Steve Mesner
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1938-1945)
Steve Mesner was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1945 for the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 8 seasons. In 451 career games, he hit .252 with 397 hits, 2 home runs, and 167 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 178 lb
- Died
- 4/6/1981 in San Diego, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1938-09-23
- Last Game
- 1945-09-30
Full name: Stephen Mathias Mesner
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 451 | 1,574 | 153 | 397 | 67 | 6 | 2 | 167 | 11 | 121 | 69 | .252 | .308 | .306 | .614 | -2,364 |
Career AVG .252 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .308 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 7.5% below league average.
Career SLG .306 vs. league average .370 across their career seasons — 17.1% below league average.
Career OPS .614 vs. league average .702 across their career seasons — 12.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | CHN | NL | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | CHN | NL | 17 | 43 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .279 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | SLN | NL | 24 | 69 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 6 | .145 | .262 (-45%) | .332 (-39%) | .373 (-57%) | .705 (-49%) | -523.9 |
| 1943 | CIN | NL | 137 | 504 | 53 | 137 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 6 | 26 | 20 | .272 | .255 (+6%) | .324 (-5%) | .346 (-5%) | .671 (-5%) | -467.3 |
| 1944 | CIN | NL | 121 | 414 | 31 | 100 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 47 | 1 | 34 | 20 | .242 | .261 (-8%) | .325 (-8%) | .357 (-14%) | .683 (-11%) | -686.5 |
| 1945 | CIN | NL | 150 | 540 | 52 | 137 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 4 | 52 | 18 | .254 | .260 (-3%) | .328 (-2%) | .354 (-16%) | .683 (-9%) | -686.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 451 | 1,574 | 153 | 397 | 67 | 6 | 2 | 167 | 11 | 121 | 69 | .252 | — | — | — | — | -2,364 | ||
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 (451 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 228 | 762 | 75 | 189 | 0 | 78 | .248 |
| Away | 223 | 813 | 78 | 209 | 2 | 90 | .257 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-30 | CIN | STL | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-29 | CIN | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-29 | CIN | STL | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-27 | CIN | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-27 | CIN | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-26 | CIN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-26 | CIN | PIT | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-23 | CIN | STL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-22 | CIN | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-18 | CIN | BSN | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 4 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 3B | 421 | 0 | 446 | 891 | 61 | 93 |
| SS | 13 | 0 | 12 | 41 | 5 | 7 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939 | CHN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939 | CHN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | CHN | SS | 12 | 0 | 12 | 39 | 4 | 7 |
| 1941 | SLN | 3B | 22 | 0 | 23 | 45 | 3 | 8 |
| 1943 | CIN | 3B | 130 | 0 | 132 | 274 | 24 | 29 |
| 1944 | CIN | 3B | 120 | 0 | 120 | 246 | 19 | 21 |
| 1945 | CIN | 2B | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945 | CIN | 3B | 148 | 0 | 170 | 326 | 15 | 35 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 4 |
| Third Base | 421 |
| Shortstop | 13 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Steve Mesner (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Steve Mesner: the record in brief
According to the bio, Steve Mesner debuted on September 23, 1938 and played a final game on September 30, 1945. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago Cubs (1938 to 1939), the St. Louis Cardinals (1941), and the Cincinnati Reds (1943 to 1945). At 178 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame, Mesner is listed as a third baseman. The bio says Mesner both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is January 13, 1918, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. The bio records the death on April 6, 1981, in San Diego, CA, USA. Mesner's full given name, per the bio, is Stephen Mathias Mesner.
Mesner's career batting table shows 451 games, 1,574 at bats and 397 hits, a .252 average, adding 2 home runs and 167 RBI. Mesner got on base at a .308 rate and slugged .306 (.614 OPS). The .252 career average is close to the .265 the league hit across the same seasons. In OPS terms, Mesner's .614 stands 12.6% below the league's .702. 1943 produced Mesner's most hits, 137 of them for the Cincinnati Reds. 1943 brought the most runs batted in, 52.
Frequently Asked Questions about Steve Mesner
- What years did Steve Mesner play?
- Steve Mesner played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1945.
- Was Steve Mesner a pitcher?
- No. Steve Mesner was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Steve Mesner hit?
- Steve Mesner hit 2 career home runs with 397 hits.
- What was Steve Mesner's career batting average?
- Steve Mesner batted .252 over his career, with 397 hits in 1,574 at bats.
- How many RBI did Steve Mesner have?
- Steve Mesner drove in 167 runs in his career.
- Is Steve Mesner in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Steve Mesner has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.