Jim Kaat

Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1959-1983)

⭐ Hall of Fame 2022
W–L 283–237
ERA 3.45
WHIP 1.26
SO 2,461
Pitcher PIV 26791.7
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
L / L
Height / Weight
6'4" / 205 lb
Born
11/7/1938 in Zeeland, MI, USA
MLB Debut
1959-08-02
Last Game
1983-07-01
Hall of Fame
Inducted 2022 (BBWAA)
Awards
3× All-Star · 16× Gold Glove

Full name: James Lee Kaat

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Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
283 237 898 625 180 31 18 4530.3 4,620 1,738 395 1,083 2,461 3.45 26791.7

Career ERA 3.45 vs. league average 3.67 across their career seasons — 6.0% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

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
1959 WS1 AL 0 2 3 2 0 0 0 5.0 7 7 4 2 12.60 — 0.0
1960 WS1 AL 1 5 13 9 0 0 0 50.0 48 31 31 25 5.58 3.82 (-46%) -2437.3
1961 MIN AL 9 17 36 29 8 1 0 200.7 188 87 82 122 3.90 4.03 (+3%) 2614.8
1962 MIN AL 18 14 39 35 16 5 1 269.0 243 94 75 173 3.14 3.96 (+20%) 3375.6
1963 MIN AL 10 10 31 27 7 1 1 178.3 195 83 38 105 4.19 3.46 (-21%) -1706.2
1964 MIN AL 17 11 36 34 13 0 1 243.0 231 87 60 171 3.22 3.58 (+10%) 1918.0
1965 MIN AL 18 11 45 42 7 2 2 264.3 267 83 63 154 2.83 3.50 (+19%) 1014.2
1966 MIN AL 25 13 41 41 19 3 0 304.7 271 93 55 205 2.75 3.52 (+22%) 4072.8
1967 MIN AL 16 13 42 38 13 2 0 263.3 269 89 42 211 3.04 3.30 (+8%) 5199.7
1968 MIN AL 14 12 30 29 9 2 0 208.0 192 68 40 130 2.94 2.98 (+1%) 1229.5
1969 MIN AL 14 13 40 32 10 0 1 242.3 252 94 75 139 3.49 3.61 (+3%) -135.1
1970 MIN AL 14 10 45 34 4 1 0 230.3 244 91 58 120 3.56 3.89 (+8%) 165.8
1971 MIN AL 13 14 39 38 15 4 0 260.3 275 96 47 137 3.32 3.47 (+4%) 4527.9
1972 MIN AL 10 2 15 15 5 0 0 113.3 94 26 20 64 2.06 3.26 (+37%) 2252.1
1973 MIN AL 11 12 29 28 7 2 0 181.7 206 89 39 93 4.41 3.75 (-18%) -1664.2
1973 CHA AL 4 1 7 7 3 1 0 42.7 44 20 4 16 4.22 3.75 (-13%) 463.1
1974 CHA AL 21 13 42 39 15 3 0 277.3 263 90 63 142 2.92 3.63 (+19%) 3539.8
1975 CHA AL 20 14 43 41 12 1 0 303.7 321 105 77 142 3.11 3.71 (+16%) 2847.5
1976 PHI NL 12 14 38 35 7 1 0 227.7 241 88 32 83 3.48 3.51 (+1%) -57.3
1977 PHI NL 6 11 35 27 2 0 0 160.3 211 96 40 55 5.39 4.00 (-35%) -1847.6
1978 PHI NL 8 5 26 24 2 1 0 140.3 150 64 32 48 4.10 3.69 (-11%) 583.0
1979 PHI NL 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 8.3 9 4 5 2 4.32 — 0.0
1979 NYA AL 2 3 40 1 0 0 2 58.3 64 25 14 23 3.86 4.00 (+4%) 507.9
1980 NYA AL 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 5.0 8 4 4 1 7.20 — 0.0
1980 SLN NL 8 7 49 14 6 1 4 129.7 140 55 33 36 3.82 3.84 (+1%) 930.8
1981 SLN NL 6 6 41 1 0 0 4 53.0 60 20 17 8 3.40 3.58 (+5%) -222.2
1982 SLN NL 5 3 62 2 0 0 2 75.0 79 34 23 35 4.08 3.86 (-6%) 75.6
1983 SLN NL 0 0 24 0 0 0 0 34.7 48 15 10 19 3.89 3.87 (-1%) -456.6
Career · 28 seasons 283 237 898 625 180 31 18 4,530.1 4,620 1,738 1,083 2,461 3.45 — 26,792

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
1,004 1,251 117 232 44 5 16 106 5 63 367 .185 .227 .267 .494 -4,783

Career AVG .185 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 27.1% below league average.

