Joe Morgan
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1963-1984)
Joe Morgan was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1984 for 5 teams, including the Houston Astros, a span of 22 seasons. In 2,649 career games, he hit .271 with 2,517 hits, 268 home runs, and 1,133 RBI. Joe Morgan was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 and was a 10-time All-Star, a 2-time MVP, an All-Star Game MVP, a 5-time Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 39,255.
- 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 160 lb
- Died
- 10/11/2020 in Danville, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1963-09-21
- Last Game
- 1984-09-30
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1990 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 10× All-Star · 2× MVP · All-Star Game MVP · 5× Gold Glove · Silver Slugger
Full name: Joe Leonard Morgan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,649 | 9,277 | 1,650 | 2,517 | 449 | 96 | 268 | 1,133 | 689 | 1,865 | 1,015 | .271 | .392 | .427 | .819 | 39,255 |
Career AVG .271 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — +6.7% above league average.
Career OBP .392 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — +22.6% above league average.
Career SLG .427 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — +13.6% above league average.
Career OPS .819 vs. league average .696 across their career seasons — +17.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | HOU | NL | 8 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | .240 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | HOU | NL | 10 | 37 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | .189 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | HOU | NL | 157 | 601 | 100 | 163 | 22 | 12 | 14 | 40 | 20 | 97 | 77 | .271 | .245 (+10%) | .310 (+20%) | .371 (+12%) | .682 (+16%) | 2167.8 |
| 1966 | HOU | NL | 122 | 425 | 60 | 121 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 42 | 11 | 89 | 43 | .285 | .248 (+15%) | .309 (+33%) | .376 (+4%) | .685 (+17%) | 1853.4 |
| 1967 | HOU | NL | 133 | 494 | 73 | 136 | 27 | 11 | 6 | 42 | 29 | 81 | 51 | .275 | .242 (+14%) | .306 (+23%) | .357 (+15%) | .663 (+19%) | 1979.4 |
| 1968 | HOU | NL | 10 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1969 | HOU | NL | 147 | 535 | 94 | 126 | 18 | 5 | 15 | 43 | 49 | 110 | 74 | .236 | .248 (-5%) | .320 (+14%) | .369 (+1%) | .689 (+7%) | 1104.1 |
| 1970 | HOU | NL | 144 | 548 | 102 | 147 | 28 | 9 | 8 | 52 | 42 | 102 | 55 | .268 | .253 (+6%) | .325 (+18%) | .385 (+3%) | .711 (+10%) | 1385.3 |
| 1971 | HOU | NL | 160 | 583 | 87 | 149 | 27 | 11 | 13 | 56 | 40 | 88 | 52 | .256 | .249 (+3%) | .316 (+11%) | .365 (+11%) | .682 (+11%) | 1350.4 |
| 1972 | CIN | NL | 149 | 552 | 122 | 161 | 23 | 4 | 16 | 73 | 58 | 115 | 44 | .292 | .243 (+20%) | .310 (+34%) | .353 (+23%) | .664 (+28%) | 3602.3 |
| 1973 | CIN | NL | 157 | 576 | 116 | 167 | 35 | 2 | 26 | 82 | 67 | 111 | 61 | .290 | .256 (+13%) | .325 (+25%) | .378 (+30%) | .703 (+28%) | 3619.7 |
| 1974 | CIN | NL | 149 | 512 | 107 | 150 | 31 | 3 | 22 | 67 | 58 | 120 | 69 | .293 | .256 (+14%) | .324 (+32%) | .369 (+34%) | .693 (+33%) | 3870.5 |
| 1975 | CIN | NL | 146 | 498 | 107 | 163 | 27 | 6 | 17 | 94 | 67 | 132 | 52 | .327 | .257 (+27%) | .327 (+42%) | .374 (+36%) | .701 (+39%) | 4648.2 |
| 1976 | CIN | NL | 141 | 472 | 113 | 151 | 30 | 5 | 27 | 111 | 60 | 114 | 41 | .320 | .255 (+25%) | .320 (+39%) | .360 (+60%) | .681 (+50%) | 4965.9 |
| 1977 | CIN | NL | 153 | 521 | 113 | 150 | 21 | 6 | 22 | 78 | 49 | 117 | 58 | .288 | .264 (+9%) | .329 (+27%) | .401 (+19%) | .730 (+23%) | 2965.3 |
| 1978 | CIN | NL | 132 | 441 | 68 | 104 | 27 | 0 | 13 | 75 | 19 | 79 | 40 | .236 | .257 (-9%) | .323 (+7%) | .378 (+2%) | .702 (+4%) | 515.6 |
| 1979 | CIN | NL | 127 | 436 | 70 | 109 | 26 | 1 | 9 | 32 | 28 | 93 | 45 | .250 | .265 (-6%) | .329 (+15%) | .397 (-5%) | .727 (+4%) | 700.5 |
| 1980 | HOU | NL | 141 | 461 | 66 | 112 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 49 | 24 | 93 | 47 | .243 | .264 (-8%) | .326 (+12%) | .387 (-4%) | .714 (+4%) | 661.2 |
| 1981 | SFN | NL | 90 | 308 | 47 | 74 | 16 | 1 | 8 | 31 | 14 | 66 | 37 | .240 | .255 (-6%) | .320 (+16%) | .368 (+2%) | .688 (+9%) | 720.2 |
| 1982 | SFN | NL | 134 | 463 | 68 | 134 | 19 | 4 | 14 | 61 | 24 | 85 | 60 | .289 | .261 (+11%) | .324 (+23%) | .388 (+13%) | .712 (+18%) | 1972.4 |
| 1983 | PHI | NL | 123 | 404 | 72 | 93 | 20 | 1 | 16 | 59 | 18 | 89 | 54 | .230 | .260 (-12%) | .324 (+14%) | .389 (+4%) | .714 (+8%) | 966.7 |
