Jack Merson
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1951-1953)
Jack Merson was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1953 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox, a span of 3 seasons. In 125 career games, he hit .257 with 116 hits, 6 home runs, and 52 RBI.
- 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 4/28/2000 in Elkridge, MD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1951-09-14
- Last Game
- 1953-04-24
Full name: John Warren Merson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | 452 | 47 | 116 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 52 | 1 | 23 | 45 | .257 | .294 | .363 | .657 | -481 |
Career AVG .257 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .294 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 11.7% below league average.
Career SLG .363 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 5.6% below league average.
Career OPS .657 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — 8.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | PIT | NL | 13 | 50 | 6 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .360 | .260 (+38%) | .336 (+11%) | .385 (+40%) | .721 (+26%) | 181.2 |
| 1952 | PIT | NL | 111 | 398 | 41 | 98 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 38 | 1 | 22 | 38 | .246 | .252 (-3%) | .326 (-12%) | .369 (-7%) | .696 (-9%) | -661.9 |
| 1953 | BOS | AL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 125 | 452 | 47 | 116 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 52 | 1 | 23 | 45 | .257 | — | — | — | — | -481 | ||
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 (125 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 69 | 248 | 27 | 59 | 5 | 29 | .238 |
| Away | 56 | 204 | 20 | 57 | 1 | 23 | .279 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-04-24 | BOS | PHA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-08-17 | PIT | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-08-17 | PIT | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1952-08-16 | PIT | CHC | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1952-08-15 | PIT | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-08-14 | PIT | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-08-11 | PIT | CIN | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1952-08-10 | PIT | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-08-10 | PIT | CHC | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952-08-09 | PIT | CHC | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 91 |
| Third Base | 32 |
Jack Merson: the record in brief
Jack Merson's major league career runs from a debut on September 14, 1951 to a final game on April 24, 1953. The team column moves through the Pittsburgh Pirates (1951 to 1952) and the Boston Red Sox (1953). Merson, born on January 17, 1922, in Elkridge, MD, USA, is listed as a second baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5'11" and 175 pounds. The bio records the death on April 28, 2000, in Elkridge, MD, USA. Merson's full given name, per the bio, is John Warren Merson.
Merson collected 116 hits in 452 at bats across 125 games, good for a .257 batting average; the totals also include 6 home runs and 52 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .294 and .363 give Merson a career OPS of .657. Against a .259 league average for those years, Merson's .257 average was near the norm. The highest hit total in a season was 98, in 1952. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .246 in 1952, did not top the league's .252.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jack Merson
- What years did Jack Merson play?
- Jack Merson played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1953.
- Was Jack Merson a pitcher?
- No. Jack Merson was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Jack Merson hit?
- Jack Merson hit 6 career home runs with 116 hits.
- What was Jack Merson's career batting average?
- Jack Merson batted .257 over his career, with 116 hits in 452 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jack Merson have?
- Jack Merson drove in 52 runs in his career.
- Is Jack Merson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jack Merson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.