Billy Hoeft
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1952-1966)
Billy Hoeft was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1966 for 6 teams, including the Detroit Tigers, a span of 15 seasons. Across 505 career appearances, he went 97-101 with a 3.94 ERA, 1,140 strikeouts, and 33 saves. He also batted .202 with 3 home runs. Billy Hoeft was an All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 13227.2.
- 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
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 180 lb
- Died
- 3/16/2010 in Canadian Lakes, MI, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1952-04-18
- Last Game
- 1966-09-25
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: William Frederick Hoeft
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | DET | AL | 2 | 7 | 34 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 125.0 | 123 | 60 | 63 | 67 | 4.32 | 3.70 (-17%) | -2199.9 |
| 1953 | DET | AL | 9 | 14 | 29 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 197.2 | 223 | 106 | 58 | 90 | 4.83 | 4.14 (-17%) | -309.4 |
| 1954 | DET | AL | 7 | 15 | 34 | 25 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 175.0 | 180 | 89 | 59 | 114 | 4.58 | 3.90 (-17%) | 398.7 |
| 1955 | DET | AL | 16 | 7 | 32 | 29 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 220.0 | 187 | 73 | 75 | 133 | 2.99 | 4.00 (+25%) | 4444.3 |
| 1956 | DET | AL | 20 | 14 | 38 | 34 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 248.0 | 276 | 112 | 104 | 172 | 4.06 | 3.96 (-3%) | 3334.9 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 9 | 11 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 207.0 | 188 | 80 | 69 | 111 | 3.48 | 3.83 (+9%) | 2348.9 |
| 1958 | DET | AL | 10 | 9 | 36 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 143.0 | 148 | 66 | 49 | 94 | 4.15 | 3.86 (-8%) | 1058.7 |
| 1959 | DET | AL | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5.00 | 3.90 (-28%) | 0.0 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.2 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 5.60 | 3.90 (-44%) | 1.1 |
| 1959 | BAL | AL | 1 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 | 50 | 26 | 19 | 30 | 5.71 | 3.90 (-46%) | -480.0 |
| 1960 | BAL | AL | 2 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.2 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 4.34 | 3.82 (-14%) | -397.9 |
| 1961 | BAL | AL | 7 | 4 | 35 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 138.0 | 106 | 31 | 55 | 100 | 2.02 | 4.03 (+50%) | 3636.1 |
| 1962 | BAL | AL | 4 | 8 | 57 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 113.2 | 103 | 58 | 43 | 73 | 4.59 | 3.96 (-16%) | 1921.3 |
| 1963 | SFN | NL | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 24.1 | 26 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 4.44 | 3.46 (-28%) | -1378.9 |
| 1964 | ML1 | NL | 4 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 73.1 | 76 | 31 | 18 | 47 | 3.80 | 3.58 (-6%) | -211.4 |
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 2 | 2 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 51.1 | 41 | 16 | 20 | 44 | 2.81 | 3.50 (+20%) | 995.1 |
| 1966 | CHN | NL | 1 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 41.0 | 43 | 21 | 14 | 30 | 4.61 | 3.52 (-31%) | 65.7 |
| 1966 | SFN | NL | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7.36 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 18 seasons | 97 | 101 | 505 | 200 | 75 | 17 | 33 | 1,847.1 | 1,820 | 809 | 685 | 1,140 | 3.94 | — | 13,227 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 533 | 531 | 73 | 107 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 47 | 0 | 67 | 162 | .202 | .289 | .264 | .553 | -1,218 |
Career AVG .202 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 20.9% below league average.
Career OBP .289 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 10.4% below league average.
Career SLG .264 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 31.7% below league average.
