Willard Nixon
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1950-1958)
Willard Nixon was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1958 for the Boston Red Sox, a span of 9 seasons. Across 225 career appearances, he went 69-72 with a 4.39 ERA and 616 strikeouts. He also batted .242 with 2 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 6220.6.
- 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 195 lb
- Died
- 12/10/2000 in Rome, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1950-07-07
- Last Game
- 1958-07-04
Full name: Willard Lee Nixon
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | BOS | AL | 8 | 6 | 22 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 101.1 | 126 | 68 | 58 | 57 | 6.04 | 4.36 (-39%) | 251.3 |
| 1951 | BOS | AL | 7 | 4 | 33 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 125.0 | 136 | 68 | 56 | 70 | 4.90 | 4.04 (-21%) | -248.2 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 5 | 4 | 23 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 103.2 | 115 | 56 | 61 | 50 | 4.86 | 3.70 (-31%) | -2874.7 |
| 1953 | BOS | AL | 4 | 8 | 23 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 116.2 | 114 | 51 | 59 | 57 | 3.93 | 4.14 (+5%) | 932.6 |
| 1954 | BOS | AL | 11 | 12 | 31 | 30 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 199.2 | 182 | 90 | 87 | 102 | 4.06 | 3.90 (-4%) | 191.6 |
| 1955 | BOS | AL | 12 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 208.0 | 207 | 94 | 85 | 95 | 4.07 | 4.00 (-2%) | 3530.2 |
| 1956 | BOS | AL | 9 | 8 | 23 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 145.1 | 142 | 68 | 57 | 74 | 4.21 | 3.96 (-6%) | 1749.1 |
| 1957 | BOS | AL | 12 | 13 | 29 | 29 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 191.0 | 207 | 78 | 56 | 96 | 3.68 | 3.83 (+4%) | 3538.0 |
| 1958 | BOS | AL | 1 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43.1 | 48 | 29 | 11 | 15 | 6.02 | 3.86 (-56%) | -849.4 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 69 | 72 | 225 | 177 | 51 | 9 | 3 | 1,234.0 | 1,277 | 602 | 530 | 616 | 4.39 | — | 6,221 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 239 | 459 | 42 | 111 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 0 | 42 | 97 | .242 | .305 | .296 | .601 | -683 |
Career AVG .242 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 6.9% below league average.
Career OBP .305 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.
Career SLG .296 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 24.3% below league average.
Career OPS .601 vs. league average .724 across their career seasons — 16.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | BOS | AL | 22 | 36 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | .139 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1951 | BOS | AL | 34 | 45 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 9 | .289 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 33 | 53 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 8 | .208 | .252 (-18%) | .326 (-19%) | .369 (-29%) | .696 (-24%) | -203.6 |
| 1953 | BOS | AL | 23 | 42 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 9 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1954 | BOS | AL | 31 | 68 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 17 | .265 | .261 (+1%) | .333 (+3%) | .390 (-10%) | .723 (-4%) | -25.4 |
| 1955 | BOS | AL | 31 | 69 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 20 | .261 | .258 (+1%) | .332 (+2%) | .393 (-12%) | .726 (-6%) | -54.2 |
| 1956 | BOS | AL | 23 | 54 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 6 | .204 | .258 (-21%) | .331 (-27%) | .397 (-44%) | .728 (-36%) | -322.0 |
| 1957 | BOS | AL | 32 | 75 | 7 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 16 | .293 | .257 (+14%) | .323 (+7%) | .391 (-22%) | .715 (-9%) | -77.2 |
| 1958 | BOS | AL | 10 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .294 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 239 | 459 | 42 | 111 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 0 | 42 | 97 | .242 | — | — | — | — | -683 | ||
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 (464 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 123 | 219 | 23 | 53 | 0 | 19 | .242 |
| Away | 116 | 240 | 19 | 58 | 2 | 22 | .242 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 118 | 641.1 | 702 | 357 | 277 | 332 | 5.01 |
| Away | 107 | 592.2 | 575 | 247 | 253 | 286 | 3.75 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-07-04 | BOS | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958-06-15 | BOS | KC1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-06-06 | BOS | CHW | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-05-31 | BOS | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958-05-28 | BOS | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958-05-23 | BOS | KC1 | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958-05-11 | BOS | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-04-26 | BOS | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-04-21 | BOS | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958-04-15 | BOS | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-07-04 | BOS | BAL | — | 2.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958-06-15 | BOS | KC1 | L | 0.0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-06-06 | BOS | CHW | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958-05-31 | BOS | NYY | L | 4.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1958-05-28 | BOS | DET | L | 8.1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1958-05-23 | BOS | KC1 | W | 9.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1958-05-11 | BOS | BAL | L | 2.1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1958-04-26 | BOS | MIN | L | 3.0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1958-04-21 | BOS | NYY | L | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1958-04-15 | BOS | NYY | L | 8.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | BOS | P | 22 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| 1951 | BOS | P | 33 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 1 |
| 1952 | BOS | P | 23 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 4 |
| 1953 | BOS | P | 23 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| 1954 | BOS | P | 31 | 30 | 17 | 34 | 1 | 6 |
| 1955 | BOS | P | 31 | 31 | 18 | 43 | 1 | 3 |
| 1956 | BOS | P | 23 | 22 | 7 | 31 | 1 | 4 |
| 1957 | BOS | P | 29 | 29 | 8 | 28 | 0 | 4 |
| 1958 | BOS | P | 10 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 225 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University | Auburn | AL | 1947, 1948 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Willard Nixon (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Willard Nixon: the record in brief
According to the bio, Willard Nixon debuted on July 7, 1950 and played a final game on July 4, 1958. Nixon's only club in the season tables is the Boston Red Sox. Nixon played primarily as a pitcher and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on June 17, 1928, in Taylorsville, GA, USA and a listed size of 195 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame. Nixon's death is recorded on December 10, 2000, in Rome, GA, USA. Nixon's full given name, per the bio, is Willard Lee Nixon.
The pitching table credits Nixon with a 69-72 record and a 4.39 ERA in 225 games. The totals include 616 strikeouts, 51 complete games, and 9 shutouts. The league ERA over Nixon's seasons was 3.98, so the 4.39 figure ran 10.4% worse than average. 1955 brought Nixon a season-high 12 wins. Nixon struck out 102 batters in 1954, a career high.
Frequently Asked Questions about Willard Nixon
- What years did Willard Nixon play?
- Willard Nixon played in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1958.
- Was Willard Nixon a pitcher?
- Yes. Willard Nixon pitched in the major leagues, recording 69 wins and 616 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Willard Nixon hit?
- Willard Nixon hit 2 career home runs with 111 hits.
- What teams did Willard Nixon play for?
- Willard Nixon played for one team, the Boston Red Sox (1950–1958).
- What were Willard Nixon's career stats?
- In 225 games, Willard Nixon went 69-72 with a 4.39 ERA, 616 strikeouts, 1,234.0 innings pitched, and 3 saves. At the plate he had 111 hits and 2 home runs.
- What position did Willard Nixon play?
- Willard Nixon played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Willard Nixon and how much did he weigh?
- Willard Nixon was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 195 pounds.
- What was Willard Nixon's career ERA?
- Willard Nixon finished with a 4.39 career ERA, going 69-72 with 616 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Willard Nixon have?
- Willard Nixon recorded 616 career strikeouts.
- Is Willard Nixon in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Willard Nixon has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.