Catfish Hunter
Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1965-1979)
Catfish Hunter was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1979 for the Kansas City Athletics, the Athletics, and the New York Yankees, a span of 15 seasons. Across 500 career appearances, he went 224-166 with a 3.26 ERA and 2,012 strikeouts. He also batted .226 with 6 home runs. Catfish Hunter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and was a 8-time All-Star and a Cy Young.
- 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
- 6'0" / 190 lb
- Died
- 9/9/1999 in Hertford, NC, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1965-05-13
- Last Game
- 1979-09-17
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1987 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 8× All-Star · Cy Young
Full name: James Augustus Hunter
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 | KC1 | AL | 8 | 8 | 32 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 133.0 | 124 | 63 | 46 | 82 | 4.26 | 3.50 (-22%) | -3061.1 |
| 1966 | KC1 | AL | 9 | 11 | 30 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 176.2 | 158 | 79 | 64 | 103 | 4.02 | 3.52 (-14%) | -1058.6 |
| 1967 | KC1 | AL | 13 | 17 | 35 | 35 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 259.2 | 209 | 81 | 84 | 196 | 2.81 | 3.30 (+15%) | 3278.6 |
| 1968 | OAK | AL | 13 | 13 | 36 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 234.0 | 210 | 87 | 69 | 172 | 3.35 | 2.98 (-12%) | -2807.9 |
| 1969 | OAK | AL | 12 | 15 | 38 | 35 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 247.0 | 210 | 92 | 85 | 150 | 3.35 | 3.61 (+7%) | -3481.3 |
| 1970 | OAK | AL | 18 | 14 | 40 | 40 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 262.1 | 253 | 111 | 74 | 178 | 3.81 | 3.89 (+2%) | 480.9 |
| 1971 | OAK | AL | 21 | 11 | 37 | 37 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 273.2 | 225 | 90 | 80 | 181 | 2.96 | 3.47 (+15%) | 989.7 |
| 1972 | OAK | AL | 21 | 7 | 38 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 295.1 | 200 | 67 | 70 | 191 | 2.04 | 3.26 (+37%) | 3857.4 |
| 1973 | OAK | AL | 21 | 5 | 36 | 36 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 256.1 | 222 | 95 | 69 | 124 | 3.34 | 3.75 (+11%) | -4160.9 |
| 1974 | OAK | AL | 25 | 12 | 41 | 41 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 318.1 | 268 | 88 | 46 | 143 | 2.49 | 3.63 (+31%) | 3861.5 |
| 1975 | NYA | AL | 23 | 14 | 39 | 39 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 328.0 | 248 | 94 | 83 | 177 | 2.58 | 3.71 (+30%) | 3563.9 |
| 1976 | NYA | AL | 17 | 15 | 36 | 36 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 298.2 | 268 | 117 | 68 | 173 | 3.53 | 3.51 (avg) | 857.1 |
| 1977 | NYA | AL | 9 | 9 | 22 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 143.1 | 137 | 75 | 47 | 52 | 4.71 | 4.00 (-18%) | -6058.3 |
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 12 | 6 | 21 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 118.0 | 98 | 47 | 35 | 56 | 3.58 | 3.69 (+3%) | -1848.7 |
| 1979 | NYA | AL | 2 | 9 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 105.0 | 128 | 62 | 34 | 34 | 5.31 | 4.00 (-33%) | -2466.6 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 224 | 166 | 500 | 476 | 181 | 42 | 1 | 3,449.1 | 2,958 | 1,248 | 954 | 2,012 | 3.26 | — | -8,054 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 515 | 658 | 60 | 149 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 51 | 2 | 8 | 160 | .226 | .234 | .287 | .521 | -2,123 |
Career AVG .226 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 10.4% below league average.
Career OBP .234 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 26.7% below league average.
Career SLG .287 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — 23.0% below league average.
Career OPS .521 vs. league average .692 across their career seasons — 24.7% 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 | KC1 | AL | 32 | 40 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | .150 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1966 | KC1 | AL | 30 | 59 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 21 | .153 | .248 (-39%) | .309 (-37%) | .376 (-46%) | .685 (-42%) | -382.0 |
| 1967 | KC1 | AL | 37 | 92 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 32 | .196 | .242 (-19%) | .306 (-36%) | .357 (-15%) | .663 (-25%) | -363.8 |
| 1968 | OAK | AL | 39 | 82 | 9 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 19 | .232 | .236 (-2%) | .298 (-22%) | .340 (-10%) | .638 (-16%) | -210.3 |
| 1969 | OAK | AL | 42 | 85 | 5 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 24 | .224 | .248 (-10%) | .320 (-29%) | .369 (-24%) | .689 (-26%) | -374.0 |
| 1970 | OAK | AL | 43 | 90 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 23 | .200 | .253 (-21%) | .325 (-34%) | .385 (-22%) | .711 (-28%) | -428.4 |
| 1971 | OAK | AL | 38 | 103 | 14 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 11 | .350 | .249 (+40%) | .316 (+14%) | .365 (+12%) | .682 (+13%) | 196.5 |
| 1972 | OAK | AL | 39 | 105 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | .219 | .243 (-10%) | .310 (-31%) | .353 (-38%) | .664 (-35%) | -561.3 |
| 1973 | OAK | AL | 37 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | OAK | AL | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | NYA | AL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | NYA | AL | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | NYA | AL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | NYA | AL | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 515 | 658 | 60 | 149 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 51 | 2 | 8 | 160 | .226 | — | — | — | — | -2,123 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | ALCS | NYA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1978 | WS | NYA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1977 | WS | NYA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1976 | ALCS | NYA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1976 | WS | NYA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1974 | ALCS | OAK | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1974 | WS | OAK | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 1973 | ALCS | OAK | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1973 | WS | OAK | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| 1972 | ALCS | OAK | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 |
| 1972 | WS | OAK | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .200 |
| 1971 | ALCS | OAK | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 6 | 22 | 19 | 1 | 132.1 | 114 | 48 | 35 | 70 | 3.26 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | ALCS | NYA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4.50 |
