John Lowenstein
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1970-1985)
John Lowenstein was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1985 for the Cleveland Guardians, the Texas Rangers, and the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,368 career games, he hit .253 with 881 hits, 116 home runs, and 441 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 4,704.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1970-09-02
- Last Game
- 1985-05-04
Full name: John Lee Lowenstein
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,368 | 3,476 | 510 | 881 | 137 | 18 | 116 | 441 | 128 | 446 | 596 | .253 | .337 | .403 | .741 | 4,704 |
Career AVG .253 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .337 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .403 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — +6.0% above league average.
Career OPS .741 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons — +5.2% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | CLE | AL | 17 | 43 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 9 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | CLE | AL | 58 | 140 | 15 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 28 | .186 | .249 (-26%) | .316 (-15%) | .365 (-16%) | .682 (-15%) | -323.5 |
| 1972 | CLE | AL | 68 | 151 | 16 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 20 | 43 | .212 | .243 (-13%) | .310 (-2%) | .353 (+12%) | .664 (+6%) | 137.0 |
| 1973 | CLE | AL | 98 | 305 | 42 | 89 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 5 | 23 | 41 | .292 | .256 (+14%) | .325 (+4%) | .378 (+8%) | .703 (+6%) | 306.9 |
| 1974 | CLE | AL | 140 | 508 | 65 | 123 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 48 | 36 | 53 | 85 | .242 | .256 (-6%) | .324 (-3%) | .369 (-12%) | .693 (-8%) | -580.2 |
| 1975 | CLE | AL | 91 | 265 | 37 | 64 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 33 | 15 | 28 | 28 | .242 | .257 (-6%) | .327 (-4%) | .374 (+8%) | .701 (+2%) | 91.1 |
| 1976 | CLE | AL | 93 | 229 | 33 | 47 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 35 | .205 | .255 (-20%) | .320 (-11%) | .360 (-21%) | .681 (-17%) | -556.1 |
| 1977 | CLE | AL | 81 | 149 | 24 | 36 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 21 | 29 | .242 | .264 (-9%) | .329 (+2%) | .401 (-6%) | .730 (-3%) | -24.2 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 77 | 176 | 28 | 39 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 29 | .222 | .257 (-14%) | .323 (+12%) | .378 (+2%) | .702 (+7%) | 334.4 |
| 1979 | BAL | AL | 97 | 197 | 33 | 50 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 34 | 16 | 30 | 37 | .254 | .265 (-4%) | .329 (+6%) | .397 (+21%) | .727 (+15%) | 550.0 |
| 1980 | BAL | AL | 104 | 196 | 38 | 61 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 7 | 32 | 29 | .311 | .264 (+18%) | .326 (+23%) | .387 (+7%) | .714 (+14%) | 664.2 |
| 1981 | BAL | AL | 83 | 189 | 19 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 7 | 22 | 32 | .249 | .255 (-3%) | .320 (+3%) | .368 (+3%) | .688 (+3%) | 136.8 |
| 1982 | BAL | AL | 122 | 322 | 69 | 103 | 15 | 2 | 24 | 66 | 7 | 54 | 59 | .320 | .261 (+22%) | .324 (+28%) | .388 (+55%) | .712 (+43%) | 2767.6 |
| 1983 | BAL | AL | 122 | 310 | 52 | 87 | 13 | 2 | 15 | 60 | 2 | 49 | 55 | .281 | .260 (+8%) | .324 (+15%) | .389 (+23%) | .714 (+20%) | 1259.9 |
| 1984 | BAL | AL | 105 | 270 | 34 | 64 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 28 | 1 | 33 | 54 | .237 | .259 (-9%) | .322 (-1%) | .384 (-3%) | .707 (-2%) | -59.9 |
| 1985 | BAL | AL | 12 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .077 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 1,368 | 3,476 | 510 | 881 | 137 | 18 | 116 | 441 | 128 | 446 | 596 | .253 | — | — | — | — | 4,704 | ||
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 (1368 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 670 | 1625 | 243 | 411 | 53 | 210 | .253 |
| Away | 698 | 1851 | 267 | 470 | 63 | 231 | .254 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-05-04 | BAL | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-28 | BAL | CLE | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-26 | BAL | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-24 | BAL | TEX | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-04-22 | BAL | TEX | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985-04-19 | BAL | TOR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-18 | BAL | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-17 | BAL | CLE | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-16 | BAL | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-04-14 | BAL | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 28 | 21 | 202 | 13 | 4 | 17 |
| 2B | 71 | 53 | 145 | 164 | 3 | 41 |
| 3B | 72 | 62 | 60 | 138 | 12 | 9 |
| OF | 906 | 698 | 1391 | 55 | 23 | 10 |
