Thurman Munson
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1969-1979)
Thurman Munson was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1979 for the New York Yankees, a span of 11 seasons. In 1,423 career games, he hit .292 with 1,558 hits, 113 home runs, and 701 RBI. Thurman Munson was a 7-time All-Star, an MVP, a Rookie of the Year, and a 3-time Gold Glove. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 8,466.
- 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
- 5'11" / 190 lb
- Died
- 8/2/1979 in Summit County, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1969-08-08
- Last Game
- 1979-08-01
- Awards
- 7× All-Star · MVP · Rookie of the Year · 3× Gold Glove
Full name: Thurman Lee Munson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,423 | 5,344 | 696 | 1,558 | 229 | 32 | 113 | 701 | 48 | 438 | 571 | .292 | .346 | .410 | .756 | 8,466 |
Career AVG .292 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — +14.0% above league average.
Career OBP .346 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — +7.2% above league average.
Career SLG .410 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — +8.9% above league average.
Career OPS .756 vs. league average .699 across their career seasons — +8.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | NYA | AL | 26 | 86 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 10 | .256 | .248 (+3%) | .320 (+3%) | .369 (-6%) | .689 (-2%) | -18.6 |
| 1970 | NYA | AL | 132 | 453 | 59 | 137 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 53 | 5 | 57 | 56 | .302 | .253 (+19%) | .325 (+18%) | .385 (+8%) | .711 (+13%) | 1292.9 |
| 1971 | NYA | AL | 125 | 451 | 71 | 113 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 42 | 6 | 52 | 65 | .251 | .249 (avg) | .316 (+6%) | .365 (+1%) | .682 (+3%) | 366.8 |
| 1972 | NYA | AL | 140 | 511 | 54 | 143 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 46 | 6 | 47 | 58 | .280 | .243 (+15%) | .310 (+10%) | .353 (+3%) | .664 (+6%) | 697.0 |
| 1973 | NYA | AL | 147 | 519 | 80 | 156 | 29 | 4 | 20 | 74 | 4 | 48 | 64 | .301 | .256 (+17%) | .325 (+11%) | .378 (+29%) | .703 (+21%) | 2044.8 |
| 1974 | NYA | AL | 144 | 517 | 64 | 135 | 19 | 2 | 13 | 60 | 2 | 44 | 66 | .261 | .256 (+2%) | .324 (-3%) | .369 (+3%) | .693 (avg) | -39.3 |
| 1975 | NYA | AL | 157 | 597 | 83 | 190 | 24 | 3 | 12 | 102 | 3 | 45 | 52 | .318 | .257 (+24%) | .327 (+12%) | .374 (+15%) | .701 (+13%) | 1553.4 |
| 1976 | NYA | AL | 152 | 616 | 79 | 186 | 27 | 1 | 17 | 105 | 14 | 29 | 38 | .302 | .255 (+18%) | .320 (+5%) | .360 (+20%) | .681 (+13%) | 1366.0 |
| 1977 | NYA | AL | 149 | 595 | 85 | 183 | 28 | 5 | 18 | 100 | 5 | 39 | 55 | .308 | .264 (+16%) | .329 (+7%) | .401 (+15%) | .730 (+11%) | 1321.1 |
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 154 | 617 | 73 | 183 | 27 | 1 | 6 | 71 | 2 | 35 | 70 | .297 | .257 (+15%) | .323 (+3%) | .378 (-2%) | .702 (avg) | -14.7 |
| 1979 | NYA | AL | 97 | 382 | 42 | 110 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 39 | 1 | 32 | 37 | .288 | .265 (+8%) | .329 (+3%) | .397 (-6%) | .727 (-2%) | -103.1 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 1,423 | 5,344 | 696 | 1,558 | 229 | 32 | 113 | 701 | 48 | 438 | 571 | .292 | — | — | — | — | 8,466 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 129 | 19 | 46 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 5 | 19 | .357 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | ALCS | NYA | 4 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .278 |
| 1978 | WS | NYA | 6 | 25 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | .320 |
| 1977 | ALCS | NYA | 5 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | .286 |
| 1977 | WS | NYA | 6 | 25 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | .320 |
| 1976 | ALCS | NYA | 5 | 23 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .435 |
| 1976 | WS | NYA | 4 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .529 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1422 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 708 | 2541 | 338 | 751 | 42 | 312 | .296 |
| Away | 714 | 2798 | 358 | 806 | 71 | 388 | .288 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-08-01 | NYY | CHW | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1979-07-31 | NYY | CHW | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-30 | NYY | CHW | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-29 | NYY | MIL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-27 | NYY | MIL | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-24 | NYY | LAA | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1979-07-23 | NYY | SEA | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979-07-22 | NYY | SEA | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979-07-21 | NYY | OAK | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-07-20 | NYY | OAK | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 5 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 1278 | 1265 | 6253 | 742 | 127 | 82 |
