Davey Johnson
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1965-1978)
Davey Johnson was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1978 for 4 teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,435 career games, he hit .261 with 1,252 hits, 136 home runs, and 609 RBI. Davey Johnson was a 4-time All-Star and a 3-time Gold Glove. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 8,759.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 170 lb
- Died
- 9/5/2025 in Sarasota, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1965-04-13
- Last Game
- 1978-09-29
- Awards
- 4× All-Star · 3× Gold Glove
Full name: David Allen Johnson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,435 | 4,797 | 564 | 1,252 | 242 | 18 | 136 | 609 | 33 | 559 | 675 | .261 | .340 | .404 | .744 | 8,759 |
Career AVG .261 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .340 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — +6.9% above league average.
Career SLG .404 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — +8.7% above league average.
Career OPS .744 vs. league average .690 across their career seasons — +7.9% above 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 | BAL | AL | 20 | 47 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | .170 | — | — | — | — | -217.7 |
| 1966 | BAL | AL | 131 | 501 | 47 | 129 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 56 | 3 | 31 | 64 | .257 | .248 (+4%) | .309 (-4%) | .376 (-7%) | .685 (-5%) | -467.4 |
| 1967 | BAL | AL | 148 | 510 | 62 | 126 | 30 | 3 | 10 | 64 | 4 | 59 | 82 | .247 | .242 (+2%) | .306 (+6%) | .357 (+5%) | .663 (+6%) | 578.4 |
| 1968 | BAL | AL | 145 | 504 | 50 | 122 | 24 | 4 | 9 | 56 | 7 | 44 | 80 | .242 | .236 (+2%) | .298 (+3%) | .340 (+6%) | .638 (+4%) | 389.2 |
| 1969 | BAL | AL | 142 | 511 | 52 | 143 | 34 | 1 | 7 | 57 | 3 | 57 | 52 | .280 | .248 (+13%) | .320 (+10%) | .369 (+6%) | .689 (+8%) | 793.3 |
| 1970 | BAL | AL | 149 | 530 | 68 | 149 | 27 | 1 | 10 | 53 | 2 | 66 | 68 | .281 | .253 (+11%) | .325 (+11%) | .385 (+2%) | .711 (+6%) | 778.4 |
| 1971 | BAL | AL | 142 | 510 | 67 | 144 | 26 | 1 | 18 | 72 | 3 | 51 | 55 | .282 | .249 (+13%) | .316 (+11%) | .365 (+21%) | .682 (+16%) | 1607.6 |
| 1972 | BAL | AL | 118 | 376 | 31 | 83 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 32 | 1 | 52 | 68 | .221 | .243 (-9%) | .310 (+3%) | .353 (-5%) | .664 (-1%) | 8.2 |
| 1973 | ATL | NL | 157 | 559 | 84 | 151 | 25 | 0 | 43 | 99 | 5 | 81 | 93 | .270 | .256 (+5%) | .325 (+14%) | .378 (+44%) | .703 (+30%) | 3484.4 |
| 1974 | ATL | NL | 136 | 454 | 56 | 114 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 62 | 1 | 75 | 59 | .251 | .256 (-2%) | .324 (+10%) | .369 (+6%) | .693 (+8%) | 917.1 |
| 1975 | ATL | NL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | PHI | NL | 78 | 156 | 23 | 50 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 36 | 1 | 23 | 20 | .321 | .264 (+21%) | .329 (+24%) | .401 (+36%) | .730 (+30%) | 919.3 |
| 1978 | PHI | NL | 44 | 89 | 14 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 19 | .191 | .257 (-26%) | .323 (-12%) | .378 (-26%) | .702 (-19%) | -253.1 |
| 1978 | CHN | NL | 24 | 49 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 9 | .306 | — | — | — | — | -253.1 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,435 | 4,797 | 564 | 1,252 | 242 | 18 | 136 | 609 | 33 | 559 | 675 | .261 | — | — | — | — | 8,285 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 111 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 9 | .225 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | NLCS | PHI | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
| 1971 | ALCS | BAL | 3 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .300 |
| 1971 | WS | BAL | 7 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .148 |
| 1970 | ALCS | BAL | 3 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .364 |
| 1970 | WS | BAL | 5 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | .312 |
| 1969 | ALCS | BAL | 3 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .231 |
| 1969 | WS | BAL | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .062 |
| 1966 | WS | BAL | 4 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .286 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1435 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 711 | 2271 | 275 | 627 | 68 | 338 | .276 |
