Billy O'Dell

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1954-1967)

Billy O'Dell was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1967 for 5 teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, a span of 14 seasons. Across 479 career appearances, he went 105-100 with a 3.29 ERA, 1,133 strikeouts, and 48 saves. He also batted .125 with 2 home runs. Billy O'Dell was a 2-time All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 23766.4.

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

W–L 105–100
ERA 3.29
WHIP 1.24
SO 1,133
Pitcher PIV 23766.4
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
B / L
Height / Weight
5'11" / 170 lb
Born
2/10/1933 in Whitmire, SC, USA
Died
9/12/2018 in Newberry, SC, USA
MLB Debut
1954-06-20
Last Game
1967-09-12
Awards
2× All-Star

Full name: William Oliver O'Dell

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Career Pitching Statistics

Billy O'Dell — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
105 100 479 199 63 13 48 1817.0 1,697 665 137 556 1,133 3.29 23766.4

Career ERA 3.29 vs. league average 3.72 across their career seasons — 11.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Billy O'Dell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1954 BAL AL 1 1 7 2 1 0 0 16.1 15 5 5 6 2.76 3.90 (+29%) 539.1
1956 BAL AL 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 8.0 6 1 6 6 1.12 — 0.0
1957 BAL AL 4 10 35 15 2 1 4 140.1 107 42 39 97 2.69 3.83 (+30%) 2554.4
1958 BAL AL 14 11 41 25 12 3 8 221.1 201 73 51 137 2.97 3.86 (+23%) 6459.8
1959 BAL AL 10 12 38 24 6 2 1 199.1 163 65 67 88 2.93 3.90 (+25%) 242.2
1960 SFN NL 8 13 43 24 6 1 2 202.2 198 72 72 145 3.20 3.82 (+16%) 3170.1
1961 SFN NL 7 5 46 14 4 1 2 130.1 132 52 33 110 3.59 4.03 (+11%) 4551.2
1962 SFN NL 19 14 43 39 20 2 0 280.2 282 110 66 195 3.53 3.96 (+11%) 8265.1
1963 SFN NL 14 10 36 33 10 3 1 222.1 218 78 70 116 3.16 3.46 (+9%) 963.9
1964 SFN NL 8 7 36 8 1 0 2 85.0 82 51 35 54 5.40 3.58 (-51%) -1401.9
1965 ML1 NL 10 6 62 1 0 0 18 111.1 87 27 30 78 2.18 3.50 (+38%) 1004.7
1966 ATL NL 2 3 24 0 0 0 6 41.1 44 11 18 20 2.40 3.52 (+32%) -476.8
1966 PIT NL 3 2 37 2 0 0 4 71.1 74 22 23 47 2.78 3.52 (+21%) 1088.4
1967 PIT NL 5 6 27 11 1 0 0 86.2 88 56 41 34 5.82 3.30 (-76%) -3193.8
Career · 14 seasons 105 100 479 199 63 13 48 1,817.0 1,697 665 556 1,133 3.29 — 23,766

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

Billy O'Dell — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
530 528 43 66 6 0 2 19 5 38 171 .125 .183 .148 .331 -2,677

Career AVG .125 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 50.6% below league average.

Career OBP .183 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 42.6% below league average.

Career SLG .148 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 61.5% below league average.

Career OPS .331 vs. league average .703 across their career seasons — 52.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Billy O'Dell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1954 BAL AL 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
1956 BAL AL 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1957 BAL AL 37 34 3 5 0 0 0 1 0 1 8 .147 — — — — 0.0
1958 BAL AL 42 72 5 8 2 0 1 1 2 6 27 .111 .257 (-57%) .324 (-45%) .394 (-54%) .719 (-50%) -574.4
1959 BAL AL 43 60 5 5 0 0 1 2 1 4 18 .083 .256 (-68%) .323 (-57%) .392 (-66%) .715 (-62%) -587.2
1960 SFN NL 49 56 8 6 0 0 0 0 1 11 19 .107 .255 (-58%) .323 (-22%) .387 (-72%) .711 (-49%) -403.2
1961 SFN NL 49 39 1 4 0 0 0 2 0 1 10 .103 — — — — 0.0
1962 SFN NL 49 90 7 12 0 0 0 6 1 6 29 .133 .257 (-48%) .326 (-42%) .393 (-66%) .719 (-55%) -780.4
1963 SFN NL 47 78 6 16 3 0 0 3 0 4 23 .205 .246 (-17%) .308 (-21%) .371 (-34%) .680 (-28%) -331.3
1964 SFN NL 50 22 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 .000 — — — — 0.0
1965 ML1 NL 62 23 1 4 1 0 0 2 0 1 11 .174 — — — — 0.0
1966 ATL NL 26 8 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 .250 — — — — 0.0
1966 PIT NL 37 16 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 .062 — — — — 0.0
1967 PIT NL 28 26 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 .115 — — — — 0.0
Career · 14 seasons 530 528 43 66 6 0 2 19 5 38 171 .125 — — — — -2,677

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

Billy O'Dell — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333

Playoff Batting by Year

Billy O'Dell — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1962 WS SFN 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333

Playoff Career Pitching

Billy O'Dell — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 1 3 1 1 12.1 12 6 3 9 4.38

Playoff Pitching by Year

Billy O'Dell — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1962 WS SFN 0 1 3 1 1 12.1 12 6 3 9 4.38