| 1984 | OAK | AL | 116 | 365 | 50 | 89 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 43 | 8 | 66 | 39 | .244 | .259 (-6%) | .322 (+10%) | .384 (-9%) | .707 (avg) | 206.0 |
| Career · 22 seasons | 2,649 | 9,277 | 1,650 | 2,517 | 449 | 96 | 268 | 1,133 | 689 | 1,865 | 1,015 | .271 | — | — | — | — | 39,255 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 181 | 26 | 33 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 37 | 19 | .182 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | NLCS | PHI | 4 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .067 |
| 1983 | WS | PHI | 5 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | .263 |
| 1980 | NLCS | HOU | 4 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | .154 |
| 1979 | NLCS | CIN | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .000 |
| 1976 | NLCS | CIN | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | .000 |
| 1976 | WS | CIN | 4 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .333 |
| 1975 | NLCS | CIN | 3 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .273 |
| 1975 | WS | CIN | 7 | 27 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | .259 |
| 1973 | NLCS | CIN | 5 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .100 |
| 1972 | NLCS | CIN | 5 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .263 |
| 1972 | WS | CIN | 7 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | .125 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2648 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1309 | 4448 | 829 | 1225 | 122 | 560 | .275 |
| Away | 1339 | 4827 | 820 | 1292 | 146 | 573 | .268 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-09-30 | OAK | KCR | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-28 | OAK | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-23 | OAK | KCR | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-22 | OAK | KCR | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984-09-19 | OAK | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984-09-17 | OAK | TEX | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984-09-14 | OAK | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-11 | OAK | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-09 | OAK | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984-09-07 | OAK | CLE | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 2527 | 2472 | 5742 | 6967 | 244 | 1505 |
| 3B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| OF | 16 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | HOU | 2B | 7 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 2 |
| 1964 | HOU | 2B | 10 | 10 | 31 | 25 | 3 | 4 |
| 1965 | HOU | 2B | 157 | 155 | 348 | 492 | 27 | 82 |
| 1966 | HOU | 2B | 117 | 117 | 256 | 316 | 21 | 61 |
| 1967 | HOU | 2B | 130 | 126 | 297 | 344 | 14 | 67 |
| 1967 | HOU | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | HOU | 2B | 5 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 1968 | HOU | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | HOU | 2B | 132 | 131 | 303 | 328 | 18 | 79 |
| 1969 | HOU | OF | 14 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | HOU | 2B | 142 | 141 | 349 | 430 | 17 | 98 |
| 1971 | HOU | 2B | 157 | 153 | 336 | 482 | 12 | 93 |
| 1972 | CIN | 2B | 149 | 148 | 370 | 436 | 8 | 92 |
| 1973 | CIN | 2B | 154 | 151 | 417 | 440 | 9 | 106 |
| 1974 | CIN | 2B | 142 | 140 | 344 | 385 | 13 | 92 |
| 1975 | CIN | 2B | 142 | 141 | 356 | 425 | 11 | 96 |
| 1976 | CIN | 2B | 133 | 131 | 342 | 335 | 13 | 85 |
| 1977 | CIN | 2B | 151 | 147 | 351 | 359 | 5 | 100 |
| 1978 | CIN | 2B | 124 | 120 | 252 | 290 | 11 | 49 |
| 1979 | CIN | 2B | 121 | 120 | 259 | 329 | 12 | 74 |
| 1980 | HOU | 2B | 130 | 123 | 244 | 348 | 7 | 68 |
| 1981 | SFN | 2B | 87 | 84 | 177 | 258 | 4 | 61 |
| 1982 | SFN | 2B | 120 | 117 | 254 | 364 | 7 | 69 |
| 1982 | SFN | 3B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | PHI | 2B | 117 | 109 | 231 | 331 | 17 | 63 |
| 1984 | OAK | 2B | 100 | 97 | 201 | 229 | 10 | 62 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 2526 |
| Third Base | 3 |
| Left Field | 14 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Designated Hitter | 5 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Player of the Week | Week of 1983-09-23 |
| 1982 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1982 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1977 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1977 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1976 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1976 | Player of the Month | August |
| 1976 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1976 | TSN Major League Player of the Year | |
