Ted Lyons
Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1923-1946)
Ted Lyons was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1946 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 24 seasons. Across 594 career appearances, he went 260-230 with a 3.67 ERA, 1,073 strikeouts, and 23 saves. He also batted .233 with 5 home runs. Ted Lyons was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 and was an All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 8642.4.
- 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
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 200 lb
- Died
- 7/25/1986 in Sulphur, LA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1923-07-02
- Last Game
- 1946-05-19
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1955 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Theodore Amar Lyons
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | CHA | AL | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.2 | 30 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 6.35 | 4.03 (-58%) | -984.0 |
| 1924 | CHA | AL | 12 | 11 | 41 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 216.1 | 279 | 117 | 72 | 52 | 4.87 | 4.13 (-18%) | -1218.9 |
| 1925 | CHA | AL | 21 | 11 | 43 | 32 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 262.2 | 274 | 95 | 83 | 45 | 3.26 | 4.55 (+28%) | -163.4 |
| 1926 | CHA | AL | 18 | 16 | 39 | 31 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 283.2 | 268 | 95 | 106 | 51 | 3.01 | 4.11 (+27%) | -66.3 |
| 1927 | CHA | AL | 22 | 14 | 39 | 34 | 30 | 2 | 2 | 307.2 | 291 | 97 | 67 | 71 | 2.84 | 4.08 (+30%) | 4141.5 |
| 1928 | CHA | AL | 15 | 14 | 39 | 27 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 240.0 | 276 | 106 | 68 | 60 | 3.98 | 4.13 (+4%) | 435.0 |
| 1929 | CHA | AL | 14 | 20 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 259.1 | 276 | 118 | 76 | 57 | 4.10 | 4.60 (+11%) | 1656.8 |
| 1930 | CHA | AL | 22 | 15 | 42 | 36 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 297.2 | 331 | 125 | 57 | 69 | 3.78 | 4.80 (+21%) | 4258.1 |
| 1931 | CHA | AL | 4 | 6 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 101.0 | 117 | 45 | 33 | 16 | 4.01 | 4.10 (+2%) | -1198.9 |
| 1932 | CHA | AL | 10 | 15 | 33 | 26 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 230.2 | 243 | 84 | 71 | 58 | 3.28 | 4.13 (+21%) | -135.5 |
| 1933 | CHA | AL | 10 | 21 | 36 | 27 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 228.0 | 260 | 111 | 74 | 74 | 4.38 | 3.86 (-14%) | 300.3 |
| 1934 | CHA | AL | 11 | 13 | 30 | 24 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 205.1 | 249 | 111 | 66 | 53 | 4.87 | 4.29 (-13%) | -1827.9 |
| 1935 | CHA | AL | 15 | 8 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 190.2 | 194 | 64 | 56 | 54 | 3.02 | 4.35 (+30%) | -1085.8 |
| 1936 | CHA | AL | 10 | 13 | 26 | 24 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 182.0 | 227 | 104 | 45 | 48 | 5.14 | 4.59 (-12%) | -2432.5 |
| 1937 | CHA | AL | 12 | 7 | 22 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 169.1 | 182 | 78 | 45 | 45 | 4.15 | 4.34 (+4%) | -3216.4 |
| 1938 | CHA | AL | 9 | 11 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 194.2 | 238 | 80 | 52 | 54 | 3.70 | 4.35 (+15%) | 709.7 |
| 1939 | CHA | AL | 14 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 172.2 | 162 | 53 | 26 | 65 | 2.76 | 4.28 (+36%) | 4354.1 |
| 1940 | CHA | AL | 12 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 186.1 | 188 | 67 | 37 | 72 | 3.24 | 4.21 (+23%) | 973.9 |
| 1941 | CHA | AL | 12 | 10 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 187.1 | 199 | 77 | 37 | 63 | 3.70 | 3.94 (+6%) | 2548.3 |
| 1942 | CHA | AL | 14 | 6 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 180.1 | 167 | 42 | 26 | 50 | 2.10 | 3.57 (+41%) | 1345.6 |
| 1946 | CHA | AL | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 42.2 | 38 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 2.32 | 3.59 (+35%) | 248.8 |
| Career · 21 seasons | 260 | 230 | 594 | 484 | 356 | 27 | 23 | 4,161.0 | 4,489 | 1,696 | 1,121 | 1,073 | 3.67 | — | 8,642 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 705 | 1,563 | 162 | 364 | 49 | 9 | 5 | 149 | 0 | 73 | 201 | .233 | .270 | .285 | .556 | -5,832 |
Career AVG .233 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.
Career OBP .270 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 20.8% below league average.
