Joe Mathes
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1912-1916)
Joe Mathes was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1916 for the Philadelphia Athletics, the St. Louis Terriers, and the Boston Braves, a span of 5 seasons. In 32 career games, he hit .273 with 27 hits and 6 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 86.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- Died
- 12/21/1978 in St. Louis, MO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1912-09-19
- Last Game
- 1916-09-09
Full name: Joseph John Mathes
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 99 | 10 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 15 | .273 | .339 | .303 | .642 | 86 |
Career AVG .273 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.
Career OBP .339 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .303 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.
Career OPS .642 vs. league average .665 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | PHA | AL | 4 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1914 | SLF | FL | 26 | 85 | 10 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 11 | .294 | .255 (+15%) | .322 (+12%) | .339 (-3%) | .661 (+4%) | 85.5 |
| 1916 | BSN | NL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 32 | 99 | 10 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 15 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 86 | ||
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 (32 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 21 | 64 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 2 | .312 |
| Away | 11 | 35 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | .200 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-09-09 | BSN | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916-09-08 | BSN | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-06-01 | SLF | IND | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-25 | SLF | BLF | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-21 | SLF | PTF | L | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-19 | SLF | BUF | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-14 | SLF | BRF | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-09 | SLF | PTF | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-08 | SLF | PTF | W | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-05-07 | SLF | PTF | L | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 25 |
| Third Base | 4 |
Joe Mathes: the record in brief
The profile opens with Joe Mathes's first major league game on September 19, 1912; the last one listed came on September 9, 1916. The team column moves through the Philadelphia Athletics (1912), the St. Louis Terriers (1914), and the Boston Braves (1916). Mathes played primarily as a second baseman and switch-hit and threw right-handed. Born on July 28, 1891, in Milwaukee, WI, USA, Mathes was listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 180 pounds. Mathes's death is recorded on December 21, 1978, in St. Louis, MO, USA. Joe Mathes was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph John.
The batting record for Mathes: 32 games, 27 hits in 99 at bats, and a .273 average; the totals also include 6 runs batted in. Mathes's career OPS of .642 combines a .339 on-base mark with .303 slugging. The league as a whole hit .257 across Mathes's seasons, which puts the .273 career mark 6.1% above average. Mathes collected a career-high 25 hits in 1914.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Mathes
- What years did Joe Mathes play?
- Joe Mathes played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1916.
- Was Joe Mathes a pitcher?
- No. Joe Mathes was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Mathes hit?
- Joe Mathes hit 0 career home runs with 27 hits.
- What teams did Joe Mathes play for?
- Joe Mathes played for 3 teams: the Philadelphia Athletics (1912), the St. Louis Terriers (1914), and the Boston Braves (1916).
- What were Joe Mathes's career stats?
- In 32 games, Joe Mathes had 27 hits, 6 RBI, 10 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .273 batting average.
- What position did Joe Mathes play?
- Joe Mathes played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Mathes and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Mathes was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
- What was Joe Mathes's career batting average?
- Joe Mathes batted .273 over his career, with 27 hits in 99 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Mathes have?
- Joe Mathes drove in 6 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Mathes in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Mathes has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.