Tom Johnson
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1974-1978)
Tom Johnson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1978 for the Minnesota Twins, a span of 5 seasons. Across 129 career appearances, he went 23-14 with a 3.39 ERA, 166 strikeouts, and 22 saves. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 2009.9.
- 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
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1974-09-10
- Last Game
- 1978-09-27
Full name: Thomas Raymond Johnson
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | MIN | AL | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | MIN | AL | 1 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 38.2 | 40 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 4.19 | 3.71 (-13%) | -1088.8 |
| 1976 | MIN | AL | 3 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48.1 | 44 | 14 | 8 | 37 | 2.61 | 3.51 (+26%) | 1681.8 |
| 1977 | MIN | AL | 16 | 7 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 146.2 | 152 | 51 | 47 | 87 | 3.13 | 4.00 (+22%) | 1541.9 |
| 1978 | MIN | AL | 1 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 32.2 | 42 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 5.51 | 3.69 (-49%) | -124.9 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 23 | 14 | 129 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 273.1 | 282 | 103 | 93 | 166 | 3.39 | — | 2,010 | ||
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | MIN | AL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | MIN | AL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | MIN | AL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1977 | MIN | AL | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | MIN | AL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 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 (258 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 66 | 147.1 | 150 | 54 | 53 | 91 | 3.30 |
| Away | 63 | 126.0 | 132 | 49 | 40 | 75 | 3.50 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-09-27 | MIN | TEX | — | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-12 | MIN | CHW | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-06-04 | MIN | DET | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-06-01 | MIN | TEX | — | 1.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978-05-25 | MIN | TEX | — | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-05-20 | MIN | KCR | — | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-05-18 | MIN | KCR | — | 1.2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-05-16 | MIN | BAL | SV | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1978-05-13 | MIN | BOS | — | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-05-06 | MIN | BAL | SV | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 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 | 129 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 27th | 2.0 | 392 | 0 |
Tom Johnson: the record in brief
Tom Johnson's major league career runs from a debut on September 10, 1974 to a final game on September 27, 1978. Every season row on the page belongs to the Minnesota Twins, from 1974 through 1978. Johnson, born on April 2, 1951, in St. Paul, MN, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 6'1" and 185 pounds. Tom Johnson was the playing name; the full given name is Thomas Raymond.
Johnson's career pitching line is 23 wins, 14 losses and a 3.39 ERA over 129 appearances. The same table counts 166 strikeouts and 22 saves. Against a 3.71 league ERA for the same years, Johnson was 8.6% better. No season topped the 16 wins of 1977. Johnson saved 15 games in 1977, the season high. 1977 was Johnson's sharpest full season, a 3.13 ERA against the league's 4.00. By Pitcher PIV, Baseball Data Hub's measure of run prevention relative to each season's league, Johnson's career adds up to 2,009.9.
Johnson's separate Negro Leagues table shows a .000 average on 0 hits. Pitching in the Negro Leagues, Johnson went 1-2 with a 0.33 ERA. Those Negro Leagues figures come from surviving box scores and are shown in their own table, apart from the season rows.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Johnson
- What years did Tom Johnson play?
- Tom Johnson played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1978.
- Was Tom Johnson a pitcher?
- Yes. Tom Johnson pitched in the major leagues, recording 23 wins and 166 strikeouts.
- What teams did Tom Johnson play for?
- Tom Johnson played for one team, the Minnesota Twins (1974–1978).
- What were Tom Johnson's career stats?
- In 129 games, Tom Johnson went 23-14 with a 3.39 ERA, 166 strikeouts, 273.1 innings pitched, and 22 saves.
- What position did Tom Johnson play?
- Tom Johnson played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Tom Johnson and how much did he weigh?
- Tom Johnson was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 185 pounds.
- What was Tom Johnson's career ERA?
- Tom Johnson finished with a 3.39 career ERA, going 23-14 with 166 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Tom Johnson have?
- Tom Johnson recorded 166 career strikeouts.
- Is Tom Johnson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Tom Johnson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.