Ken Holtzman
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1965-1979)
Ken Holtzman was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1979 for 4 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 15 seasons. Across 451 career appearances, he went 174-150 with a 3.49 ERA and 1,601 strikeouts. He also batted .163 with 2 home runs. Ken Holtzman was a 2-time All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 1954.5.
- 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 / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 175 lb
- Died
- 4/14/2024 in St. Louis, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1965-09-04
- Last Game
- 1979-09-19
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: Kenneth Dale Holtzman
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2.25 | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CHN | NL | 11 | 16 | 34 | 33 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 220.2 | 194 | 93 | 68 | 171 | 3.79 | 3.52 (-8%) | -296.0 |
| 1967 | CHN | NL | 9 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 92.2 | 76 | 26 | 44 | 62 | 2.53 | 3.30 (+24%) | -2154.1 |
| 1968 | CHN | NL | 11 | 14 | 34 | 32 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 215.0 | 201 | 80 | 76 | 151 | 3.35 | 2.98 (-12%) | -916.5 |
| 1969 | CHN | NL | 17 | 13 | 39 | 39 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 261.1 | 248 | 104 | 93 | 176 | 3.58 | 3.61 (+1%) | 2965.8 |
| 1970 | CHN | NL | 17 | 11 | 39 | 38 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 287.2 | 271 | 108 | 94 | 202 | 3.38 | 3.89 (+13%) | 2167.5 |
| 1971 | CHN | NL | 9 | 15 | 30 | 29 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 195.0 | 213 | 97 | 64 | 143 | 4.48 | 3.47 (-29%) | 1363.3 |
| 1972 | OAK | AL | 19 | 11 | 39 | 37 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 265.1 | 232 | 74 | 52 | 134 | 2.51 | 3.26 (+23%) | 804.4 |
| 1973 | OAK | AL | 21 | 13 | 40 | 40 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 297.1 | 275 | 98 | 66 | 157 | 2.97 | 3.75 (+21%) | 4482.4 |
| 1974 | OAK | AL | 19 | 17 | 39 | 38 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 255.1 | 273 | 87 | 51 | 117 | 3.07 | 3.63 (+15%) | 4154.1 |
| 1975 | OAK | AL | 18 | 14 | 39 | 38 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 266.1 | 217 | 93 | 108 | 122 | 3.14 | 3.71 (+15%) | -243.7 |
| 1976 | BAL | AL | 5 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 97.2 | 100 | 31 | 35 | 25 | 2.86 | 3.51 (+19%) | -597.5 |
| 1976 | NYA | AL | 9 | 7 | 21 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 149.0 | 165 | 69 | 35 | 41 | 4.17 | 3.51 (-19%) | -1841.1 |
| 1977 | NYA | AL | 2 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71.2 | 105 | 46 | 24 | 14 | 5.78 | 4.00 (-44%) | -1191.7 |
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.2 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 4.08 | 3.69 (-11%) | -688.2 |
| 1978 | CHN | NL | 0 | 3 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 53.0 | 61 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 6.11 | 3.69 (-66%) | -2689.7 |
| 1979 | CHN | NL | 6 | 9 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 117.2 | 133 | 60 | 53 | 44 | 4.59 | 4.00 (-15%) | -3364.5 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 174 | 150 | 451 | 410 | 127 | 31 | 3 | 2,867.1 | 2,787 | 1,111 | 910 | 1,601 | 3.49 | — | 1,954 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 456 | 607 | 35 | 99 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 0 | 17 | 170 | .163 | .186 | .208 | .393 | -3,598 |
Career AVG .163 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 35.5% below league average.
Career OBP .186 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 41.9% below league average.
Career SLG .208 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — 44.3% below league average.
Career OPS .393 vs. league average .692 across their career seasons — 43.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | CHN | NL | 34 | 73 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 25 | .123 | .248 (-50%) | .309 (-56%) | .376 (-64%) | .685 (-60%) | -665.7 |
| 1967 | CHN | NL | 12 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | CHN | NL | 35 | 80 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 26 | .125 | .236 (-47%) | .298 (-55%) | .340 (-60%) | .638 (-57%) | -653.6 |
| 1969 | CHN | NL | 39 | 100 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 32 | .150 | .248 (-40%) | .320 (-48%) | .369 (-43%) | .689 (-45%) | -712.7 |
| 1970 | CHN | NL | 40 | 105 | 6 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 22 | .200 | .253 (-21%) | .325 (-27%) | .385 (-36%) | .711 (-32%) | -535.0 |
| 1971 | CHN | NL | 30 | 69 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 | .130 | .249 (-48%) | .316 (-48%) | .365 (-44%) | .682 (-46%) | -503.9 |
| 1972 | OAK | AL | 40 | 90 | 6 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 25 | .178 | .243 (-27%) | .310 (-40%) | .353 (-37%) | .664 (-38%) | -527.5 |
| 1973 | OAK | AL | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | OAK | AL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | OAK | AL | 39 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | BAL | AL | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | NYA | AL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | NYA | AL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | CHN | NL | 23 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | CHN | NL | 24 | 43 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .233 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 456 | 607 | 35 | 99 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 0 | 17 | 170 | .163 | — | — | — | — | -3,598 | ||
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
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | ALCS | OAK | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1974 | ALCS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1974 | WS | OAK | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 1973 | ALCS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1973 | WS | OAK | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .667 |
| 1972 | ALCS | OAK | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1972 | WS | OAK | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 70.1 | 61 | 18 | 18 | 39 | 2.30 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | ALCS | OAK | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11.0 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 4.09 |