Career OBP .227 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — 29.0% below league average.

Career SLG .267 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 29.3% below league average.

Career OPS .494 vs. league average .698 across their career seasons — 29.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

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
1959 WS1 AL 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1960 WS1 AL 13 14 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .143 — — — — 0.0
1961 MIN AL 47 63 10 15 3 1 0 1 0 4 13 .238 .258 (-8%) .328 (-10%) .399 (-20%) .727 (-16%) -162.1
1962 MIN AL 48 100 9 18 3 1 1 10 0 8 40 .180 .257 (-30%) .326 (-27%) .393 (-34%) .719 (-31%) -504.6
1963 MIN AL 36 61 2 8 1 0 1 8 0 2 19 .131 .246 (-47%) .308 (-40%) .371 (-47%) .680 (-44%) -401.9
1964 MIN AL 46 83 11 14 1 0 3 11 0 11 31 .169 .250 (-33%) .312 (-16%) .377 (-23%) .690 (-20%) -247.1
1965 MIN AL 56 93 6 23 4 0 1 9 2 3 29 .247 .245 (+1%) .310 (-15%) .371 (-13%) .682 (-14%) -224.7
1966 MIN AL 47 118 12 23 2 1 2 13 0 5 41 .195 .248 (-22%) .309 (-26%) .376 (-26%) .685 (-26%) -477.5
1967 MIN AL 45 99 7 17 3 1 1 4 0 7 26 .172 .242 (-29%) .306 (-26%) .357 (-29%) .663 (-28%) -415.4
1968 MIN AL 36 77 7 12 3 0 0 5 0 2 18 .156 .236 (-34%) .298 (-41%) .340 (-43%) .638 (-42%) -466.8
1969 MIN AL 43 87 8 18 8 0 2 10 0 4 20 .207 .248 (-17%) .320 (-23%) .369 (avg) .689 (-11%) -186.6
1970 MIN AL 56 76 17 15 1 0 1 8 0 6 20 .197 .253 (-22%) .325 (-20%) .385 (-35%) .711 (-28%) -333.6
1971 MIN AL 54 93 6 15 3 0 0 5 2 2 16 .161 .249 (-35%) .316 (-44%) .365 (-47%) .682 (-45%) -647.8
1972 MIN AL 24 45 3 13 3 0 2 4 0 1 16 .289 — — — — 0.0
1973 MIN AL 31 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1973 CHA AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 CHA AL 42 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 CHA AL 43 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1976 PHI NL 42 79 4 14 3 1 1 8 0 2 24 .177 .255 (-31%) .320 (-39%) .360 (-23%) .681 (-30%) -399.8
1977 PHI NL 36 53 4 10 3 0 0 2 0 2 12 .189 .264 (-29%) .329 (-34%) .401 (-39%) .730 (-37%) -315.3
1978 PHI NL 26 48 4 7 1 0 0 4 0 0 15 .146 — — — — 0.0
1979 PHI NL 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 NYA AL 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1980 NYA AL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1980 SLN NL 49 35 4 5 1 0 1 2 1 2 13 .143 — — — — 0.0
1981 SLN NL 41 8 2 3 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 .375 — — — — 0.0
1982 SLN NL 62 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 SLN NL 24 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 28 seasons 1,004 1,251 117 232 44 5 16 106 5 63 367 .185 — — — — -4,783

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
9 9 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 6 .222

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1982 WS SLN 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1976 NLCS PHI 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500
1970 ALCS MIN 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
1965 WS MIN 3 6 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 5 .167

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 3 9 5 0 24.7 30 11 8 10 4.01

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1982 WS SLN 0 0 4 0 0 2.3 4 1 2 2 3.86
1976 NLCS PHI 0 0 1 1 0 6.0 2 2 2 1 3.00
1970 ALCS MIN 0 1 1 1 0 2.0 6 2 2 1 9.00
1965 WS MIN 1 2 3 3 0 14.3 18 6 2 6 3.77

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1902 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home50260263125861.208
Away50264955107845.165

Pitching — Home / Away

SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home4512337.1242691449812783.52
Away4472192.2219482458511843.38