Career OPS .553 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — 22.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | DET | AL | 34 | 40 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 15 | .150 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1953 | DET | AL | 30 | 64 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 17 | .172 | .264 (-35%) | .335 (-18%) | .397 (-53%) | .733 (-37%) | -365.7 |
| 1954 | DET | AL | 35 | 52 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 24 | .192 | .261 (-26%) | .333 (-5%) | .390 (-21%) | .723 (-14%) | -107.9 |
| 1955 | DET | AL | 36 | 82 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 25 | .207 | .258 (-20%) | .332 (-12%) | .393 (-41%) | .726 (-28%) | -338.5 |
| 1956 | DET | AL | 42 | 80 | 16 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 22 | .250 | .258 (-3%) | .331 (+5%) | .397 (-21%) | .728 (-9%) | -89.2 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 42 | 67 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 14 | .149 | .257 (-42%) | .323 (-37%) | .391 (-20%) | .715 (-27%) | -316.2 |
| 1958 | DET | AL | 43 | 44 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 11 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1959 | DET | AL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1959 | BAL | AL | 16 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1960 | BAL | AL | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1961 | BAL | AL | 35 | 39 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 13 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1962 | BAL | AL | 57 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7 | .158 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1963 | SFN | NL | 23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | ML1 | NL | 42 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 29 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CHN | NL | 36 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | SFN | NL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 18 seasons | 533 | 531 | 73 | 107 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 47 | 0 | 67 | 162 | .202 | — | — | — | — | -1,218 | ||
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 (1038 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 260 | 250 | 33 | 54 | 3 | 22 | .216 |
| Away | 273 | 280 | 40 | 53 | 0 | 25 | .189 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 243 | 915.0 | 915 | 388 | 312 | 607 | 3.82 |
| Away | 262 | 931.1 | 905 | 420 | 370 | 532 | 4.06 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-09-25 | SFG | HOU | L | 0.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-09-16 | SFG | NYN | L | 0.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1966-09-10 | SFG | CHC | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966-09-05 | SFG | LAD | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-07-23 | CHC | STL | — | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966-07-20 | CHC | CIN | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-07-17 | CHC | STL | — | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-07-09 | CHC | PHI | — | 0.2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966-07-07 | CHC | PIT | W | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1966-07-04 | CHC | PIT | — | 1.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | DET | P | 34 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| 1953 | DET | P | 29 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 2 | 0 |
| 1954 | DET | P | 34 | 25 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| 1955 | DET | P | 32 | 29 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 2 |
| 1956 | DET | P | 38 | 34 | 5 | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| 1957 | DET | P | 34 | 28 | 8 | 28 | 2 | 2 |
| 1958 | DET | P | 36 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 2 |
| 1959 | DET | P | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | BOS | P | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | BAL | P | 16 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 1960 | BAL | P | 19 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1961 | BAL | P | 35 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| 1962 | BAL | P | 57 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| 1963 | SFN | P | 23 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1964 | ML1 | P | 42 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | CHN | P | 29 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | CHN | P | 36 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966 | SFN | P | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 505 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 24th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy Hoeft (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Billy Hoeft
Billy Hoeft: the record in brief
Billy Hoeft's major league career runs from a debut on April 18, 1952 to a final game on September 25, 1966. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1952 through 1959), the Boston Red Sox (1959), the Baltimore Orioles (1959 to 1962), the San Francisco Giants (1963 to 1966), the Milwaukee Braves (1964), and the Chicago Cubs (1965 through 1966). Listed as a pitcher, Hoeft threw and hit left-handed. Height and weight on file: 6'3" and 180 pounds. The birth record reads May 17, 1932, in Oshkosh, WI, USA. Hoeft died on March 16, 2010, in Canadian Lakes, MI, USA. The given name on file is William Frederick Hoeft.
Hoeft went 97-101 with a 3.94 ERA in 505 games, 200 of them starts. Hoeft had 1,140 strikeouts, 75 complete games, 17 shutouts, and 33 saves. Hoeft's 3.94 ERA was close to the 3.79 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 20 wins of 1956.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Hoeft
- What years did Billy Hoeft play?
- Billy Hoeft played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1966.
- Was Billy Hoeft a pitcher?
- Yes. Billy Hoeft pitched in the major leagues, recording 97 wins and 1140 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Billy Hoeft hit?
- Billy Hoeft hit 3 career home runs with 107 hits.
- What teams did Billy Hoeft play for?
- Billy Hoeft played for 6 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1952–1959), the Boston Red Sox (1959), the Baltimore Orioles (1959–1962), the San Francisco Giants (1963, 1966), the Milwaukee Braves (1964), and the Chicago Cubs (1965–1966).
- Did Billy Hoeft win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Billy Hoeft did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Billy Hoeft win?
- Billy Hoeft was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Billy Hoeft's career stats?
- In 505 games, Billy Hoeft went 97-101 with a 3.94 ERA, 1,140 strikeouts, 1,847.1 innings pitched, and 33 saves. At the plate he had 107 hits and 3 home runs.
- What position did Billy Hoeft play?
- Billy Hoeft played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Billy Hoeft and how much did he weigh?
- Billy Hoeft was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 180 pounds.
- What was Billy Hoeft's career ERA?
- Billy Hoeft finished with a 3.94 career ERA, going 97-101 with 1,140 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Billy Hoeft have?
- Billy Hoeft recorded 1,140 career strikeouts.
- Is Billy Hoeft in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Hoeft has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Billy Hoeft make?
- Billy Hoeft was selected to 1 All-Star Game.