Marv Olson
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1931-1933)
Marv Olson was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1933 for the Boston Red Sox, a span of 3 seasons. In 133 career games, he hit .241 with 110 hits and 30 RBI.
- 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 160 lb
- Died
- 2/5/1998 in Tyndall, SD, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1931-09-13
- Last Game
- 1933-04-30
Full name: Marvin Clement Olson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | 457 | 67 | 110 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 70 | 30 | .241 | .342 | .300 | .641 | -659 |
Career AVG .241 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — 12.1% below league average.
Career OBP .342 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .300 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 22.3% below league average.
Career OPS .641 vs. league average .721 across their career seasons — 11.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | BOS | AL | 15 | 53 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 3 | .189 | .276 (-32%) | .338 (-9%) | .388 (-47%) | .726 (-29%) | -221.2 |
| 1932 | BOS | AL | 115 | 403 | 58 | 100 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 61 | 26 | .248 | .275 (-10%) | .335 (+3%) | .391 (-20%) | .726 (-9%) | -437.8 |
| 1933 | BOS | AL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 133 | 457 | 67 | 110 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 70 | 30 | .241 | — | — | — | — | -659 | ||
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 (133 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 74 | 245 | 47 | 67 | 0 | 21 | .273 |
| Away | 59 | 213 | 20 | 43 | 0 | 9 | .202 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933-04-30 | BOS | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1933-04-27 | BOS | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1933-04-23 | BOS | PHA | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932-09-24 | BOS | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932-09-22 | BOS | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932-09-21 | BOS | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932-09-21 | BOS | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1932-09-20 | BOS | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932-09-16 | BOS | CLE | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1932-09-15 | BOS | CLE | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 122 |
| Third Base | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luther College | Decorah | IA | 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 |
Marv Olson: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 13, 1931 and the final game on April 30, 1933, Marv Olson built the record summarized on this page. Olson spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the Boston Red Sox. Olson, born on May 28, 1907, in Gayville, SD, USA, is listed as a second baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds. The bio records the death on February 5, 1998, in Tyndall, SD, USA. On the record, Marv Olson was born Marvin Clement Olson.
In 133 games and 457 at bats, Olson batted .241 with 110 hits, along with 30 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .342 and .300 give Olson a career OPS of .641. Over the seasons Olson played, league hitters batted .274; the .241 career figure is 12.1% below that. In OPS terms, Olson's .641 stands 11.0% below the league's .721. Olson collected a career-high 100 hits in 1932. Olson drove in a season-high 25 runs in 1932. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .248 in 1932, did not top the league's .275.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marv Olson
- What years did Marv Olson play?
- Marv Olson played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1933.
- Was Marv Olson a pitcher?
- No. Marv Olson was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Marv Olson hit?
- Marv Olson hit 0 career home runs with 110 hits.
- What teams did Marv Olson play for?
- Marv Olson played for one team, the Boston Red Sox (1931–1933).
- What were Marv Olson's career stats?
- In 133 games, Marv Olson had 110 hits, 30 RBI, 67 runs, and 1 stolen bases, with a .241 batting average.
- What position did Marv Olson play?
- Marv Olson played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Marv Olson and how much did he weigh?
- Marv Olson was listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 160 pounds.
- What was Marv Olson's career batting average?
- Marv Olson batted .241 over his career, with 110 hits in 457 at bats.
- How many RBI did Marv Olson have?
- Marv Olson drove in 30 runs in his career.
- Is Marv Olson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Marv Olson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.