Ed Killian
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1903-1910)
Ed Killian was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1910 for the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 8 seasons. Across 214 career appearances, he went 103-78 with a 2.38 ERA and 516 strikeouts. He also batted .209 with 0 home runs.
- 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
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- Died
- 7/18/1928 in Detroit, MI, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1903-08-25
- Last Game
- 1910-07-15
Full name: Edwin Henry Killian
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | CLE | AL | 3 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 61.2 | 61 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 2.48 | 3.10 (+20%) | -154.4 |
| 1904 | DET | AL | 15 | 20 | 40 | 34 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 331.2 | 293 | 90 | 93 | 124 | 2.44 | 2.66 (+8%) | -53.0 |
| 1905 | DET | AL | 23 | 14 | 39 | 37 | 33 | 8 | 0 | 313.1 | 263 | 79 | 102 | 110 | 2.27 | 2.82 (+20%) | -818.8 |
| 1906 | DET | AL | 10 | 6 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 149.2 | 165 | 57 | 54 | 47 | 3.43 | 2.68 (-28%) | -953.2 |
| 1907 | DET | AL | 25 | 13 | 42 | 34 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 314.0 | 286 | 62 | 91 | 96 | 1.78 | 2.50 (+29%) | -987.5 |
| 1908 | DET | AL | 12 | 9 | 27 | 23 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 180.2 | 170 | 60 | 53 | 47 | 2.99 | 2.40 (-25%) | -1983.5 |
| 1909 | DET | AL | 11 | 9 | 25 | 19 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 173.1 | 150 | 33 | 49 | 54 | 1.71 | 2.55 (+33%) | -427.6 |
| 1910 | DET | AL | 4 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 74.0 | 75 | 25 | 27 | 20 | 3.04 | 2.79 (-9%) | -1317.4 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 103 | 78 | 214 | 180 | 149 | 22 | 4 | 1,598.1 | 1,463 | 423 | 482 | 516 | 2.38 | — | -6,695 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 220 | 609 | 56 | 127 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 52 | 6 | 16 | 101 | .209 | .230 | .268 | .498 | -1,478 |
Career AVG .209 vs. league average .248 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.
Career OBP .230 vs. league average .307 across their career seasons — 25.2% below league average.
Career SLG .268 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — 16.3% below league average.
Career OPS .498 vs. league average .627 across their career seasons — 20.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | CLE | AL | 10 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1904 | DET | AL | 40 | 126 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 28 | .143 | .246 (-42%) | .300 (-42%) | .321 (-36%) | .622 (-39%) | -704.8 |
| 1905 | DET | AL | 39 | 118 | 12 | 32 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 16 | .271 | .248 (+9%) | .307 (-8%) | .322 (+13%) | .629 (+3%) | -15.2 |
| 1906 | DET | AL | 21 | 53 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | .170 | .247 (-31%) | .307 (-35%) | .315 (-34%) | .622 (-35%) | -263.4 |
| 1907 | DET | AL | 46 | 122 | 16 | 39 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 15 | .320 | .245 (+30%) | .304 (+14%) | .308 (+33%) | .613 (+23%) | 374.1 |
| 1908 | DET | AL | 28 | 73 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10 | .137 | .240 (-43%) | .298 (-54%) | .306 (-42%) | .605 (-48%) | -492.4 |
| 1909 | DET | AL | 25 | 62 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | .161 | .244 (-34%) | .306 (-39%) | .312 (-48%) | .618 (-44%) | -376.6 |
| 1910 | DET | AL | 11 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .148 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 220 | 609 | 56 | 127 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 52 | 6 | 16 | 101 | .209 | — | — | — | — | -1,478 | ||
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 (433 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 107 | 282 | 28 | 55 | 0 | 24 | .195 |
| Away | 113 | 329 | 28 | 72 | 0 | 27 | .219 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 105 | 798.1 | 731 | 65 | 228 | 256 | 0.73 |
| Away | 108 | 797.2 | 738 | 95 | 252 | 278 | 1.07 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910-07-15 | DET | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-07-11 | DET | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1910-07-06 | DET | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-06-26 | DET | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1910-06-21 | DET | SLA | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1910-06-19 | DET | BOS | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-06-16 | DET | BOS | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-06-07 | DET | MIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-05-26 | DET | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-05-17 | DET | BOS | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910-07-15 | DET | MIN | L | 8.0 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1910-07-11 | DET | PHA | — | 5.0 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-07-06 | DET | SLA | — | 4.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-06-26 | DET | SLA | L | 8.0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1910-06-21 | DET | SLA | W | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1910-06-19 | DET | BOS | — | 1.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910-06-16 | DET | BOS | W | 9.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 1910-06-07 | DET | MIN | W | 9.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1910-05-26 | DET | MIN | W | 9.0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1910-05-17 | DET | BOS | — | 4.0 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 214 | 172 | 82 | 455 | 27 | 10 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | CLE | P | 9 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| 1904 | DET | P | 40 | 34 | 20 | 85 | 8 | 3 |
| 1905 | DET | P | 39 | 37 | 14 | 79 | 7 | 3 |
| 1906 | DET | P | 21 | 16 | 2 | 38 | 2 | 2 |
| 1907 | DET | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907 | DET | OF | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907 | DET | P | 42 | 34 | 11 | 94 | 4 | 1 |
| 1908 | DET | P | 27 | 23 | 15 | 71 | 3 | 0 |
| 1909 | DET | P | 25 | 19 | 11 | 49 | 1 | 1 |
| 1910 | DET | P | 11 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 213 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Right Field | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ed Killian (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ed Killian: the record in brief
Ed Killian's major league career runs from a debut on August 25, 1903 to a final game on July 15, 1910. By club, Killian's seasons break down as the Cleveland Naps (1903) and the Detroit Tigers (1904 to 1910). Killian is listed as a pitcher at 5 feet, 11 inches and 170 pounds. The bio says Killian both batted and threw left-handed. Killian was born on November 12, 1876, in Racine, WI, USA. Killian's death is recorded on July 18, 1928, in Detroit, MI, USA. Killian's full given name, per the bio, is Edwin Henry Killian.
The pitching table credits Killian with a 103-78 record and a 2.38 ERA in 214 games. The totals include 516 strikeouts, 149 complete games, and 22 shutouts. That 2.38 ERA compares with a 2.68 league average across the same seasons, 11.1% better. Killian won 25 games in 1907, the most of any season listed. Killian struck out 124 batters in 1904, a career high.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Killian
- What years did Ed Killian play?
- Ed Killian played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1910.
- Was Ed Killian a pitcher?
- Yes. Ed Killian pitched in the major leagues, recording 103 wins and 516 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Ed Killian hit?
- Ed Killian hit 0 career home runs with 127 hits.
- What teams did Ed Killian play for?
- Ed Killian played for 2 teams: the Cleveland Naps (1903) and the Detroit Tigers (1904–1910).
- What were Ed Killian's career stats?
- In 214 games, Ed Killian went 103-78 with a 2.38 ERA, 516 strikeouts, 1,598.1 innings pitched, and 4 saves. At the plate he had 127 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did Ed Killian play?
- Ed Killian played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ed Killian and how much did he weigh?
- Ed Killian was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
- What was Ed Killian's career ERA?
- Ed Killian finished with a 2.38 career ERA, going 103-78 with 516 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Ed Killian have?
- Ed Killian recorded 516 career strikeouts.
- Is Ed Killian in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ed Killian has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.