Dick Johnston

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1891)

Dick Johnston was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1891 for 5 teams, including the Richmond Virginians, a span of 8 seasons. In 746 career games, he hit .251 with 751 hits, 33 home runs, and 386 RBI.

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

AVG .251
HR 33
RBI 386
H 751
OPS .651
PIV -1,018
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'8" / 155 lb
Born
4/6/1863 in Kingston, NY, USA
Died
4/4/1934 in Detroit, MI, USA
MLB Debut
1884-08-12
Last Game
1891-08-16

Full name: Richard Frederick Johnston

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Career Batting Statistics

Dick Johnston — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
746 2,992 453 751 109 68 33 386 151 133 283 .251 .285 .366 .651 -1,018

Career AVG .251 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .285 vs. league average .313 across their career seasons — 8.8% below league average.

Career SLG .366 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — +7.2% above league average.

Career OPS .651 vs. league average .654 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Dick Johnston Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1884 RIC AA 39 146 23 41 5 5 2 0 0 2 0 .281 .243 (+15%) .278 (+4%) .327 (+30%) .606 (+18%) 311.6
1885 BSN NL 26 111 17 26 6 3 1 23 0 0 15 .234 .244 (-4%) .287 (-19%) .325 (+14%) .613 (-2%) -84.4
1886 BSN NL 109 413 48 99 18 9 1 57 11 3 70 .240 .246 (-3%) .302 (-19%) .331 (+1%) .634 (-9%) -689.3
1887 BSN NL 127 507 87 131 13 20 5 77 52 16 35 .258 .270 (-5%) .331 (-15%) .373 (+5%) .705 (-5%) -587.3
1888 BSN NL 135 585 102 173 31 18 12 68 35 15 33 .296 .238 (+24%) .290 (+8%) .319 (+48%) .610 (+29%) 2479.0
1889 BSN NL 132 539 80 123 16 4 5 67 34 41 60 .228 .263 (-13%) .334 (-15%) .357 (-16%) .691 (-15%) -1314.2
1890 BSP PL 2 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .111 — — — — 0.0
1890 NYP PL 77 306 37 74 9 7 1 43 7 18 25 .242 .260 (-7%) .336 (-14%) .351 (-7%) .687 (-11%) 0.0
1891 CN3 AA 99 376 59 83 11 2 6 51 12 38 44 .221 .254 (-13%) .331 (-9%) .343 (-10%) .675 (-10%) -546.3
Career · 9 seasons 746 2,992 453 751 109 68 33 386 151 133 283 .251 — — — — -431

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.

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Dick Johnston — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 743 0 1621 172 193 34
SS 4 0 3 3 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Dick Johnston — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 RIC OF 37 0 86 10 15 3
1884 RIC SS 2 0 1 3 2 0
1885 BSN OF 26 0 40 8 9 2
1886 BSN OF 109 0 243 29 33 4
1887 BSN OF 127 0 339 34 27 9
1888 BSN OF 135 0 286 30 36 3
1889 BSN OF 132 0 267 22 26 6
1890 BSP OF 2 0 3 1 1 0
1890 NYP OF 76 0 164 18 21 3
1890 NYP SS 2 0 2 0 0 0
1891 CN3 OF 99 0 193 20 25 4

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Dick Johnston Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Shortstop 4
Left Field 12
Center Field 729
Right Field 3

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Dick Johnston (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    John Coleman
    .257 avg, 7 HR
  2. 97
    Bris Lord
    .256 avg, 13 HR
  3. 97
    Marvell Wynne
    .247 avg, 40 HR
  4. 93
    Juan Lagares
    .250 avg, 31 HR
  5. 91
    Tom Poorman
    .244 avg, 12 HR
  6. 91
    John Shelby
    .239 avg, 70 HR

Dick Johnston: the record in brief

August 12, 1884 and August 16, 1891 bracket Dick Johnston's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the Richmond Virginians (1884), the Boston Beaneaters (1885 through 1889), the Boston Reds (1890), the New York Giants (1890), and the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891). Born on April 6, 1863, in Kingston, NY, USA, Johnston is listed as an outfielder and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 5 feet, 8 inches and 155 pounds. The bio records the death on April 4, 1934, in Detroit, MI, USA. Dick Johnston was the playing name; the full given name is Richard Frederick.

Johnston's career batting table shows 746 games, 2,992 at bats and 751 hits, a .251 average; the totals also include 33 home runs, 386 RBI, and 151 stolen bases. Johnston got on base at a .285 rate and slugged .366 (.651 OPS). Against a .253 league average for those years, Johnston's .251 average was near the norm. The single-season home run high is 12, set in 1888. The highest hit total in a season was 173, in 1888. 1887 brought the most runs batted in, 77.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dick Johnston

What years did Dick Johnston play?
Dick Johnston played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1891.
Was Dick Johnston a pitcher?
No. Dick Johnston was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Dick Johnston hit?
Dick Johnston hit 33 career home runs with 751 hits.
What was Dick Johnston's career batting average?
Dick Johnston batted .251 over his career, with 751 hits in 2,992 at bats.
How many RBI did Dick Johnston have?
Dick Johnston drove in 386 runs in his career.
Is Dick Johnston in the Hall of Fame?
No. Dick Johnston has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.