Willie Horton
Born: 10/18/1942 in Arno, VA, USA
MLB Debut: 1963-09-10 | Final Game: 1980-10-05
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 209 lbs
Full name: William Wattison Horton
Biography
Willie Horton, born in 1942, was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1963 to 1980. Known for his powerful hitting and strong presence in the outfield, Horton played primarily as a position player. Over the course of 2,028 games, he achieved 1,993 hits, 325 home runs, and 1,163 RBIs, finishing his career with a batting average of .273. His ability to drive in runs and his consistent offensive production made him a key player in Major League Baseball during his era.
Horton was selected as an All-Star four times, underscoring his status as one of the top players in the league. He played during a transformative period in baseball, where power-hitting became increasingly valued, and he was part of a generation that helped popularize the home run as a centerpiece of the game. With 20 stolen bases to his name, Horton also showcased an ability to contribute on the bases, adding another dimension to his playing style. His legacy is remembered not only for his statistical achievements but also for his impact on the teams he played for, particularly the Detroit Tigers, where he spent a significant portion of his career.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | 7298 | 873 | 1993 | 284 | 40 | 325 | 1163 | 20 | 620 | 1313 | 0.273 | 0.332 | 0.457 | 0.789 | 18091.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | DET | AL | 15 | 43 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0.326 | 0.0 |
| 1964 | DET | AL | 25 | 80 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 20 | 0.163 | -238.2 |
| 1965 | DET | AL | 143 | 512 | 69 | 140 | 20 | 2 | 29 | 104 | 5 | 48 | 101 | 0.273 | 2070.6 |
| 1966 | DET | AL | 146 | 526 | 72 | 138 | 22 | 6 | 27 | 100 | 1 | 44 | 103 | 0.262 | 1581.7 |
| 1967 | DET | AL | 122 | 401 | 47 | 110 | 20 | 3 | 19 | 67 | 0 | 36 | 80 | 0.274 | 1622.5 |
| 1968 | DET | AL | 143 | 512 | 68 | 146 | 20 | 2 | 36 | 85 | 0 | 49 | 110 | 0.285 | 3592.5 |
| 1969 | DET | AL | 141 | 508 | 66 | 133 | 17 | 1 | 28 | 91 | 3 | 52 | 93 | 0.262 | 1434.1 |
| 1970 | DET | AL | 96 | 371 | 53 | 113 | 18 | 2 | 17 | 69 | 0 | 28 | 43 | 0.305 | 1295.0 |
| 1971 | DET | AL | 119 | 450 | 64 | 130 | 25 | 1 | 22 | 72 | 1 | 37 | 75 | 0.289 | 1894.3 |
| 1972 | DET | AL | 108 | 333 | 44 | 77 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 36 | 0 | 27 | 47 | 0.231 | 63.3 |
| 1973 | DET | AL | 111 | 411 | 42 | 130 | 19 | 3 | 17 | 53 | 1 | 23 | 57 | 0.316 | 1659.8 |
| 1974 | DET | AL | 72 | 238 | 32 | 71 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 47 | 0 | 21 | 36 | 0.298 | 1144.2 |
| 1975 | DET | AL | 159 | 615 | 62 | 169 | 13 | 1 | 25 | 92 | 1 | 44 | 109 | 0.275 | 522.6 |
| 1976 | DET | AL | 114 | 401 | 40 | 105 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 56 | 0 | 49 | 63 | 0.262 | 815.1 |
| 1977 | DET | AL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1977 | TEX | AL | 139 | 519 | 55 | 150 | 23 | 3 | 15 | 75 | 2 | 42 | 117 | 0.289 | 0.0 |
| 1978 | CLE | AL | 50 | 169 | 15 | 42 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 3 | 15 | 25 | 0.249 | -29.9 |
| 1978 | OAK | AL | 32 | 102 | 11 | 32 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 0.314 | -29.9 |
| 1978 | TOR | AL | 33 | 122 | 12 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 0.205 | -29.9 |
| 1979 | SEA | AL | 162 | 646 | 77 | 180 | 19 | 5 | 29 | 106 | 1 | 42 | 112 | 0.279 | 934.6 |
| 1980 | SEA | AL | 97 | 335 | 32 | 74 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 36 | 0 | 39 | 70 | 0.221 | -635.5 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 33 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 0.242 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | ALCS | DET | 5 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.100 |
| 1968 | WS | DET | 7 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0.304 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 1190 | 1167 | 1921 | 58 | 58 | 8 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | DET | OF | 9 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | DET | OF | 23 | 21 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1965 | DET | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | DET | OF | 141 | 138 | 249 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1966 | DET | OF | 137 | 133 | 233 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 1967 | DET | OF | 110 | 108 | 165 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| 1968 | DET | OF | 139 | 137 | 212 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| 1969 | DET | OF | 136 | 135 | 272 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1970 | DET | OF | 96 | 96 | 154 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| 1971 | DET | OF | 118 | 117 | 176 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 1972 | DET | OF | 98 | 93 | 131 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | DET | OF | 107 | 106 | 160 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| 1974 | DET | OF | 64 | 64 | 106 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 1977 | DET | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | TEX | OF | 10 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 | OAK | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 1112 |
| Right Field | 126 |
| Designated Hitter | 753 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Outstanding DH Award | |
| 1979 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1976 | Player of the Month | April |
| 1976 | Player of the Week | Week of 1976-04-23 |
| 1975 | Outstanding DH Award | |
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-08-01 |
| 1975 | TSN All-Star | DH |
| 1968 | TSN All-Star | OF |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 24th | 3.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 29th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1968 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 4th | 102.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1966 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 4.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1965 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 24.0 | 280 | 0 |