Career SLG .285 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 27.2% below league average.
Career OPS .556 vs. league average .733 across their career seasons — 24.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | CHA | AL | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | CHA | AL | 41 | 77 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 13 | .221 | .283 (-22%) | .345 (-20%) | .389 (-37%) | .734 (-29%) | -350.9 |
| 1925 | CHA | AL | 43 | 97 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 | .186 | .288 (-36%) | .349 (-38%) | .407 (-47%) | .756 (-43%) | -689.0 |
| 1926 | CHA | AL | 41 | 104 | 7 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | .212 | .279 (-24%) | .345 (-37%) | .390 (-38%) | .735 (-38%) | -645.8 |
| 1927 | CHA | AL | 41 | 110 | 16 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 17 | .255 | .282 (-10%) | .344 (-15%) | .392 (-5%) | .736 (-10%) | -203.5 |
| 1928 | CHA | AL | 49 | 91 | 10 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 | .253 | .280 (-10%) | .342 (-24%) | .395 (-31%) | .737 (-27%) | -407.4 |
| 1929 | CHA | AL | 40 | 91 | 7 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 13 | .220 | .289 (-24%) | .353 (-18%) | .415 (-37%) | .769 (-28%) | -420.8 |
| 1930 | CHA | AL | 57 | 122 | 20 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 18 | .311 | .293 (+6%) | .354 (-9%) | .429 (+1%) | .784 (-3%) | -108.0 |
| 1931 | CHA | AL | 42 | 33 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1932 | CHA | AL | 49 | 73 | 11 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 10 | .260 | .275 (-5%) | .335 (-8%) | .391 (-9%) | .726 (-9%) | -103.7 |
| 1933 | CHA | AL | 51 | 91 | 11 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 6 | .286 | .270 (+6%) | .329 (-4%) | .377 (-4%) | .707 (-4%) | -66.3 |
| 1934 | CHA | AL | 50 | 97 | 9 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 19 | .206 | .278 (-26%) | .340 (-28%) | .392 (-29%) | .733 (-29%) | -456.0 |
| 1935 | CHA | AL | 29 | 82 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .220 | .279 (-22%) | .342 (-25%) | .399 (-33%) | .742 (-29%) | -397.1 |
| 1936 | CHA | AL | 26 | 70 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | .157 | .283 (-45%) | .349 (-39%) | .404 (-61%) | .753 (-51%) | -584.8 |
| 1937 | CHA | AL | 23 | 57 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 14 | .211 | .276 (-24%) | .342 (-7%) | .398 (-47%) | .740 (-29%) | -234.9 |
| 1938 | CHA | AL | 24 | 72 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .194 | .272 (-29%) | .341 (-37%) | .392 (-43%) | .734 (-40%) | -475.1 |
| 1939 | CHA | AL | 21 | 61 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 7 | .295 | .274 (+8%) | .342 (+2%) | .393 (-12%) | .735 (-6%) | -49.1 |
| 1940 | CHA | AL | 22 | 75 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 7 | .240 | .267 (-10%) | .335 (-23%) | .387 (-24%) | .722 (-24%) | -292.6 |
| 1941 | CHA | AL | 22 | 74 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .270 | .262 (+3%) | .332 (-13%) | .373 (-20%) | .705 (-17%) | -200.6 |
| 1942 | CHA | AL | 20 | 67 | 10 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | .239 | .253 (-6%) | .323 (-13%) | .349 (-15%) | .672 (-14%) | -146.7 |
| 1946 | CHA | AL | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 21 seasons | 705 | 1,563 | 162 | 364 | 49 | 9 | 5 | 149 | 0 | 73 | 201 | .233 | — | — | — | — | -5,832 | ||
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 (1298 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 351 | 723 | 88 | 179 | 2 | 69 | .248 |
| Away | 353 | 842 | 76 | 184 | 3 | 79 | .219 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 287 | 2068.2 | 2216 | 812 | 539 | 589 | 3.53 |
| Away | 307 | 2090.0 | 2274 | 877 | 586 | 483 | 3.78 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-05-19 | CHW | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-05-12 | CHW | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-05-05 | CHW | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1946-04-28 | CHW | SLA | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-04-21 | CHW | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1942-09-24 | CHW | CLE | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1942-09-10 | CHW | MIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-08-30 | CHW | PHA | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1942-08-23 | CHW | CLE | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-08-16 | CHW | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-05-19 | CHW | MIN | L | 9.0 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1946-05-12 | CHW | DET | L | 8.0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-05-05 | CHW | NYY | L | 8.0 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1946-04-28 | CHW | SLA | W | 9.0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1946-04-21 | CHW | SLA | L | 8.2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1942-09-24 | CHW | CLE | W | 9.0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1942-09-10 | CHW | MIN | W | 9.0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942-08-30 | CHW | PHA | W | 9.0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-08-23 | CHW | CLE | W | 9.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1942-08-16 | CHW | DET | L | 10.1 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 594 | 0 | 219 | 943 | 51 | 57 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | CHA | P | 9 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1924 | CHA | P | 41 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 5 | 2 |