| OF | 27 | 24 | 46 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | NYA | C | 25 | 24 | 119 | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| 1970 | NYA | C | 125 | 119 | 631 | 80 | 8 | 11 |
| 1971 | NYA | C | 117 | 114 | 547 | 67 | 1 | 4 |
| 1971 | NYA | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | NYA | C | 132 | 132 | 575 | 71 | 15 | 11 |
| 1973 | NYA | C | 142 | 142 | 673 | 80 | 12 | 11 |
| 1974 | NYA | C | 137 | 137 | 743 | 75 | 22 | 10 |
| 1975 | NYA | 1B | 2 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1975 | NYA | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | NYA | C | 130 | 129 | 700 | 95 | 23 | 14 |
| 1975 | NYA | OF | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | NYA | C | 121 | 118 | 537 | 78 | 12 | 8 |
| 1976 | NYA | OF | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1977 | NYA | C | 136 | 136 | 657 | 73 | 12 | 4 |
| 1978 | NYA | C | 125 | 126 | 666 | 61 | 10 | 4 |
| 1978 | NYA | OF | 13 | 13 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | NYA | 1B | 3 | 3 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1979 | NYA | C | 88 | 88 | 405 | 44 | 10 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1277 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 24 |
| Designated Hitter | 77 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1976 | Player of the Week | Week of 1976-07-23 |
| 1976 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1976 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1975 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-05-01 |
| 1975 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1974 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1974 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1973 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1973 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1970 | Rookie of the Year |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State University | Kent | OH | 1967, 1968 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 22th | 9.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 7th | 70.0 | 392 | 1 |
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 1st | 304.0 | 336 | 18 |
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 7th | 69.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 26th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 43.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1970 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 15.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1970 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 1st | 23.0 | 24 | 23 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Thurman Munson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson: the record in brief
According to the bio, Thurman Munson debuted on August 8, 1969 and played a final game on August 1, 1979. Munson spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the New York Yankees. The bio lists Munson as a catcher who threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5'11" and 190 pounds. The birth record reads June 7, 1947, in Akron, OH, USA. The bio records the death on August 2, 1979, in Summit County, OH, USA. Thurman Munson was the playing name; the full given name is Thurman Lee.
In 1,423 games and 5,344 at bats, Munson batted .292 with 1,558 hits, adding 113 homers, 701 runs batted in, and 48 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .346 and the slugging percentage .410, for an OPS of .756. Measured against the leagues Munson played in, the .292 career average compares with a .256 league average over the same seasons, 14.0% above the league. In OPS terms, Munson's .756 stands 8.1% above the league's .699.
Frequently Asked Questions about Thurman Munson
- What years did Thurman Munson play?
- Thurman Munson played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1979.
- Was Thurman Munson a pitcher?
- No. Thurman Munson was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Thurman Munson hit?
- Thurman Munson hit 113 career home runs with 1558 hits.
- What was Thurman Munson's career batting average?
- Thurman Munson batted .292 over his career, with 1,558 hits in 5,344 at bats.
- How many RBI did Thurman Munson have?
- Thurman Munson drove in 701 runs in his career.
- Did Thurman Munson win an MVP?
- Yes. Thurman Munson won the Most Valuable Player award 1 time.