| 1975 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1975 | Player of the Month | April |
| 1975 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-06-27 |
| 1975 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1975 | TSN Major League Player of the Year | |
| 1975 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1974 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1974 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1973 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1973 | Player of the Week | Week of 1973-08-24 |
| 1972 | All-Star Game MVP | |
| 1972 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1965 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt College | Oakland | CA | 1962 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 16th | 17.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 311.0 | 336 | 19 |
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 321.0 | 336 | 21 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 8th | 72.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 102.0 | 336 | 1 |
| 1972 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 197.0 | 336 | 5 |
| 1965 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 31th | 1.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1965 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 2nd | 4.0 | 20 | 4 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Joe Morgan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Joe Morgan
See Joe Morgan in Another Era
Joe Morgan: the record in brief
September 21, 1963 and September 30, 1984 bracket Joe Morgan's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Morgan played for the Houston Colt .45's (1963 through 1964), the Houston Astros (1965 through 1980), the Cincinnati Reds (1972 to 1979), the San Francisco Giants (1981 through 1982), the Philadelphia Phillies (1983), and the Oakland Athletics (1984). Morgan played primarily as a second baseman and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on September 19, 1943, in Bonham, TX, USA and a listed size of 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds. Morgan's death is recorded on October 11, 2020, in Danville, CA, USA. Joe Morgan was the playing name; the full given name is Joe Leonard.
Morgan finished with 2,517 hits from 9,277 at bats in 2,649 games, which works out to .271; the totals also include 268 homers, 1,133 RBI, and 689 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .392 and the slugging percentage .427, for an OPS of .819.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Morgan
- What years did Joe Morgan play?
- Joe Morgan played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1984.
- Was Joe Morgan a pitcher?
- No. Joe Morgan was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Morgan hit?
- Joe Morgan hit 268 career home runs with 2,517 hits.
- Is Joe Morgan in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Joe Morgan was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.
- What teams did Joe Morgan play for?
- Joe Morgan played for 5 teams: the Houston Astros (1963–1971, 1980), the Cincinnati Reds (1972–1979), the San Francisco Giants (1981–1982), the Philadelphia Phillies (1983), and the Oakland Athletics (1984).
- How many MVP awards did Joe Morgan win?
- Joe Morgan won 2 MVP awards, in 1975 and 1976.
- What awards did Joe Morgan win?
- Joe Morgan won 2 MVP awards (1975 and 1976), 5 Gold Gloves (1973–1977), and the Silver Slugger award (1982). He was selected to 10 All-Star Games.
- What were Joe Morgan's career stats?
- In 2,649 games, Joe Morgan had 2,517 hits, 268 home runs, 1,133 RBI, 1,650 runs, and 689 stolen bases, with a .271 batting average.
- What position did Joe Morgan play?
- Joe Morgan played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Morgan and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Morgan was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Morgan hit each season?
- Joe Morgan's home runs by season: 0 in 1963, 0 in 1964, 14 in 1965, 5 in 1966, 6 in 1967, 0 in 1968, 15 in 1969, 8 in 1970, 13 in 1971, 16 in 1972, 26 in 1973, 22 in 1974, 17 in 1975, 27 in 1976, 22 in 1977, 13 in 1978, 9 in 1979, 11 in 1980, 8 in 1981, 14 in 1982, 16 in 1983, and 6 in 1984. His most in one season was 27, in 1976.
- What was Joe Morgan's career batting average?
- Joe Morgan batted .271 over his career, with 2,517 hits in 9,277 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Morgan have?
- Joe Morgan drove in 1,133 runs in his career.
- How many All-Star Games did Joe Morgan make?
- Joe Morgan was selected to 10 All-Star Games.