| Away | 724 | 2526 | 289 | 625 | 68 | 271 | .247 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-09-29 | CHC | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-27 | CHC | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978-09-24 | CHC | STL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-22 | CHC | STL | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-21 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-19 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-06 | CHC | PHI | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-04 | CHC | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-04 | CHC | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978-09-02 | CHC | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 123 | 105 | 961 | 72 | 5 | 87 |
| 2B | 1198 | 1154 | 2837 | 3153 | 123 | 759 |
| 3B | 39 | 28 | 16 | 58 | 10 | 3 |
| SS | 43 | 21 | 48 | 56 | 4 | 11 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | BAL | 2B | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 5 |
| 1965 | BAL | 3B | 9 | 9 | 5 | 21 | 2 | 1 |
| 1965 | BAL | SS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1966 | BAL | 2B | 126 | 125 | 288 | 347 | 19 | 75 |
| 1966 | BAL | SS | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 1967 | BAL | 2B | 144 | 140 | 340 | 348 | 13 | 75 |
| 1967 | BAL | 3B | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1968 | BAL | 2B | 127 | 125 | 260 | 330 | 13 | 67 |
| 1968 | BAL | SS | 34 | 15 | 34 | 40 | 2 | 7 |
| 1969 | BAL | 2B | 142 | 141 | 355 | 369 | 12 | 93 |
| 1969 | BAL | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | BAL | 2B | 149 | 141 | 379 | 390 | 8 | 101 |
| 1970 | BAL | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971 | BAL | 2B | 140 | 136 | 361 | 367 | 12 | 103 |
| 1972 | BAL | 2B | 116 | 111 | 286 | 307 | 6 | 81 |
| 1973 | ATL | 2B | 156 | 155 | 383 | 464 | 30 | 106 |
| 1974 | ATL | 1B | 73 | 70 | 641 | 54 | 5 | 57 |
| 1974 | ATL | 2B | 71 | 62 | 148 | 177 | 6 | 43 |
| 1977 | PHI | 1B | 43 | 33 | 291 | 14 | 0 | 26 |
| 1977 | PHI | 2B | 9 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| 1977 | PHI | 3B | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | PHI | 1B | 7 | 2 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 1978 | PHI | 2B | 15 | 11 | 26 | 27 | 4 | 6 |
| 1978 | PHI | 3B | 9 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 1978 | CHN | 3B | 12 | 12 | 4 | 22 | 5 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 123 |
| Second Base | 1198 |
| Third Base | 39 |
| Shortstop | 45 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Player of the Month | August |
| 1973 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1973 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1971 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1970 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1970 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1969 | Gold Glove | 2B |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | College Station | TX | 1962 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 34.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1971 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1966 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 3rd | 1.0 | 20 | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Davey Johnson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson: the record in brief
The profile opens with Davey Johnson's first major league game on April 13, 1965; the last one listed came on September 29, 1978. The season rows list, in order, the Baltimore Orioles (1965 through 1972), the Atlanta Braves (1973 to 1975), the Philadelphia Phillies (1977 through 1978), and the Chicago Cubs (1978). At 6'1" and 170 pounds, Johnson is listed as a second baseman. Johnson threw and hit right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is January 30, 1943, in Orlando, FL, USA. Johnson's death is recorded on September 5, 2025, in Sarasota, FL, USA. The bio lists the given name David Allen.
Johnson collected 1,252 hits in 4,797 at bats across 1,435 games, good for a .261 batting average; the totals also include 136 home runs, 609 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .340 clip and slugging .404, Johnson finished with a .744 OPS. The .261 career average is close to the .252 the league hit across the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Davey Johnson
- What years did Davey Johnson play?
- Davey Johnson played in Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1978.
- Was Davey Johnson a pitcher?
- No. Davey Johnson was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Davey Johnson hit?
- Davey Johnson hit 136 career home runs with 1252 hits.
- What was Davey Johnson's career batting average?
- Davey Johnson batted .261 over his career, with 1,252 hits in 4,797 at bats.
- How many RBI did Davey Johnson have?
- Davey Johnson drove in 609 runs in his career.
- Is Davey Johnson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Davey Johnson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.