John Milligan
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1884-1893)
John Milligan was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1893 for 6 teams, including the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 10 seasons. In 772 career games, he hit .286 with 848 hits, 49 home runs, and 497 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 8,072.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 192 lb
- Died
- 8/29/1923 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1884-05-01
- Last Game
- 1893-09-26
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 772 | 2,964 | 440 | 848 | 189 | 50 | 49 | 497 | 41 | 210 | 190 | .286 | .341 | .433 | .774 | 8,072 |
Career AVG .286 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — +12.6% above league average.
Career OBP .341 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — +7.8% above league average.
Career SLG .433 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — +26.3% above league average.
Career OPS .774 vs. league average .659 across their career seasons — +17.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | PH4 | AA | 66 | 268 | 39 | 77 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | .287 | .243 (+18%) | .278 (+10%) | .327 (+28%) | .606 (+20%) | 731.4 |
| 1885 | PH4 | AA | 67 | 265 | 35 | 71 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 0 | 7 | 0 | .268 | .244 (+10%) | .287 (+1%) | .325 (+16%) | .613 (+9%) | 277.1 |
| 1886 | PH4 | AA | 75 | 301 | 52 | 76 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 45 | 18 | 21 | 0 | .252 | .246 (+2%) | .302 (avg) | .331 (+14%) | .634 (+7%) | 298.4 |
| 1887 | PH4 | AA | 95 | 377 | 54 | 114 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 50 | 8 | 21 | 30 | .302 | .270 (+12%) | .331 (+4%) | .373 (+10%) | .705 (+7%) | 441.4 |
| 1888 | SL4 | AA | 63 | 219 | 19 | 55 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 37 | 3 | 17 | 26 | .251 | .238 (+5%) | .290 (+7%) | .319 (+14%) | .610 (+11%) | 378.9 |
| 1889 | SL4 | AA | 72 | 273 | 53 | 100 | 30 | 2 | 12 | 76 | 2 | 16 | 19 | .366 | .263 (+39%) | .334 (+22%) | .357 (+74%) | .691 (+49%) | 2198.1 |
| 1890 | PHP | PL | 62 | 234 | 38 | 69 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 57 | 2 | 19 | 19 | .295 | .260 (+13%) | .336 (+8%) | .351 (+13%) | .687 (+11%) | 433.2 |
| 1891 | PH4 | AA | 118 | 455 | 75 | 138 | 35 | 12 | 11 | 106 | 2 | 56 | 51 | .303 | .254 (+19%) | .331 (+20%) | .343 (+47%) | .675 (+34%) | 2899.1 |
| 1892 | WAS | NL | 88 | 323 | 40 | 89 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 43 | 2 | 26 | 24 | .276 | .244 (+13%) | .316 (+6%) | .327 (+31%) | .644 (+19%) | 899.6 |
| 1893 | BLN | NL | 24 | 102 | 19 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 7 | .245 | .279 (-12%) | .356 (-18%) | .379 (-4%) | .735 (-11%) | -214.0 |
| 1893 | NY1 | NL | 42 | 147 | 16 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 14 | 14 | .231 | .279 (-17%) | .356 (-15%) | .379 (-3%) | .735 (-9%) | -214.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 772 | 2,964 | 440 | 848 | 189 | 50 | 49 | 497 | 41 | 210 | 190 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 8,129 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 184 | 0 | 1673 | 69 | 43 | 77 |
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| C | 585 | 0 | 3230 | 825 | 304 | 86 |
| OF | 9 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | PH4 | C | 65 | 0 | 474 | 100 | 37 | 5 |
| 1884 | PH4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | PH4 | 1B | 6 | 0 | 59 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1885 | PH4 | C | 61 | 0 | 419 | 84 | 35 | 11 |
| 1885 | PH4 | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1886 | PH4 | 1B | 29 | 0 | 291 | 12 | 6 | 8 |
| 1886 | PH4 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1886 | PH4 | C | 40 | 0 | 231 | 51 | 25 | 5 |
| 1886 | PH4 | OF | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1887 | PH4 | 1B | 50 | 0 | 436 | 13 | 16 | 21 |
| 1887 | PH4 | C | 47 | 0 | 262 | 79 | 35 | 10 |
| 1887 | PH4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | SL4 | 1B | 5 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1888 | SL4 | C | 58 | 0 | 317 | 85 | 25 | 11 |
| 1889 | SL4 | 1B | 9 | 0 | 58 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 1889 | SL4 | C | 66 | 0 | 367 | 105 | 34 | 7 |
| 1890 | PHP | 1B | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1890 | PHP | C | 59 | 0 | 260 | 66 | 39 | 13 |
| 1891 | PH4 | 1B | 32 | 0 | 293 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| 1891 | PH4 | C | 87 | 0 | 470 | 101 | 37 | 9 |
| 1892 | WAS | 1B | 28 | 0 | 285 | 12 | 6 | 12 |
| 1892 | WAS | C | 59 | 0 | 237 | 87 | 18 | 10 |
| 1893 | BLN | 1B | 22 | 0 | 187 | 17 | 4 | 10 |
| 1893 | BLN | C | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1893 | NY1 | C | 42 | 0 | 188 | 67 | 18 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 585 |
| First Base | 184 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Center Field | 6 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John Milligan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
John Milligan: the record in brief
John Milligan played a first major league game on May 1, 1884 and a last one on September 26, 1893. The team column moves through the Philadelphia Athletics (1884 to 1891), the St. Louis Browns (1888 through 1889), the Washington Senators (1892), the Baltimore Orioles (1893), and the New York Giants (1893). At 6 feet, 0 inches and 192 pounds, Milligan is listed as a catcher. Milligan both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is August 8, 1861, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Milligan died on August 29, 1923, in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Milligan finished with 848 hits from 2,964 at bats in 772 games, which works out to .286, plus 49 homers, 497 RBI, and 41 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .341 and the slugging percentage .433, for an OPS of .774. Set against a .254 league average for the same years, Milligan's .286 average sits 12.6% above it. The single-season home run high is 12, set in 1889. 1891 produced Milligan's most hits, 138 of them for the Philadelphia Athletics.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Milligan
- What years did John Milligan play?
- John Milligan played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1893.
- Was John Milligan a pitcher?
- No. John Milligan was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did John Milligan hit?
- John Milligan hit 49 career home runs with 848 hits.
- What was John Milligan's career batting average?
- John Milligan batted .286 over his career, with 848 hits in 2,964 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Milligan have?
- John Milligan drove in 497 runs in his career.
- Is John Milligan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Milligan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.