Jerry Johnson
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1968-1977)
Jerry Johnson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1977 for 7 teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, a span of 10 seasons. Across 365 career appearances, he went 48-51 with a 4.31 ERA, 489 strikeouts, and 41 saves.
- 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
- 6'3" / 200 lb
- Died
- 11/15/2021 in Canyon Lake, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1968-07-17
- Last Game
- 1977-09-29
Full name: Jerry Michael Johnson
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | PHI | NL | 4 | 4 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 80.2 | 82 | 29 | 29 | 40 | 3.24 | 2.98 (-8%) | -746.2 |
| 1969 | PHI | NL | 6 | 13 | 33 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 147.1 | 151 | 70 | 57 | 82 | 4.28 | 3.61 (-18%) | -2182.7 |
| 1970 | SLN | NL | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11.1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3.18 | 3.89 (+18%) | 53.6 |
| 1970 | SFN | NL | 3 | 4 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 65.1 | 67 | 31 | 38 | 44 | 4.27 | 3.89 (-10%) | -312.5 |
| 1971 | SFN | NL | 12 | 9 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 109.0 | 93 | 36 | 48 | 85 | 2.97 | 3.47 (+14%) | 432.4 |
| 1972 | SFN | NL | 8 | 6 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 73.1 | 73 | 36 | 40 | 57 | 4.42 | 3.26 (-35%) | 137.8 |
| 1973 | CLE | AL | 5 | 6 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 59.2 | 70 | 41 | 39 | 45 | 6.18 | 3.75 (-65%) | -1189.3 |
| 1974 | HOU | NL | 2 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45.0 | 47 | 24 | 24 | 32 | 4.80 | 3.63 (-32%) | 333.3 |
| 1975 | SDN | NL | 3 | 1 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54.0 | 60 | 31 | 31 | 18 | 5.17 | 3.71 (-39%) | -883.1 |
| 1976 | SDN | NL | 1 | 3 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.0 | 39 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 5.31 | 3.51 (-51%) | 261.6 |
| 1977 | TOR | AL | 2 | 4 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 86.0 | 91 | 44 | 54 | 54 | 4.60 | 4.00 (-15%) | -1565.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 48 | 51 | 365 | 39 | 6 | 2 | 41 | 770.2 | 779 | 369 | 389 | 489 | 4.31 | — | -5,660 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 365 | 122 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 42 | .123 | .156 | .156 | .312 | 0 |
Career AVG .123 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 51.4% below league average.
Career OBP .156 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — 51.2% below league average.
Career SLG .156 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 58.0% below league average.
Career OPS .312 vs. league average .691 across their career seasons — 54.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | PHI | NL | 16 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | .080 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1969 | PHI | NL | 33 | 43 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15 | .209 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | SLN | NL | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1970 | SFN | NL | 33 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .067 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | SFN | NL | 67 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .154 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | SFN | NL | 48 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1973 | CLE | AL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | HOU | NL | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | SDN | NL | 21 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .083 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | SDN | NL | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | TOR | AL | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 365 | 122 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 42 | .123 | — | — | — | — | 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
View full game log (730 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 173 | 54 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | .130 |
| Away | 192 | 68 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | .118 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 173 | 364.1 | 377 | 192 | 187 | 238 | 4.74 |
| Away | 192 | 406.1 | 402 | 177 | 202 | 251 | 3.92 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-09-29 | TOR | BOS | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-25 | TOR | NYY | — | 1.0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1977-09-17 | TOR | CLE | — | 4.1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-12 | TOR | BAL | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-11 | TOR | NYY | SV | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-09-05 | TOR | BOS | — | 4.1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1977-08-28 | TOR | OAK | — | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977-08-26 | TOR | OAK | — | 3.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1977-08-17 | TOR | TEX | — | 2.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1977-08-15 | TOR | LAA | — | 4.2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | PHI | P | 16 | 11 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| 1969 | PHI | P | 33 | 21 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 1 |
| 1970 | SLN | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | SFN | P | 33 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | SFN | P | 67 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972 | SFN | P | 48 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 1973 | CLE | P | 39 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1974 | HOU | P | 34 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 1975 | SDN | P | 21 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1976 | SDN | P | 24 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | TOR | P | 43 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 365 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Cy Young Award | NL | 6th | 2.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1971 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jerry Johnson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jerry Johnson: the record in brief
July 17, 1968 and September 29, 1977 bracket Jerry Johnson's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the Philadelphia Phillies (1968 to 1969), the St. Louis Cardinals (1970), the San Francisco Giants (1970 through 1972), the Cleveland Indians (1973), the Houston Astros (1974), the San Diego Padres (1975 through 1976), and the Toronto Blue Jays (1977). Johnson played primarily as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on December 3, 1943, in Miami, FL, USA, Johnson was listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. Johnson died on November 15, 2021, in Canyon Lake, CA, USA. Johnson's full given name, per the bio, is Jerry Michael Johnson.
Johnson went 48-51 with a 4.31 ERA in 365 games, 39 of them starts. Also on Johnson's record: 489 strikeouts and 41 saves. The league ERA over Johnson's seasons was 3.60, so the 4.31 figure ran 19.8% worse than average. 1971 brought Johnson a season-high 12 wins. The most saves in one season was 18, in 1971.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jerry Johnson
- What years did Jerry Johnson play?
- Jerry Johnson played in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1977.
- Was Jerry Johnson a pitcher?
- Yes. Jerry Johnson pitched in the major leagues, recording 48 wins and 489 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Jerry Johnson hit?
- Jerry Johnson hit 0 career home runs with 15 hits.
- What teams did Jerry Johnson play for?
- Jerry Johnson played for 7 teams: the Philadelphia Phillies (1968–1969), the St. Louis Cardinals (1970), the San Francisco Giants (1970–1972), the Cleveland Indians (1973), the Houston Astros (1974), the San Diego Padres (1975–1976), and the Toronto Blue Jays (1977).
- What were Jerry Johnson's career stats?
- In 365 games, Jerry Johnson went 48-51 with a 4.31 ERA, 489 strikeouts, 770.2 innings pitched, and 41 saves.
- What position did Jerry Johnson play?
- Jerry Johnson played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jerry Johnson and how much did he weigh?
- Jerry Johnson was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 200 pounds.
- What was Jerry Johnson's career ERA?
- Jerry Johnson finished with a 4.31 career ERA, going 48-51 with 489 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Jerry Johnson have?
- Jerry Johnson recorded 489 career strikeouts.
- Is Jerry Johnson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jerry Johnson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.