Johnny Pesky
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1942-1954)
Johnny Pesky was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1954 for the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers, and the Washington Senators, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,270 career games, he hit .307 with 1,455 hits, 17 home runs, and 404 RBI. Johnny Pesky was an All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 11,473.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 168 lb
- Died
- 8/13/2012 in Danvers, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1942-04-14
- Last Game
- 1954-09-24
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: John Michael Pesky
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,270 | 4,745 | 867 | 1,455 | 226 | 50 | 17 | 404 | 53 | 662 | 218 | .307 | .394 | .386 | .780 | 11,473 |
Career AVG .307 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +17.8% above league average.
Career OBP .394 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +17.7% above league average.
Career SLG .386 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .780 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — +9.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | BOS | AL | 147 | 620 | 105 | 205 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 51 | 12 | 42 | 36 | .331 | .253 (+30%) | .323 (+16%) | .349 (+19%) | .672 (+18%) | 2000.9 |
| 1946 | BOS | AL | 153 | 621 | 115 | 208 | 43 | 4 | 2 | 55 | 9 | 65 | 29 | .335 | .256 (+30%) | .328 (+22%) | .358 (+19%) | .687 (+20%) | 2614.6 |
| 1947 | BOS | AL | 155 | 638 | 106 | 207 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 39 | 12 | 72 | 22 | .324 | .262 (+24%) | .336 (+17%) | .376 (+4%) | .712 (+10%) | 1490.5 |
| 1948 | BOS | AL | 143 | 565 | 124 | 159 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 55 | 3 | 99 | 32 | .281 | .263 (+7%) | .340 (+16%) | .379 (-4%) | .719 (+5%) | 1038.6 |
| 1949 | BOS | AL | 148 | 604 | 111 | 185 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 69 | 8 | 100 | 19 | .306 | .262 (+17%) | .343 (+19%) | .384 (avg) | .727 (+9%) | 1502.0 |
| 1950 | BOS | AL | 127 | 490 | 112 | 153 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 49 | 2 | 104 | 31 | .312 | .265 (+17%) | .346 (+26%) | .401 (-3%) | .747 (+10%) | 1600.9 |
| 1951 | BOS | AL | 131 | 480 | 93 | 150 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 41 | 2 | 84 | 15 | .312 | .260 (+20%) | .336 (+24%) | .385 (+3%) | .721 (+13%) | 1609.3 |
| 1952 | BOS | AL | 25 | 67 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | .149 | .252 (-41%) | .326 (-4%) | .369 (-52%) | .696 (-29%) | -251.4 |
| 1952 | DET | AL | 69 | 177 | 26 | 45 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 41 | 11 | .254 | .252 (+1%) | .326 (+21%) | .369 (-21%) | .696 (-1%) | -251.4 |
| 1953 | DET | AL | 103 | 308 | 43 | 90 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 3 | 27 | 10 | .292 | .264 (+11%) | .335 (+5%) | .397 (-2%) | .733 (+1%) | 89.3 |
| 1954 | DET | AL | 20 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1954 | WS1 | AL | 49 | 158 | 17 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 7 | .253 | .261 (-3%) | .333 (-11%) | .390 (-19%) | .723 (-15%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 1,270 | 4,745 | 867 | 1,455 | 226 | 50 | 17 | 404 | 53 | 662 | 218 | .307 | — | — | — | — | 11,443 | ||
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 (1269 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 637 | 2368 | 481 | 755 | 10 | 236 | .319 |
| Away | 632 | 2373 | 384 | 699 | 7 | 168 | .295 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954-09-24 | MIN | BOS | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-09-18 | MIN | BOS | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1954-08-30 | MIN | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-08-29 | MIN | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-08-29 | MIN | BAL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-08-22 | MIN | PHA | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-08-18 | MIN | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-08-17 | MIN | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-08-14 | MIN | PHA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-08-11 | MIN | BOS | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 137 | 35 | 290 | 321 | 9 | 86 |
| 3B | 460 | 0 | 522 | 983 | 58 | 121 |
