL | 48 | 112 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 23 | .188 | .262 (-28%) | .332 (-35%) | .373 (-38%) | .705 (-37%) | -659.5 |
| 1942 | BRO | NL | 38 | 77 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 16 | .104 | .253 (-59%) | .323 (-68%) | .349 (-63%) | .672 (-65%) | -763.9 |
| 1943 | BRO | NL | 35 | 65 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 12 | .138 | .255 (-46%) | .324 (-46%) | .346 (-47%) | .671 (-46%) | -456.1 |
| 1946 | BRO | NL | 42 | 77 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .130 | .256 (-49%) | .328 (-61%) | .358 (-57%) | .687 (-58%) | -699.5 |
| 1947 | BRO | NL | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1947 | PIT | NL | 46 | 72 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | .139 | .262 (-47%) | .336 (-52%) | .376 (-45%) | .712 (-48%) | 0.0 |
| 1948 | PIT | NL | 56 | 48 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1949 | PIT | NL | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1949 | NY1 | NL | 37 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .067 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1950 | NY1 | NL | 18 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 418 | 660 | 35 | 101 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 47 | 0 | 15 | 135 | .153 | — | — | — | — | -3,363 | ||
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 (832 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 199 | 319 | 24 | 54 | 2 | 31 | .169 |
| Away | 217 | 340 | 11 | 47 | 1 | 15 | .138 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 199 | 983.2 | 852 | 386 | 492 | 493 | 3.53 |
| Away | 217 | 965.2 | 906 | 404 | 491 | 480 | 3.77 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-07-07 | NY1 | BSN | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-07-05 | NY1 | PHI | — | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-07-02 | NY1 | BSN | — | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-06-25 | NY1 | CIN | — | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-06-21 | NY1 | STL | L | 1.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-06-19 | NY1 | BRO | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1950-06-11 | NY1 | STL | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-06-11 | NY1 | STL | — | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-06-10 | NY1 | STL | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-06-04 | NY1 | PIT | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | CHN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | CHN | P | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939 | CHN | P | 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | PHI | P | 34 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | PHI | P | 41 | 0 | 15 | 47 | 3 | 4 |
| 1941 | BRO | P | 48 | 0 | 13 | 39 | 1 | 2 |
| 1942 | BRO | P | 38 | 0 | 12 | 36 | 2 | 5 |
| 1943 | BRO | P | 35 | 0 | 9 | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| 1946 | BRO | P | 42 | 0 | 13 | 40 | 3 | 2 |
| 1947 | BRO | P | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | PIT | P | 46 | 0 | 9 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948 | PIT | P | 56 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949 | PIT | P | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949 | NY1 | P | 37 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 1950 | NY1 | P | 18 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 418 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 15th | 18.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 7th | 64.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 21th | 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%.
Kirby Higbe (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kirby Higbe
- What years did Kirby Higbe play?
- Kirby Higbe played in Major League Baseball from 1937 to 1950.
- Was Kirby Higbe a pitcher?
- Yes. Kirby Higbe pitched in the major leagues, recording 118 wins and 971 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Kirby Higbe hit?
- Kirby Higbe hit 3 career home runs with 101 hits.
- What was Kirby Higbe's career batting average?
- Kirby Higbe batted .153 over his career, with 101 hits in 660 at bats.
- How many RBI did Kirby Higbe have?
- Kirby Higbe drove in 47 runs in his career.
- What was Kirby Higbe's career ERA?
- Kirby Higbe finished with a 3.69 career ERA, going 118-101 with 971 strikeouts.