José Méndez
Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1912-1926)
José Méndez was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1926 for 5 teams, including the Cuban Stars of Havana, a span of 15 seasons. Across 117 career appearances, he went 57-18 with a 2.80 ERA and 402 strikeouts. He also batted .229 with 6 home runs. José Méndez was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 16503.4.
- 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 152 lb
- Died
- 10/31/1928 in Havana, La Habana, Cuba
- MLB Debut
- 1912-08-24
- Last Game
- 1926-09-21
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 2006 (Veterans)
Full name: Jose Colmenar Méndez
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | CSH | NAC | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 30.1 | 36 | 18 | 11 | 26 | 5.34 | 2.40 (-123%) | 533.1 |
| 1909 | CSH | INT | 6 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 75.0 | 53 | 9 | 17 | 74 | 1.08 | 2.55 (+58%) | 2643.6 |
| 1910 | SC1 | WES | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 58.0 | 72 | 28 | 6 | 34 | 4.34 | 2.79 (-56%) | 1250.0 |
| 1910 | CSH | EAS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3.00 | 2.79 (-8%) | 0.0 |
| 1911 | CSH | EAS | 9 | 0 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 87.0 | 69 | 14 | 16 | 77 | 1.45 | 3.37 (+57%) | 3414.2 |
| 1912 | CSH | WES | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 52.2 | 44 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 1.03 | 3.36 (+70%) | 912.2 |
| 1918 | CAG | WES | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0.00 | 2.83 (+100%) | 0.0 |
| 1919 | DS | WES | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 46.1 | 33 | 12 | 4 | 21 | 2.33 | 3.09 (+24%) | 1032.3 |
| 1920 | KCM | NNL | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 47.0 | 46 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 2.68 | 3.45 (+22%) | -459.1 |
| 1921 | KCM | NNL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.2 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4.60 | 4.02 (-14%) | -140.4 |
| 1922 | KCM | NNL | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19.1 | 34 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 5.12 | 4.18 (-22%) | 804.1 |
| 1923 | KCM | NNL | 12 | 4 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 138.2 | 138 | 49 | 30 | 60 | 3.18 | 4.03 (+21%) | 2614.0 |
| 1924 | KCM | NNL | 6 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 45.1 | 46 | 17 | 8 | 31 | 3.38 | 4.13 (+18%) | 1861.9 |
| 1925 | KCM | NNL | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 6.26 | 4.55 (-38%) | 850.3 |
| 1926 | KCM | NNL | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 31.0 | 33 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 2.61 | 4.11 (+36%) | 1187.1 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 57 | 18 | 117 | 72 | 51 | 7 | 10 | 687.1 | 655 | 214 | 128 | 402 | 2.80 | — | 16,503 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 365 | 1,037 | 138 | 237 | 48 | 12 | 6 | 107 | 41 | 122 | 2 | .229 | .313 | .315 | .628 | -1,131 |
Career AVG .229 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — 15.7% below league average.
Career OBP .313 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 6.3% below league average.
Career SLG .315 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 14.0% below league average.
Career OPS .628 vs. league average .700 across their career seasons — 10.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | CSH | NAC | 19 | 62 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .274 | .240 (+14%) | .298 (+10%) | .306 (+10%) | .605 (+10%) | 88.7 |
| 1909 | CSH | INT | 27 | 75 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .213 | .244 (-13%) | .306 (-6%) | .312 (-15%) | .618 (-10%) | -98.5 |
| 1910 | SC1 | WES | 13 | 47 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .234 | — | — | — | — | 28.8 |
| 1910 | CSH | EAS | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 28.8 |
| 1911 | CSH | EAS | 15 | 42 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1912 | CSH | WES | 17 | 60 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 | .268 (-7%) | .335 (-22%) | .358 (-16%) | .694 (-19%) | -189.9 |
| 1918 | CAG | WES | 15 | 52 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .192 | .255 (-25%) | .318 (-17%) | .326 (-12%) | .645 (-15%) | -120.0 |
| 1919 | DS | WES | 33 | 101 | 15 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 0 | .218 | .262 (-17%) | .322 (-7%) | .347 (+5%) | .670 (-1%) | -12.8 |
| 1920 | KCM | NNL | 56 | 180 | 21 | 38 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 28 | 0 | .211 | .271 (-22%) | .331 (-2%) | .363 (-30%) | .694 (-17%) | -370.6 |
| 1921 | KCM | NNL | 56 | 178 | 23 | 52 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 24 | 0 | .292 | .286 (+2%) | .344 (+9%) | .395 (-9%) | .739 (-1%) | 67.7 |
| 1922 | KCM | NNL | 40 | 104 | 15 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 2 | .183 | .285 (-36%) | .345 (-14%) | .397 (-32%) | .743 (-24%) | -390.2 |
| 1923 | KCM | NNL | 39 | 88 | 16 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .239 | .282 (-16%) | .344 (-19%) | .390 (+5%) | .734 (-6%) | -134.1 |
| 1924 | KCM | NNL | 16 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .208 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1925 | KCM | NNL | 10 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1926 | KCM | NNL | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 365 | 1,037 | 138 | 237 | 48 | 12 | 6 | 107 | 41 | 122 | 2 | .229 | — | — | — | — | -1,102 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | NNC | KCM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 1925 | NNC | KCM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1925 | NWS | KCM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1924 | NWS | KCM | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .111 |
Playoff Career Pitching
Playoff Pitching by Year
Game Log & Splits
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 5 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 2 | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
Last 5 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924-04-27 | KCM | SSN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923-08-05 | KCM | MIL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1921-07-25 | KCM | DT1 | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-06-12 | KCM | CNN | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920-08-01 | KCM | CAG | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Last 2 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924-04-27 | KCM | SSN | — | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923-08-05 | KCM | MIL | W | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 3 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2B | 40 | 36 | 60 | 86 | 18 | 4 |
