Ralph Jefferson
Right Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Ralph Jefferson was a right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Indianapolis ABCs. In 90 career games, he hit .250 with 83 hits, 1 home runs, and 34 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Right Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / —
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 171 lb
Full name: Ralph Tennyson Jefferson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | 332 | 40 | 83 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 4 | 19 | 1 | .250 | .297 | .304 | .601 | -681 |
Career AVG .250 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — 11.0% below league average.
Career OBP .297 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 13.0% below league average.
Career SLG .304 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 20.6% below league average.
Career OPS .601 vs. league average .724 across their career seasons — 17.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | ABC | NNL | 48 | 174 | 15 | 45 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .259 | .271 (-5%) | .331 (-13%) | .363 (-18%) | .694 (-16%) | -434.0 |
| 1921 | ABC | NNL | 34 | 131 | 22 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 1 | .260 | .286 (-9%) | .344 (-5%) | .395 (-19%) | .739 (-13%) | -247.1 |
| 1921 | BRG | EAS | 4 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .167 | — | — | — | — | -247.1 |
| 1921 | AC | EAS | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .111 | — | — | — | — | -247.1 |
| 1924 | CSE | ECL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 90 | 332 | 40 | 83 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 4 | 19 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | -1,175 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | ABC | NNL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 20.25 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 20.25 | — | 0 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Away | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
Last 2 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-06-13 | IN4 | CAG | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-05-09 | IN4 | CB1 | W | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Left Field | 22 |
| Center Field | 22 |
| Right Field | 49 |
Ralph Jefferson: the record in brief
Ralph Jefferson's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1920 to 1924. The season rows list, in order, the Indianapolis ABCs (1920 to 1921), the Brooklyn Royal Giants (1921), the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants (1921), and the Cuban Stars East (1924). Jefferson played primarily as a right fielder. Born on July 7, 1895, in Hearne, TX, USA, Jefferson was listed at 171 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. The given name on file is Ralph Tennyson Jefferson.
In 90 games and 332 at bats, Jefferson batted .250 with 83 hits; the totals also include 1 home run and 34 RBI. Jefferson got on base at a .297 rate and slugged .304 (.601 OPS). The league as a whole hit .281 across Jefferson's seasons, which puts the .250 career mark 11.0% below average. The OPS comparison is .601 to a league .724, 17.0% below average. Jefferson collected a career-high 45 hits in 1920.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ralph Jefferson
- Was Ralph Jefferson a pitcher?
- No. Ralph Jefferson was a position player (Right Fielder), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Ralph Jefferson hit?
- Ralph Jefferson hit 1 career home runs with 83 hits.
- What was Ralph Jefferson's career batting average?
- Ralph Jefferson batted .250 over his career, with 83 hits in 332 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ralph Jefferson have?
- Ralph Jefferson drove in 34 runs in his career.
- What was Ralph Jefferson's career ERA?
- Ralph Jefferson finished with a 20.25 career ERA, going 0-0 with 1 strikeouts.
- Is Ralph Jefferson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ralph Jefferson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.