Jack O'Brien
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1882-1890)
Jack O'Brien was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1890 for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 9 seasons. In 555 career games, he hit .266 with 577 hits, 11 home runs, and 308 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 3,780.
- 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
- 5'10" / 184 lb
- Died
- 11/20/1910 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1882-05-02
- Last Game
- 1890-09-16
Full name: John K. O'Brien
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 555 | 2,169 | 366 | 577 | 106 | 42 | 11 | 308 | 76 | 180 | 31 | .266 | .331 | .369 | .700 | 3,780 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — +5.8% above league average.
Career OBP .331 vs. league average .302 across their career seasons — +9.5% above league average.
Career SLG .369 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — +8.9% above league average.
Career OPS .700 vs. league average .641 across their career seasons — +9.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | PH4 | AA | 62 | 241 | 44 | 73 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 13 | 0 | .303 | .248 (+22%) | .275 (+23%) | .329 (+27%) | .605 (+25%) | 932.5 |
| 1883 | PH4 | AA | 94 | 390 | 74 | 113 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 70 | 0 | 25 | 0 | .290 | .257 (+13%) | .285 (+16%) | .345 (+9%) | .631 (+12%) | 874.1 |
| 1884 | PH4 | AA | 36 | 138 | 25 | 39 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | .283 | .243 (+16%) | .278 (+22%) | .327 (+11%) | .606 (+16%) | 371.1 |
| 1885 | PH4 | AA | 62 | 225 | 35 | 60 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 20 | 0 | .267 | .244 (+9%) | .287 (+18%) | .325 (+5%) | .613 (+11%) | 511.3 |
| 1886 | PH4 | AA | 105 | 423 | 65 | 107 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 56 | 23 | 38 | 0 | .253 | .246 (+3%) | .302 (+7%) | .331 (+4%) | .634 (+6%) | 478.2 |
| 1887 | BR3 | AA | 30 | 123 | 18 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 7 | .228 | .270 (-16%) | .331 (-21%) | .373 (-20%) | .705 (-20%) | -397.2 |
| 1888 | BL2 | AA | 57 | 196 | 25 | 44 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 24 | .224 | .238 (-6%) | .290 (+3%) | .319 (+4%) | .610 (+3%) | 110.0 |
| 1890 | PH4 | AA | 109 | 433 | 80 | 113 | 24 | 14 | 4 | 80 | 31 | 52 | 0 | .261 | .260 (avg) | .336 (+6%) | .351 (+16%) | .687 (+11%) | 900.1 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 555 | 2,169 | 366 | 577 | 106 | 42 | 11 | 308 | 76 | 180 | 31 | .266 | — | — | — | — | 3,780 | ||
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 | 149 | 0 | 1391 | 59 | 39 | 86 |
| 2B | 8 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 6 | 3 |
| 3B | 49 | 0 | 41 | 102 | 36 | 7 |
| C | 275 | 0 | 1342 | 362 | 183 | 25 |
| OF | 72 | 0 | 103 | 20 | 27 | 3 |
| SS | 20 | 0 | 17 | 56 | 20 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | PH4 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1882 | PH4 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1882 | PH4 | C | 45 | 0 | 205 | 66 | 22 | 1 |
| 1882 | PH4 | OF | 18 | 0 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| 1883 | PH4 | 3B | 19 | 0 | 16 | 24 | 16 | 3 |
| 1883 | PH4 | C | 58 | 0 | 301 | 58 | 51 | 3 |
| 1883 | PH4 | OF | 25 | 0 | 54 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| 1883 | PH4 | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1884 | PH4 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1884 | PH4 | C | 30 | 0 | 169 | 43 | 16 | 6 |
| 1884 | PH4 | OF | 5 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1885 | PH4 | 1B | 7 | 0 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 1885 | PH4 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1885 | PH4 | C | 43 | 0 | 193 | 58 | 27 | 3 |
| 1885 | PH4 | OF | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1885 | PH4 | SS | 9 | 0 | 8 | 29 | 8 | 2 |
| 1886 | PH4 | 1B | 24 | 0 | 209 | 4 | 12 | 15 |
| 1886 | PH4 | 2B | 7 | 0 | 14 | 18 | 6 | 3 |
| 1886 | PH4 | 3B | 27 | 0 | 21 | 69 | 20 | 3 |
| 1886 | PH4 | C | 36 | 0 | 172 | 52 | 20 | 3 |
| 1886 | PH4 | OF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1886 | PH4 | SS | 10 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 11 | 2 |
| 1887 | BR3 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1887 | BR3 | C | 25 | 0 | 95 | 40 | 26 | 4 |
| 1887 | BR3 | OF | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1888 | BL2 | 1B | 7 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 1888 | BL2 | C | 37 | 0 | 205 | 43 | 20 | 4 |
| 1888 | BL2 | OF | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1890 | PH4 | 1B | 109 | 0 | 1018 | 52 | 26 | 61 |
| 1890 | PH4 | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1890 | PH4 | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 275 |
| First Base | 149 |
| Second Base | 8 |
| Third Base | 49 |
| Shortstop | 20 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Center Field | 36 |
| Right Field | 31 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jack O'Brien (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jack O'Brien: the record in brief
Jack O'Brien played a first major league game on May 2, 1882 and a last one on September 16, 1890. The season rows list, in order, the Philadelphia Athletics (1882 through 1890), the Brooklyn Grays (1887), and the Baltimore Orioles (1888). Listed as a catcher, O'Brien batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 5'10" and 184 pounds. O'Brien was born on June 12, 1860, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. O'Brien died on November 20, 1910, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. O'Brien's full given name, per the bio, is John K. O'Brien.
In 555 games and 2,169 at bats, O'Brien batted .266 with 577 hits, adding 11 homers, 308 RBI, and 76 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .331 and the slugging percentage .369, for an OPS of .700. O'Brien's .266 average ran 5.8% above the .251 that the league posted over the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .700 to a league .641, 9.2% above average. The hits column peaks at 113, in 1883.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jack O'Brien
- What years did Jack O'Brien play?
- Jack O'Brien played in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1890.
- Was Jack O'Brien a pitcher?
- No. Jack O'Brien was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jack O'Brien hit?
- Jack O'Brien hit 11 career home runs with 577 hits.
- What was Jack O'Brien's career batting average?
- Jack O'Brien batted .266 over his career, with 577 hits in 2,169 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jack O'Brien have?
- Jack O'Brien drove in 308 runs in his career.
- Is Jack O'Brien in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jack O'Brien has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.