| 3B | 64 | 44 | 56 | 110 | 8 | 8 |
| OF | 76 | 32 | 88 | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| P | 118 | 39 | 50 | 262 | 22 | 3 |
| SS | 79 | 64 | 162 | 219 | 37 | 27 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | CSH | 2B | 7 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 6 | 0 |
| 1908 | CSH | 3B | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908 | CSH | OF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908 | CSH | P | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1908 | CSH | SS | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 1909 | CSH | 2B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1909 | CSH | 3B | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909 | CSH | OF | 14 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1909 | CSH | P | 11 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 3 | 0 |
| 1910 | SC1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1910 | SC1 | OF | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910 | SC1 | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 1 |
| 1910 | CSH | OF | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1910 | CSH | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911 | CSH | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911 | CSH | OF | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1911 | CSH | P | 11 | 0 | 6 | 31 | 2 | 1 |
| 1912 | CSH | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1912 | CSH | OF | 11 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1912 | CSH | P | 7 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 3 | 0 |
| 1918 | CAG | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | CAG | P | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | CAG | SS | 13 | 0 | 25 | 32 | 3 | 7 |
| 1919 | DS | 2B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1919 | DS | 3B | 7 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 3 |
| 1919 | DS | OF | 9 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | DS | P | 7 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | DS | SS | 9 | 9 | 14 | 24 | 6 | 5 |
| 1920 | KCM | 1B | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920 | KCM | 2B | 23 | 23 | 37 | 57 | 9 | 3 |
| 1920 | KCM | 3B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | KCM | OF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | KCM | P | 9 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| 1920 | KCM | SS | 23 | 22 | 42 | 57 | 9 | 5 |
| 1921 | KCM | 2B | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | KCM | 3B | 11 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 2 |
| 1921 | KCM | OF | 15 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | KCM | P | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | KCM | SS | 26 | 26 | 69 | 88 | 14 | 8 |
| 1922 | KCM | 2B | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1922 | KCM | 3B | 28 | 20 | 23 | 51 | 5 | 2 |
| 1922 | KCM | OF | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922 | KCM | P | 5 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 1922 | KCM | SS | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 1923 | KCM | 1B | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1923 | KCM | 2B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | KCM | 3B | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1923 | KCM | OF | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1923 | KCM | P | 24 | 15 | 12 | 41 | 5 | 0 |
| 1924 | KCM | OF | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | KCM | P | 13 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 1 | 0 |
| 1925 | KCM | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | KCM | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | KCM | P | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | KCM | P | 7 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 118 |
| First Base | 3 |
| Second Base | 40 |
| Third Base | 64 |
| Shortstop | 79 |
| Left Field | 13 |
| Center Field | 13 |
| Right Field | 50 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
José Méndez (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
José Méndez: the record in brief
José Méndez's season table begins in 1908, ahead of the August 24, 1912 debut listed in the bio, and the final game as September 21, 1926. By club, Méndez's seasons break down as the Cuban Stars of Havana (1908 to 1912), the Stars of Cuba (1910), the Chicago American Giants (1918), the Detroit Stars (1919), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1920 to 1926). The bio lists Méndez as a pitcher who threw and hit right-handed. Méndez is listed at 152 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The birth record reads January 2, 1885, in Cardenas, Matanzas, Cuba. Méndez died on October 31, 1928, in Havana, La Habana, Cuba. The given name on file is Jose Colmenar Méndez.
The pitching table credits Méndez with a 57-18 record and a 2.80 ERA in 117 games. Méndez had 402 strikeouts, 51 complete games, 7 shutouts, and 10 saves. Against a 3.57 league ERA for the same years, Méndez was 21.5% better. 1923 brought Méndez a season-high 12 wins. 1911 produced Méndez's most strikeouts, 77.
Frequently Asked Questions about José Méndez
- What years did José Méndez play?
- José Méndez played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1926.
- Was José Méndez a pitcher?
- Yes. José Méndez pitched in the major leagues, recording 57 wins and 402 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did José Méndez hit?
- José Méndez hit 6 career home runs with 237 hits.
- Is José Méndez in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. José Méndez was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
- What teams did José Méndez play for?
- José Méndez played for 5 teams: the Cuban Stars of Havana (1908–1912), the Stars of Cuba (1910), the Chicago American Giants (1918), the Detroit Stars (1919), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1920–1926).
- What were José Méndez's career stats?
- In 117 games, José Méndez went 57-18 with a 2.80 ERA, 402 strikeouts, 687.1 innings pitched, and 10 saves. At the plate he had 237 hits and 6 home runs.
- What position did José Méndez play?
- José Méndez played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was José Méndez and how much did he weigh?
- José Méndez was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 152 pounds.
- What was José Méndez's career ERA?
- José Méndez finished with a 2.80 career ERA, going 57-18 with 402 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did José Méndez have?
- José Méndez recorded 402 career strikeouts.