Joe Johnson
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1987)
Joe Johnson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1987 for the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 3 seasons. Across 62 career appearances, he went 20-18 with a 4.48 ERA and 149 strikeouts.
- 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
- 6'2" / 195 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1985-07-25
- Last Game
- 1987-06-21
Full name: Joseph Richard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | ATL | NL | 4 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 85.2 | 95 | 39 | 24 | 34 | 4.10 | 3.89 (-5%) | -660.4 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 6 | 7 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 87.0 | 101 | 48 | 35 | 49 | 4.97 | 3.97 (-25%) | -311.8 |
| 1986 | TOR | AL | 7 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88.0 | 94 | 38 | 22 | 39 | 3.89 | 3.97 (+2%) | 1774.8 |
| 1987 | TOR | AL | 3 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66.2 | 77 | 38 | 18 | 27 | 5.13 | 4.29 (-19%) | -1029.2 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 20 | 18 | 62 | 58 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 327.1 | 367 | 163 | 99 | 149 | 4.48 | — | -227 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 49 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 20 | .082 | .148 | .102 | .250 | 0 |
Career AVG .082 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 68.5% below league average.
Career OBP .148 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 54.7% below league average.
Career SLG .102 vs. league average .401 across their career seasons — 74.5% below league average.
Career OPS .250 vs. league average .727 across their career seasons — 65.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | ATL | NL | 15 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .043 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 17 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | .115 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | TOR | AL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | TOR | AL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 62 | 49 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 20 | .082 | — | — | — | — | 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 (124 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 32 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .125 |
| Away | 30 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .061 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 32 | 163.1 | 185 | 78 | 40 | 70 | 4.30 |
| Away | 30 | 164.0 | 182 | 85 | 59 | 79 | 4.66 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-06-21 | TOR | MIL | — | 3.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987-06-16 | TOR | DET | — | 4.0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987-06-11 | TOR | BAL | W | 6.1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1987-06-06 | TOR | BAL | — | 0.2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-01 | TOR | SEA | L | 7.0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1987-05-27 | TOR | OAK | L | 5.2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 1987-05-15 | TOR | OAK | W | 5.1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1987-05-10 | TOR | TEX | — | 4.1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-05-05 | TOR | KCR | L | 1.2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-04-29 | TOR | MIN | W | 7.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 62 |
Salary History
Joe Johnson's recorded salaries total $262,500 over 2 seasons, 1986 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Johnson's career ran from 1985 to 1987. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1987.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | CAL | AL | $157,500 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | $105,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $262,500 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maine at Orono | Orono | ME | 1980, 1981, 1982 |
Joe Johnson: the record in brief
Joe Johnson played a first major league game on July 25, 1985 and a last one on June 21, 1987. Johnson played for the Atlanta Braves (1985 to 1986) and the Toronto Blue Jays (1986 through 1987). At 195 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame, Johnson is listed as a pitcher. Johnson batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Johnson was born on October 30, 1961, in Brookline, MA, USA. Johnson's full given name, per the bio, is Joseph Richard Johnson.
Johnson went 20-18 with a 4.48 ERA in 62 games, 58 of them starts. The totals include 149 strikeouts. Against a 4.05 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.48 mark was 10.6% worse. 1986 brought Johnson a season-high 7 wins. In 1986, one of the busiest seasons, Johnson posted a 3.89 ERA; the league figure that year was 3.97.
Johnson appears at one position only: pitcher, in 62 games. On the mound, the fielding record shows 3 errors alongside 22 putouts and 44 assists.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Johnson
- What years did Joe Johnson play?
- Joe Johnson played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1987.
- Was Joe Johnson a pitcher?
- Yes. Joe Johnson pitched in the major leagues, recording 20 wins and 149 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Joe Johnson hit?
- Joe Johnson hit 0 career home runs with 4 hits.
- What teams did Joe Johnson play for?
- Joe Johnson played for 2 teams: the Atlanta Braves (1985–1986) and the Toronto Blue Jays (1986–1987).
- What were Joe Johnson's career stats?
- In 62 games, Joe Johnson went 20-18 with a 4.48 ERA, 149 strikeouts, and 327.1 innings pitched.
- How much did Joe Johnson earn in his career?
- Joe Johnson's recorded salaries total $262,500 over 2 seasons, 1986 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Johnson's career ran from 1985 to 1987. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1987.
- What was Joe Johnson's salary?
- Joe Johnson's last recorded salary was $157,500, in 1988. His highest recorded salary was $157,500, in 1988, and his lowest was $105,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1988.
- What position did Joe Johnson play?
- Joe Johnson played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Johnson and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Johnson was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 195 pounds.
- What was Joe Johnson's career ERA?
- Joe Johnson finished with a 4.48 career ERA, going 20-18 with 149 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Joe Johnson have?
- Joe Johnson recorded 149 career strikeouts.
- Is Joe Johnson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Johnson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.