Last 10 Games — Batting

DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1983-07-01 STLPITW 000000000
1983-06-28 STLNYNL 100000000
1983-06-27 STLPITL 000000000
1983-06-25 STLPITL 100000001
1983-06-24 STLPITL 000000000
1983-06-23 STLNYNL 000000000
1983-06-22 STLNYNL 100000000
1983-06-18 STLCHCL 000000000
1983-06-12 STLCHCL 000000000
1983-06-10 STLCHCL 000000000

Last 10 Games — Pitching

DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1983-07-01 STLPIT — 1.1100000
1983-06-28 STLNYN — 3.1933120
1983-06-27 STLPIT — 1.1100110
1983-06-25 STLPIT — 3.0642052
1983-06-24 STLPIT — 1.1100100
1983-06-23 STLNYN — 1.0000110
1983-06-22 STLNYN — 3.2400130
1983-06-18 STLCHC — 3.0300000
1983-06-12 STLCHC — 2.0100010
1983-06-10 STLCHC — 2.0100120

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 898 625 262 744 56 65

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1959 WS1 P 3 2 0 1 0 0
1960 WS1 P 13 9 0 11 0 1
1961 MIN P 36 29 19 41 2 8
1962 MIN P 39 35 16 72 3 6
1963 MIN P 31 27 19 43 1 5
1964 MIN P 36 34 16 48 5 6
1965 MIN P 45 42 15 64 6 3
1966 MIN P 41 41 19 46 3 5
1967 MIN P 42 38 13 46 3 0
1968 MIN P 30 29 10 31 1 0
1969 MIN P 40 32 9 29 8 4
1970 MIN P 45 34 15 43 4 5
1971 MIN P 39 38 13 41 1 4
1972 MIN P 15 15 5 19 2 0
1973 MIN P 29 28 9 22 1 2
1973 CHA P 7 7 1 4 0 0
1974 CHA P 42 39 14 33 2 3
1975 CHA P 43 41 15 39 1 2
1976 PHI P 38 35 18 19 2 3
1977 PHI P 35 27 7 19 3 1
1978 PHI P 26 24 5 15 0 4
1979 PHI P 3 1 0 1 0 0
1979 NYA P 40 1 5 5 1 0
1980 NYA P 4 0 1 3 1 1
1980 SLN P 49 14 4 16 1 1
1981 SLN P 41 1 4 13 2 1
1982 SLN P 62 2 8 14 2 0
1983 SLN P 24 0 2 6 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Position Games
Pitcher 898
Designated Hitter 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1977 Gold Glove P
1976 Gold Glove P
1975 Gold Glove P
1975 Player of the Week Week of 1975-05-09
1975 TSN All-Star LHP
1974 Gold Glove P
1974 Player of the Week Week of 1974-09-20
1973 Gold Glove P
1972 Gold Glove P
1971 Gold Glove P
1970 Gold Glove P
1969 Gold Glove P
1968 Gold Glove P
1967 Gold Glove P
1966 Gold Glove P
1966 TSN All-Star P
1966 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1965 Gold Glove P
1964 Gold Glove P
1963 Gold Glove P
1962 Gold Glove P

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Hope College Holland MI 1957

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1975 Cy Young Award AL 4th 7.0 120 0
1975 Most Valuable Player AL 28th 2.0 336 0
1967 Most Valuable Player AL 20th 4.0 280 0
1966 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 84.0 280 0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Jim Kaat (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Tommy John
    288-231, 3.34 ERA
  2. 97
    Robin Roberts HOF
    286-245, 3.41 ERA
  3. 91
    Dennis Martinez
    245-193, 3.70 ERA
  4. 85
    Jerry Koosman
    222-209, 3.36 ERA
  5. 84
    Fergie Jenkins HOF
    284-226, 3.34 ERA
  6. 84
    Eppa Rixey HOF
    266-251, 3.15 ERA

Compare Jim Kaat

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Kaat's closest peers by position and era.

vs Nolan Ryan
vs Tom Seaver
vs Gaylord Perry
vs Warren Spahn
vs Don Sutton
vs Sandy Koufax

Browse all MLB player comparisons →

Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Kaat

What years did Jim Kaat play?
Jim Kaat played in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1983.
Was Jim Kaat a pitcher?
Yes. Jim Kaat pitched in the major leagues, recording 283 wins and 2461 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Jim Kaat hit?
Jim Kaat hit 16 career home runs with 232 hits.
Is Jim Kaat in the Hall of Fame?
Yes. Jim Kaat was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.