| SS | 591 | 0 | 1175 | 1810 | 111 | 387 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | BOS | SS | 147 | 0 | 320 | 465 | 37 | 94 |
| 1946 | BOS | SS | 153 | 0 | 296 | 479 | 25 | 96 |
| 1947 | BOS | 3B | 22 | 0 | 25 | 38 | 1 | 7 |
| 1947 | BOS | SS | 133 | 0 | 251 | 391 | 16 | 90 |
| 1948 | BOS | 3B | 141 | 0 | 121 | 303 | 22 | 35 |
| 1949 | BOS | 3B | 148 | 0 | 184 | 333 | 16 | 48 |
| 1950 | BOS | 3B | 116 | 0 | 160 | 257 | 11 | 29 |
| 1950 | BOS | SS | 8 | 0 | 23 | 32 | 2 | 7 |
| 1951 | BOS | 2B | 5 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| 1951 | BOS | 3B | 11 | 0 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 2 |
| 1951 | BOS | SS | 106 | 0 | 204 | 340 | 22 | 74 |
| 1952 | BOS | 3B | 19 | 0 | 16 | 28 | 4 | 0 |
| 1952 | BOS | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1952 | DET | 2B | 22 | 0 | 27 | 36 | 2 | 12 |
| 1952 | DET | 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | DET | SS | 41 | 0 | 78 | 101 | 9 | 25 |
| 1953 | DET | 2B | 73 | 0 | 166 | 183 | 3 | 49 |
| 1954 | WS1 | 2B | 37 | 35 | 92 | 91 | 4 | 22 |
| 1954 | WS1 | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 140 |
| Third Base | 459 |
| Shortstop | 589 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | TSN All-Star | SS |
| 1942 | TSN All-Star | SS |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 26th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1947 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 18th | 11.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1946 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 4th | 141.0 | 336 | 2 |
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 143.0 | 336 | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Johnny Pesky (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Johnny Pesky: the record in brief
Johnny Pesky's major league career runs from a debut on April 14, 1942 to a final game on September 24, 1954. The team column moves through the Boston Red Sox (1942 to 1952), the Detroit Tigers (1952 through 1954), and the Washington Senators (1954). Pesky is listed as a shortstop at 168 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. The bio says Pesky hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Pesky was born on February 27, 1919, in Portland, OR, USA. Pesky died on August 13, 2012, in Danvers, MA, USA. The given name on file is John Michael Pesky.
Pesky's career batting table shows 1,270 games, 4,745 at bats and 1,455 hits, a .307 average, adding 17 homers, 404 RBI, and 53 stolen bases. Pesky got on base at a .394 rate and slugged .386 (.780 OPS). Set against a .260 league average for the same years, Pesky's .307 average sits 17.8% above it. 1946 produced Pesky's most hits, 208 of them for the Boston Red Sox.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny Pesky
- What years did Johnny Pesky play?
- Johnny Pesky played in Major League Baseball from 1942 to 1954.
- Was Johnny Pesky a pitcher?
- No. Johnny Pesky was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Johnny Pesky hit?
- Johnny Pesky hit 17 career home runs with 1,455 hits.
- What teams did Johnny Pesky play for?
- Johnny Pesky played for 3 teams: the Boston Red Sox (1942, 1946–1952), the Detroit Tigers (1952–1954), and the Washington Senators (1954).
- Did Johnny Pesky win an MVP award?
- No. Johnny Pesky did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Johnny Pesky win?
- Johnny Pesky was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Johnny Pesky's career stats?
- In 1,270 games, Johnny Pesky had 1,455 hits, 17 home runs, 404 RBI, 867 runs, and 53 stolen bases, with a .307 batting average.
- What position did Johnny Pesky play?
- Johnny Pesky played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Johnny Pesky and how much did he weigh?
- Johnny Pesky was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 168 pounds.
- How many home runs did Johnny Pesky hit each season?
- Johnny Pesky's home runs by season: 2 in 1942, 2 in 1946, 0 in 1947, 3 in 1948, 2 in 1949, 1 in 1950, 3 in 1951, 1 in 1952, 2 in 1953, and 1 in 1954. His most in one season was 3, in 1948 and 1951.
- What was Johnny Pesky's career batting average?
- Johnny Pesky batted .307 over his career, with 1,455 hits in 4,745 at bats.
- How many RBI did Johnny Pesky have?
- Johnny Pesky drove in 404 runs in his career.
- Is Johnny Pesky in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Johnny Pesky has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Johnny Pesky make?
- Johnny Pesky was selected to 1 All-Star Game.