| SS | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | CLE | 2B | 10 | 7 | 12 | 31 | 0 | 5 |
| 1970 | CLE | 3B | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 1970 | CLE | OF | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | CLE | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | CLE | 2B | 29 | 25 | 81 | 59 | 2 | 17 |
| 1971 | CLE | OF | 18 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | CLE | SS | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1972 | CLE | 1B | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | CLE | OF | 58 | 36 | 77 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 1973 | CLE | 1B | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | CLE | 2B | 25 | 21 | 49 | 64 | 1 | 19 |
| 1973 | CLE | 3B | 8 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 2 |
| 1973 | CLE | OF | 51 | 44 | 62 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| 1974 | CLE | 1B | 12 | 10 | 88 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| 1974 | CLE | 2B | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | CLE | 3B | 28 | 27 | 23 | 63 | 3 | 4 |
| 1974 | CLE | OF | 100 | 95 | 200 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 1975 | CLE | 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | CLE | 3B | 8 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 | CLE | OF | 36 | 31 | 56 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1976 | CLE | 1B | 9 | 9 | 81 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 1976 | CLE | OF | 61 | 48 | 97 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1977 | CLE | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | CLE | OF | 39 | 28 | 62 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | TEX | 3B | 25 | 21 | 22 | 41 | 5 | 2 |
| 1978 | TEX | OF | 16 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | BAL | 1B | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979 | BAL | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | BAL | OF | 72 | 45 | 120 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 1980 | BAL | OF | 91 | 52 | 128 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | BAL | OF | 73 | 54 | 100 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | BAL | OF | 111 | 94 | 202 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | BAL | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | BAL | OF | 107 | 98 | 155 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| 1984 | BAL | 1B | 2 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1984 | BAL | OF | 67 | 54 | 94 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1985 | BAL | OF | 4 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 30 |
| Second Base | 72 |
| Third Base | 73 |
| Shortstop | 4 |
| Left Field | 691 |
| Center Field | 48 |
| Right Field | 201 |
| Designated Hitter | 127 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-05-14 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California - Riverside | Riverside | CA | 1966, 1967, 1968 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John Lowenstein (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
John Lowenstein: the record in brief
The profile opens with John Lowenstein's first major league game on September 2, 1970; the last one listed came on May 4, 1985. Lowenstein played for the Cleveland Indians (1970 through 1977), the Texas Rangers (1978), and the Baltimore Orioles (1979 to 1985). Lowenstein played primarily as an outfielder and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on January 27, 1947, in Wolf Point, MT, USA and a listed size of 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds. John Lowenstein was the playing name; the full given name is John Lee.
The batting record for Lowenstein: 1,368 games, 881 hits in 3,476 at bats, and a .253 average, adding 116 homers, 441 runs batted in, and 128 stolen bases. Lowenstein's career OPS of .741 combines a .337 on-base mark with .403 slugging. Against a .258 league average for those years, Lowenstein's .253 average was near the norm. In OPS terms, Lowenstein's .741 stands 5.2% above the league's .704. 1982 was Lowenstein's biggest home run year, with 24.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Lowenstein
- What years did John Lowenstein play?
- John Lowenstein played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1985.
- Was John Lowenstein a pitcher?
- No. John Lowenstein was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did John Lowenstein hit?
- John Lowenstein hit 116 career home runs with 881 hits.
- What was John Lowenstein's career batting average?
- John Lowenstein batted .253 over his career, with 881 hits in 3,476 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Lowenstein have?
- John Lowenstein drove in 441 runs in his career.
- Is John Lowenstein in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Lowenstein has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.