Frank Leja
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1954-1962)
Frank Leja was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1962 for the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, a span of 9 seasons. In 26 career games, he hit .043 with 1 hits.
- 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
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 205 lb
- Died
- 5/3/1991 in Boston, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1954-05-01
- Last Game
- 1962-04-29
Full name: Frank John Leja
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .043 | .083 | .043 | .127 | 0 |
Career AVG .043 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 83.2% below league average.
Career OBP .083 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — 74.7% below league average.
Career SLG .043 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 88.9% below league average.
Career OPS .127 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — 82.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | NYA | AL | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1955 | NYA | AL | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1962 | LAA | AL | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 26 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .043 | — | — | — | — | 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 (26 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 15 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 11 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .077 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-04-29 | LAA | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-04-27 | LAA | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-04-26 | LAA | CLE | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962-04-21 | LAA | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-20 | LAA | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-04-17 | LAA | KC1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1962-04-12 | LAA | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1955-09-25 | NYY | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955-07-20 | NYY | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1955-07-02 | NYY | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 12 |
Frank Leja: the record in brief
Frank Leja's major league career runs from a debut on May 1, 1954 to a final game on April 29, 1962. By club, Leja's seasons break down as the New York Yankees (1954 through 1955) and the Los Angeles Angels (1962). Leja played primarily as a first baseman and batted and threw left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on February 7, 1936, in Holyoke, MA, USA and a listed size of 6'4" and 205 pounds. The bio records the death on May 3, 1991, in Boston, MA, USA. The given name on file is Frank John Leja.
Leja's career batting table shows 26 games, 23 at bats and 1 hits, a .043 average. The league as a whole hit .259 across Leja's seasons, which puts the .043 career mark 83.2% below average. By OPS the gap is 82.5% below league average (.127 against .723). 1954 produced Leja's most hits, 1 of them for the New York Yankees.
The position breakdown shows 12 games, all at first base. At first base, the fielding record shows 2 errors alongside 43 putouts and 3 assists.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frank Leja
- What years did Frank Leja play?
- Frank Leja played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1962.
- Was Frank Leja a pitcher?
- No. Frank Leja was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Frank Leja hit?
- Frank Leja hit 0 career home runs with 1 hit.
- What teams did Frank Leja play for?
- Frank Leja played for 2 teams: the New York Yankees (1954–1955) and the Los Angeles Angels (1962).
- What were Frank Leja's career stats?
- In 26 games, Frank Leja had 1 hits and 3 runs, with a .043 batting average.
- What position did Frank Leja play?
- Frank Leja played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Frank Leja and how much did he weigh?
- Frank Leja was listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 205 pounds.
- What was Frank Leja's career batting average?
- Frank Leja batted .043 over his career, with 1 hits in 23 at bats.
- Is Frank Leja in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Frank Leja has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.