| 1925 | CHA | P | 43 | 0 | 8 | 80 | 4 | 3 |
| 1926 | CHA | P | 39 | 0 | 16 | 91 | 5 | 3 |
| 1927 | CHA | P | 39 | 0 | 13 | 79 | 2 | 3 |
| 1928 | CHA | P | 39 | 0 | 20 | 60 | 7 | 6 |
| 1929 | CHA | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929 | CHA | P | 37 | 0 | 21 | 66 | 5 | 4 |
| 1930 | CHA | P | 42 | 0 | 14 | 77 | 6 | 5 |
| 1931 | CHA | P | 22 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 1932 | CHA | P | 33 | 0 | 11 | 42 | 2 | 1 |
| 1933 | CHA | P | 36 | 0 | 10 | 49 | 1 | 3 |
| 1934 | CHA | P | 30 | 0 | 12 | 50 | 4 | 4 |
| 1935 | CHA | P | 23 | 0 | 9 | 31 | 0 | 2 |
| 1936 | CHA | P | 26 | 0 | 12 | 38 | 0 | 2 |
| 1937 | CHA | P | 22 | 0 | 6 | 33 | 0 | 3 |
| 1938 | CHA | P | 23 | 0 | 9 | 46 | 1 | 1 |
| 1939 | CHA | P | 21 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 3 | 3 |
| 1940 | CHA | P | 22 | 0 | 12 | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| 1941 | CHA | P | 22 | 0 | 17 | 36 | 1 | 3 |
| 1942 | CHA | P | 20 | 0 | 8 | 41 | 1 | 4 |
| 1946 | CHA | P | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 594 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P1 |
| 1927 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P1 |
| 1927 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
| 1927 | TSN All-Star | P |
| 1926 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
| 1926 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
| 1925 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | Waco | TX | 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 23.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 27th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 13.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1935 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 13th | 10.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1932 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 5.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1928 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 22th | 2.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1927 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 34.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1925 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 20th | 5.0 | 64 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ted Lyons (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Ted Lyons
Ted Lyons: the record in brief
July 2, 1923 and May 19, 1946 bracket Ted Lyons's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Lyons's only club in the season tables is the Chicago White Sox. Lyons, born on December 28, 1900, in Lake Charles, LA, USA, is listed as a pitcher and switch-hit and threw right-handed. Lyons's listed size is 5'11" and 200 pounds. Lyons died on July 25, 1986, in Sulphur, LA, USA. Ted Lyons was the playing name; the full given name is Theodore Amar.
Across 594 games (484 starts), Lyons recorded 260 wins against 230 losses with a 3.67 ERA. Lyons had 1,073 strikeouts, 356 complete games, 27 shutouts, and 23 saves. That 3.67 ERA compares with a 4.19 league average across the same seasons, 12.5% better. The best win total was 22, in 1927. 1933 produced Lyons's most strikeouts, 74. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.84 in 1927, when the league's was 4.08.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ted Lyons
- What years did Ted Lyons play?
- Ted Lyons played in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1946.
- Was Ted Lyons a pitcher?
- Yes. Ted Lyons pitched in the major leagues, recording 260 wins and 1073 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Ted Lyons hit?
- Ted Lyons hit 5 career home runs with 364 hits.
- Is Ted Lyons in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Ted Lyons was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.
- What teams did Ted Lyons play for?
- Ted Lyons played for one team, the Chicago White Sox (1923–1942, 1946).
- What awards did Ted Lyons win?
- Ted Lyons was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Ted Lyons's career stats?
- In 594 games, Ted Lyons went 260-230 with a 3.67 ERA, 1,073 strikeouts, 4,161.0 innings pitched, and 23 saves. At the plate he had 364 hits and 5 home runs.
- What position did Ted Lyons play?
- Ted Lyons played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ted Lyons and how much did he weigh?
- Ted Lyons was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 200 pounds.
- What was Ted Lyons's career ERA?
- Ted Lyons finished with a 3.67 career ERA, going 260-230 with 1,073 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Ted Lyons have?
- Ted Lyons recorded 1,073 career strikeouts.
- How many All-Star Games did Ted Lyons make?
- Ted Lyons was selected to 1 All-Star Game.