| 1974 | ALCS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.00 |
| 1974 | WS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12.0 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 1.50 |
| 1973 | ALCS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0.82 |
| 1973 | WS | OAK | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10.2 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4.22 |
| 1972 | ALCS | OAK | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4.50 |
| 1972 | WS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12.2 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2.13 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (907 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 227 | 284 | 20 | 54 | 1 | 18 | .190 |
| Away | 229 | 323 | 15 | 45 | 1 | 16 | .139 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 223 | 1474.2 | 1430 | 542 | 428 | 856 | 3.31 |
| Away | 228 | 1392.1 | 1357 | 569 | 482 | 745 | 3.68 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-09-19 | CHC | STL | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1979-08-10 | CHC | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-08-05 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-08-01 | CHC | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979-07-28 | CHC | NYN | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-24 | CHC | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-22 | CHC | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-12 | CHC | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-07 | CHC | HOU | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979-07-01 | CHC | NYN | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-09-19 | CHC | STL | — | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1979-08-10 | CHC | STL | — | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-08-05 | CHC | STL | L | 5.0 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979-07-28 | CHC | NYN | L | 4.0 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1979-07-24 | CHC | HOU | — | 3.1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979-07-22 | CHC | CIN | L | 4.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-12 | CHC | CIN | — | 3.1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-07 | CHC | HOU | W | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1979-07-01 | CHC | NYN | — | 6.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1979-06-22 | CHC | PIT | L | 6.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | CHN | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966 | CHN | P | 34 | 33 | 12 | 24 | 4 | 2 |
| 1967 | CHN | P | 12 | 12 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | CHN | P | 34 | 32 | 2 | 42 | 1 | 3 |
| 1969 | CHN | P | 39 | 39 | 6 | 40 | 3 | 2 |
| 1970 | CHN | P | 39 | 38 | 11 | 44 | 2 | 1 |
| 1971 | CHN | P | 30 | 29 | 6 | 28 | 3 | 2 |
| 1972 | OAK | P | 39 | 37 | 7 | 47 | 1 | 4 |
| 1973 | OAK | P | 40 | 40 | 15 | 42 | 5 | 2 |
| 1974 | OAK | P | 39 | 38 | 5 | 43 | 1 | 2 |
| 1975 | OAK | P | 39 | 38 | 11 | 58 | 1 | 3 |
| 1976 | BAL | P | 13 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 1976 | NYA | P | 21 | 21 | 11 | 21 | 2 | 3 |
| 1977 | NYA | P | 18 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978 | NYA | P | 5 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | CHN | P | 23 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979 | CHN | P | 23 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 451 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | TSN All-Star | LHP |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign | IL | 1965 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ken Holtzman (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ken Holtzman: the record in brief
The profile opens with Ken Holtzman's first major league game on September 4, 1965; the last one listed came on September 19, 1979. By club, Holtzman's seasons break down as the Chicago Cubs (1965 through 1979), the Oakland Athletics (1972 to 1975), the Baltimore Orioles (1976), and the New York Yankees (1976 to 1978). Holtzman is listed as a pitcher at 6 feet, 2 inches and 175 pounds. The bio says Holtzman threw left-handed and batted right-handed. Holtzman was born on November 3, 1945, in St. Louis, MO, USA. Holtzman died on April 14, 2024, in St. Louis, MO, USA. On the record, Ken Holtzman was born Kenneth Dale Holtzman.
Holtzman pitched in 451 games, starting 410, and finished with a 174-150 record and 3.49 ERA. The totals include 1,601 strikeouts, 127 complete games, and 31 shutouts. Holtzman's 3.49 ERA was close to the 3.61 league figure for those seasons. Holtzman won 21 games in 1973, the most of any season listed. The strikeout high was 202 in 1970.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ken Holtzman
- What years did Ken Holtzman play?
- Ken Holtzman played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1979.
- Was Ken Holtzman a pitcher?
- Yes. Ken Holtzman pitched in the major leagues, recording 174 wins and 1601 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Ken Holtzman hit?
- Ken Holtzman hit 2 career home runs with 99 hits.
- What teams did Ken Holtzman play for?
- Ken Holtzman played for 4 teams: the Chicago Cubs (1965–1971, 1978–1979), the Oakland Athletics (1972–1975), the Baltimore Orioles (1976), and the New York Yankees (1976–1978).
- Did Ken Holtzman win a Cy Young Award?
- No. Ken Holtzman did not win the Cy Young Award.
- What awards did Ken Holtzman win?
- Ken Holtzman was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Ken Holtzman's career stats?
- In 451 games, Ken Holtzman went 174-150 with a 3.49 ERA, 1,601 strikeouts, 2,867.1 innings pitched, and 3 saves. At the plate he had 99 hits and 2 home runs.
- What position did Ken Holtzman play?
- Ken Holtzman played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ken Holtzman and how much did he weigh?
- Ken Holtzman was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 175 pounds.
- What was Ken Holtzman's career ERA?
- Ken Holtzman finished with a 3.49 career ERA, going 174-150 with 1,601 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Ken Holtzman have?
- Ken Holtzman recorded 1,601 career strikeouts.
- Is Ken Holtzman in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ken Holtzman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Ken Holtzman make?
- Ken Holtzman was selected to 2 All-Star Games.