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1007 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Billy O'Dell — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home2652661935112.132
Away264262243117.118

Pitching — Home / Away

Billy O'Dell — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home236956.08503022525992.84
Away242861.08453603035353.76

Last 10 Games — Batting

Billy O'Dell — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1967-09-12 PITCINL 000000000
1967-09-10 PITSTLW 000000000
1967-09-09 PITSTLL 000000000
1967-08-25 PITPHIL 000000000
1967-08-22 PITCHCL 000000000
1967-08-13 PITNYNL 000000000
1967-08-12 PITNYNL 000000000
1967-08-02 PITSFGL 000000000
1967-07-28 PITHOUL 100000000
1967-07-25 PITLADL 000000000

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Billy O'Dell — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1967-09-12 PITCIN — 1.2655210
1967-09-10 PITSTL — 0.1200000
1967-09-09 PITSTL — 0.1000010
1967-08-25 PITPHI — 0.2311001
1967-08-22 PITCHC — 2.0000210
1967-08-12 PITNYN — 1.0100000
1967-08-02 PITSFG — 1.0000010
1967-07-28 PITHOU — 5.0553320
1967-07-25 PITLAD — 1.1000100
1967-07-23 PITHOU — 2.0422101

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Billy O'Dell — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
P 479 199 88 252 13 11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Billy O'Dell — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1954 BAL P 7 2 0 5 0 0
1956 BAL P 4 1 0 0 0 0
1957 BAL P 35 15 5 14 2 1
1958 BAL P 41 25 12 32 0 2
1959 BAL P 38 24 7 44 3 3
1960 SFN P 43 24 9 29 1 0
1961 SFN P 46 14 8 17 0 1
1962 SFN P 43 39 15 39 5 0
1963 SFN P 36 33 5 27 1 0
1964 SFN P 36 8 5 10 1 0
1965 ML1 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1965 ML1 P 62 1 12 13 0 1
1966 ATL P 24 0 1 5 0 1
1966 PIT P 37 2 6 5 0 1
1967 PIT P 27 11 3 12 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Billy O'Dell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 479
First Base 1

College History

Billy O'Dell — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Clemson University Clemson SC 1952, 1953, 1954

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Billy O'Dell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Ken Forsch
    114-113, 3.37 ERA
  2. 80
    Don Robinson
    109-106, 3.79 ERA
  3. 77
    Johnny Sain
    139-116, 3.49 ERA
  4. 73
    Stan Williams
    109-94, 3.48 ERA
  5. 65
    Gary Bell
    121-117, 3.68 ERA
  6. 64
    Mudcat Grant
    145-119, 3.63 ERA

Compare Billy O'Dell

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against O'Dell's closest peers by position and era.

vs Juan Marichal
vs Willie McCovey
vs Hoyt Wilhelm
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vs Lindy McDaniel
vs Bobby Shantz

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Billy O'Dell: the record in brief

Between the debut on June 20, 1954 and the final game on September 12, 1967, Billy O'Dell built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Baltimore Orioles (1954 to 1959), the San Francisco Giants (1960 to 1964), the Milwaukee Braves (1965), the Atlanta Braves (1966), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1966 through 1967). O'Dell played primarily as a pitcher and batted from both sides and threw left-handed. Born on February 10, 1933, in Whitmire, SC, USA, O'Dell was listed at 5 feet, 11 inches and 170 pounds. O'Dell's death is recorded on September 12, 2018, in Newberry, SC, USA. The given name on file is William Oliver O'Dell.

Across 479 games (199 starts), O'Dell recorded 105 wins against 100 losses with a 3.29 ERA. Also on O'Dell's record: 1,133 strikeouts, 63 complete games, 13 shutouts, and 48 saves. The leagues O'Dell pitched in allowed 3.72 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 11.4% better than average.

Frequently Asked Questions about Billy O'Dell

What years did Billy O'Dell play?
Billy O'Dell played in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1967.
Was Billy O'Dell a pitcher?
Yes. Billy O'Dell pitched in the major leagues, recording 105 wins and 1133 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Billy O'Dell hit?
Billy O'Dell hit 2 career home runs with 66 hits.
What teams did Billy O'Dell play for?
Billy O'Dell played for 4 teams: the Baltimore Orioles (1954, 1956–1959), the San Francisco Giants (1960–1964), the Atlanta Braves (1965–1966), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1966–1967).
Did Billy O'Dell win a Cy Young Award?
No. Billy O'Dell did not win the Cy Young Award.
What awards did Billy O'Dell win?
Billy O'Dell was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
What were Billy O'Dell's career stats?
In 479 games, Billy O'Dell went 105-100 with a 3.29 ERA, 1,133 strikeouts, 1,817.0 innings pitched, and 48 saves. At the plate he had 66 hits and 2 home runs.
What position did Billy O'Dell play?
Billy O'Dell played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Billy O'Dell and how much did he weigh?
Billy O'Dell was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
What was Billy O'Dell's career ERA?
Billy O'Dell finished with a 3.29 career ERA, going 105-100 with 1,133 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Billy O'Dell have?
Billy O'Dell recorded 1,133 career strikeouts.
Is Billy O'Dell in the Hall of Fame?
No. Billy O'Dell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Billy O'Dell make?
Billy O'Dell was selected to 2 All-Star Games.