| 1978 | WS | NYA | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13.0 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4.15 |
| 1977 | WS | NYA | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10.38 |
| 1976 | ALCS | NYA | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12.0 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4.50 |
| 1976 | WS | NYA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.2 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.12 |
| 1974 | ALCS | OAK | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11.2 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4.63 |
| 1974 | WS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7.2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1.17 |
| 1973 | ALCS | OAK | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16.1 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1.65 |
| 1973 | WS | OAK | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13.1 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2.02 |
| 1972 | ALCS | OAK | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15.1 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 1.17 |
| 1972 | WS | OAK | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 16.0 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2.81 |
| 1971 | ALCS | OAK | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 5.62 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1015 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 268 | 347 | 31 | 89 | 1 | 27 | .256 |
| Away | 247 | 311 | 29 | 60 | 5 | 24 | .193 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 257 | 1871.0 | 1501 | 561 | 478 | 1151 | 2.70 |
| Away | 243 | 1578.1 | 1457 | 687 | 476 | 860 | 3.92 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-09-17 | NYY | CLE | — | 6.1 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1979-09-12 | NYY | BOS | L | 4.0 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1979-09-02 | NYY | KCR | — | 6.0 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1979-08-16 | NYY | MIN | L | 5.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1979-08-09 | NYY | CHW | L | 2.0 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-08-04 | NYY | BAL | — | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1979-07-29 | NYY | MIL | L | 4.1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-12 | NYY | SEA | W | 8.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979-07-06 | NYY | OAK | — | 5.2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1979-07-01 | NYY | BOS | — | 5.2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 500 | 476 | 225 | 319 | 23 | 16 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | KC1 | P | 32 | 20 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| 1966 | KC1 | P | 30 | 25 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| 1967 | KC1 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | KC1 | P | 35 | 35 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1968 | OAK | P | 36 | 34 | 16 | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| 1969 | OAK | P | 38 | 35 | 17 | 32 | 0 | 4 |
| 1970 | OAK | P | 40 | 40 | 17 | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 1971 | OAK | P | 37 | 37 | 15 | 26 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972 | OAK | P | 38 | 37 | 23 | 30 | 2 | 1 |
| 1973 | OAK | P | 36 | 36 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| 1974 | OAK | P | 41 | 41 | 25 | 27 | 3 | 1 |
| 1975 | NYA | P | 39 | 39 | 23 | 26 | 3 | 0 |
| 1976 | NYA | P | 36 | 36 | 24 | 30 | 2 | 2 |
| 1977 | NYA | P | 22 | 22 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978 | NYA | P | 21 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | NYA | P | 19 | 19 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 500 |
| First Base | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Player of the Week | Week of 1978-08-04 |
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-09-05 |
| 1974 | Cy Young Award | |
| 1974 | TSN All-Star | RHP |
| 1974 | TSN Pitcher of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Cy Young Award | AL | 2nd | 74.0 | 120 | 7 |
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 31.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1974 | Cy Young Award | AL | 1st | 90.0 | 120 | 12 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 107.0 | 336 | 1 |
| 1973 | Cy Young Award | AL | 3rd | 52.0 | 120 | 1 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 47.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1972 | Cy Young Award | AL | 4th | 26.0 | 120 | 2 |
| 1972 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 11th | 57.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1971 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 28th | 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%.
Catfish Hunter (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Catfish Hunter: the record in brief
May 13, 1965 and September 17, 1979 bracket Catfish Hunter's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Hunter's seasons break down as the Kansas City Athletics (1965 through 1967), the Oakland Athletics (1968 through 1974), and the New York Yankees (1975 through 1979). The bio lists Hunter as a pitcher who batted and threw right-handed. Hunter is listed at 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds. The birth record reads April 8, 1946, in Hertford, NC, USA. Hunter's death is recorded on September 9, 1999, in Hertford, NC, USA. Catfish Hunter was the playing name; the full given name is James Augustus.
Hunter pitched in 500 games, starting 476, and finished with a 224-166 record and 3.26 ERA. Also on Hunter's record: 2,012 strikeouts, 181 complete games, and 42 shutouts. The leagues Hunter pitched in allowed 3.61 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 9.7% better than average. No season topped the 25 wins of 1974.
Frequently Asked Questions about Catfish Hunter
- What years did Catfish Hunter play?
- Catfish Hunter played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1979.
- Was Catfish Hunter a pitcher?
- Yes. Catfish Hunter pitched in the major leagues, recording 224 wins and 2012 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Catfish Hunter hit?
- Catfish Hunter hit 6 career home runs with 149 hits.
- Is Catfish Hunter in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Catfish Hunter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.
- What was Catfish Hunter's career batting average?
- Catfish Hunter batted .226 over his career, with 149 hits in 658 at bats.
- How many RBI did Catfish Hunter have?
- Catfish Hunter drove in 51 runs in his career.