Jim Mertz
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1943)
Jim Mertz was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball in 1943 for the Washington Senators. Across 33 career appearances, he went 5-7 with a 4.63 ERA and 53 strikeouts.
- 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" / 170 lb
- Died
- 2/4/2003 in Waycross, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1943-05-01
- Last Game
- 1943-10-02
Full name: James Verlin Mertz
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | WS1 | AL | 5 | 7 | 33 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 116.2 | 109 | 60 | 58 | 53 | 4.63 | 3.50 (-32%) | -1491.6 |
| Career · 1 season | 5 | 7 | 33 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 116.2 | 109 | 60 | 58 | 53 | 4.63 | — | -1,492 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 38 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13 | .184 | .225 | .237 | .462 | 0 |
Career AVG .184 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 28.0% below league average.
Career OBP .225 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 30.8% below league average.
Career SLG .237 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — 31.6% below league average.
Career OPS .462 vs. league average .671 across their career seasons — 31.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | WS1 | AL | 33 | 38 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13 | .184 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 33 | 38 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13 | .184 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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 (66 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 16 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .143 |
| Away | 17 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .235 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 16 | 60.0 | 52 | 32 | 29 | 23 | 4.80 |
| Away | 17 | 56.2 | 57 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 4.45 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943-10-02 | MIN | DET | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-09-26 | MIN | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-09-22 | MIN | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-09-06 | MIN | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943-08-29 | MIN | PHA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-08-26 | MIN | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-08-23 | MIN | SLA | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-08-22 | MIN | SLA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-08-20 | MIN | CHW | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-08-15 | MIN | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943-10-02 | MIN | DET | — | 4.0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-09-26 | MIN | CHW | — | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-09-22 | MIN | SLA | — | 2.1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943-09-06 | MIN | BOS | L | 6.0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1943-08-29 | MIN | PHA | W | 4.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943-08-26 | MIN | SLA | — | 6.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1943-08-23 | MIN | SLA | — | 1.2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943-08-22 | MIN | SLA | — | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1943-08-20 | MIN | CHW | SV | 2.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-08-15 | MIN | CLE | — | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 33 |
Jim Mertz: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jim Mertz's first major league game on May 1, 1943; the last one listed came on October 2, 1943. Every season row on the page belongs to the Washington Senators, in 1943. Mertz, born on August 10, 1916, in Lima, OH, USA, is listed as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 170 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. Mertz's death is recorded on February 4, 2003, in Waycross, GA, USA. The bio lists the given name James Verlin.
Across 33 games (10 starts), Mertz recorded 5 wins against 7 losses with a 4.63 ERA. The same table counts 53 strikeouts. Against a 3.50 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.63 mark was 32.2% worse. All of that pitching came in 1943, with 33 games and 53 strikeouts.
Mertz appears at one position only: pitcher, in 33 games. On the mound, Mertz's fielding totals are 3 putouts, 26 assists and 3 errors.
Mertz's game-by-game log, linked below the splits, holds 66 games from Retrosheet.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Mertz
- Was Jim Mertz a pitcher?
- Yes. Jim Mertz pitched in the major leagues, recording 5 wins and 53 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Jim Mertz hit?
- Jim Mertz hit 0 career home runs with 7 hits.
- What teams did Jim Mertz play for?
- Jim Mertz played for one team, the Washington Senators (1943).
- What were Jim Mertz's career stats?
- In 33 games, Jim Mertz went 5-7 with a 4.63 ERA, 53 strikeouts, 116.2 innings pitched, and 3 saves.
- What position did Jim Mertz play?
- Jim Mertz played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jim Mertz and how much did he weigh?
- Jim Mertz was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 170 pounds.
- What was Jim Mertz's career ERA?
- Jim Mertz finished with a 4.63 career ERA, going 5-7 with 53 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Jim Mertz have?
- Jim Mertz recorded 53 career strikeouts.
- Is Jim Mertz in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Mertz has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.