Herm McFarland
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1896-1903)
Herm McFarland was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1903 for 5 teams, including the Louisville Colonels, a span of 8 seasons. In 352 career games, he hit .266 with 340 hits, 13 home runs, and 167 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 3,111.
- 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
- 5'6" / 150 lb
- Died
- 9/21/1935 in Richmond, VA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1896-04-21
- Last Game
- 1903-09-29
Full name: Hermas Walter McFarland
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 352 | 1,278 | 204 | 340 | 61 | 28 | 13 | 167 | 64 | 175 | 138 | .266 | .362 | .388 | .750 | 3,111 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .362 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — +9.9% above league average.
Career SLG .388 vs. league average .355 across their career seasons — +9.3% above league average.
Career OPS .750 vs. league average .684 across their career seasons — +9.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | LS3 | NL | 30 | 110 | 11 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 14 | .191 | .290 (-34%) | .354 (-29%) | .387 (-30%) | .741 (-29%) | -544.3 |
| 1898 | CIN | NL | 19 | 64 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 1 | .281 | .270 (+4%) | .333 (+8%) | .347 (+13%) | .680 (+10%) | 103.5 |
| 1901 | CHA | AL | 132 | 473 | 83 | 130 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 59 | 33 | 75 | 50 | .275 | .271 (+1%) | .326 (+18%) | .359 (+6%) | .686 (+12%) | 1439.5 |
| 1902 | CHA | AL | 7 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .185 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1902 | BLA | AL | 61 | 242 | 54 | 78 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 36 | 10 | 36 | 20 | .322 | .266 (+21%) | .321 (+30%) | .343 (+42%) | .665 (+36%) | 0.0 |
| 1903 | NYA | AL | 103 | 362 | 41 | 88 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 45 | 13 | 46 | 52 | .243 | .261 (-7%) | .316 (+5%) | .345 (+9%) | .662 (+7%) | 542.1 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 352 | 1,278 | 204 | 340 | 61 | 28 | 13 | 167 | 64 | 175 | 138 | .266 | — | — | — | — | 1,541 | ||
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 (322 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 160 | 561 | 107 | 160 | 8 | 87 | .285 |
| Away | 162 | 606 | 86 | 159 | 4 | 68 | .262 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903-09-29 | NYY | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1903-09-28 | NYY | DET | W | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-26 | NYY | DET | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903-09-23 | NYY | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1903-09-22 | NYY | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1903-09-21 | NYY | CLE | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903-09-19 | NYY | CLE | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1903-09-18 | NYY | CHW | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903-09-18 | NYY | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1903-09-15 | NYY | BOS | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1 |
| Left Field | 189 |
| Center Field | 140 |
| Right Field | 22 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Herm McFarland (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Herm McFarland: the record in brief
According to the bio, Herm McFarland debuted on April 21, 1896 and played a final game on September 29, 1903. The team column moves through the Louisville Colonels (1896), the Cincinnati Reds (1898), the Chicago White Sox (1901 through 1902), the Baltimore Orioles (1902), and the New York Highlanders (1903). The bio lists McFarland as an outfielder who threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The recorded size is 150 pounds on a 5-foot-6 frame. The birth record reads March 11, 1870, in Des Moines, IA, USA. McFarland's death is recorded on September 21, 1935, in Richmond, VA, USA. The bio lists the given name Hermas Walter.
McFarland finished with 340 hits from 1,278 at bats in 352 games, which works out to .266, plus 13 homers, 167 runs batted in, and 64 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .362 clip and slugging .388, McFarland finished with a .750 OPS. Against a .271 league average for those years, McFarland's .266 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .750 to a league .684, 9.6% above average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Herm McFarland
- What years did Herm McFarland play?
- Herm McFarland played in Major League Baseball from 1896 to 1903.
- Was Herm McFarland a pitcher?
- No. Herm McFarland was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Herm McFarland hit?
- Herm McFarland hit 13 career home runs with 340 hits.
- What teams did Herm McFarland play for?
- Herm McFarland played for 4 teams: the Louisville Colonels (1896), the Cincinnati Reds (1898), the Chicago White Sox (1901–1902), and the New York Highlanders (1902–1903).
- What were Herm McFarland's career stats?
- In 352 games, Herm McFarland had 340 hits, 13 home runs, 167 RBI, 204 runs, and 64 stolen bases, with a .266 batting average.
- What position did Herm McFarland play?
- Herm McFarland played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Herm McFarland and how much did he weigh?
- Herm McFarland was listed at 5 feet 6 inches and 150 pounds.
- How many home runs did Herm McFarland hit each season?
- Herm McFarland's home runs by season: 1 in 1896, 0 in 1898, 4 in 1901, 3 in 1902, and 5 in 1903. His most in one season was 5, in 1903.
- What was Herm McFarland's career batting average?
- Herm McFarland batted .266 over his career, with 340 hits in 1,278 at bats.
- How many RBI did Herm McFarland have?
- Herm McFarland drove in 167 runs in his career.
- Is Herm McFarland in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Herm McFarland has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.