Jesse Petty
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1921-1930)
Jesse Petty was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1921 to 1930 for 4 teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 10 seasons. Across 207 career appearances, he went 67-78 with a 3.68 ERA and 407 strikeouts. He also batted .128 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 4178.6.
- 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
- R / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 195 lb
- Died
- 10/23/1971 in St. Paul, MN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1921-04-14
- Last Game
- 1930-09-28
Full name: Jesse Lee Petty
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 | 4.02 (+50%) | 0.0 |
| 1925 | BRO | NL | 9 | 9 | 28 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 153.0 | 188 | 83 | 47 | 39 | 4.88 | 4.55 (-7%) | -2967.3 |
| 1926 | BRO | NL | 17 | 17 | 38 | 33 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 275.2 | 246 | 87 | 79 | 101 | 2.84 | 4.11 (+31%) | 3312.7 |
| 1927 | BRO | NL | 13 | 18 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 271.2 | 263 | 90 | 53 | 101 | 2.98 | 4.08 (+27%) | 3483.2 |
| 1928 | BRO | NL | 15 | 15 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 234.0 | 264 | 105 | 56 | 74 | 4.04 | 4.13 (+2%) | -642.5 |
| 1929 | PIT | NL | 11 | 10 | 36 | 25 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 184.1 | 197 | 76 | 42 | 58 | 3.71 | 4.60 (+19%) | 1703.9 |
| 1930 | PIT | NL | 1 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 41.1 | 67 | 38 | 13 | 16 | 8.27 | 4.80 (-72%) | -1692.6 |
| 1930 | CHN | NL | 1 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.1 | 51 | 13 | 6 | 18 | 2.97 | 4.80 (+38%) | 981.1 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 67 | 78 | 207 | 154 | 76 | 6 | 4 | 1,208.1 | 1,286 | 494 | 296 | 407 | 3.68 | — | 4,179 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207 | 413 | 23 | 53 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 126 | .128 | .143 | .157 | .300 | -3,834 |
Career AVG .128 vs. league average .286 across their career seasons — 55.1% below league average.
Career OBP .143 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 58.9% below league average.
Career SLG .157 vs. league average .404 across their career seasons — 61.0% below league average.
Career OPS .300 vs. league average .751 across their career seasons — 60.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | CLE | AL | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1925 | BRO | NL | 28 | 50 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | .140 | .288 (-51%) | .349 (-50%) | .407 (-61%) | .756 (-56%) | -467.1 |
| 1926 | BRO | NL | 38 | 97 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 29 | .175 | .279 (-37%) | .345 (-47%) | .390 (-42%) | .735 (-44%) | -714.5 |
| 1927 | BRO | NL | 42 | 91 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 32 | .099 | .282 (-65%) | .344 (-68%) | .392 (-66%) | .736 (-67%) | -1007.4 |
| 1928 | BRO | NL | 40 | 81 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 27 | .111 | .280 (-60%) | .342 (-61%) | .395 (-69%) | .737 (-65%) | -861.1 |
| 1929 | PIT | NL | 36 | 67 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .104 | .289 (-64%) | .353 (-67%) | .415 (-71%) | .769 (-69%) | -784.1 |
| 1930 | PIT | NL | 10 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .083 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1930 | CHN | NL | 9 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .231 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 207 | 413 | 23 | 53 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 126 | .128 | — | — | — | — | -3,834 | ||
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 (414 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 107 | 225 | 16 | 36 | 0 | 15 | .160 |
| Away | 100 | 188 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 9 | .090 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 107 | 680.1 | 718 | 266 | 151 | 247 | 3.52 |
| Away | 100 | 528.0 | 569 | 229 | 146 | 160 | 3.90 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930-09-28 | CHC | CIN | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930-09-20 | CHC | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930-09-16 | CHC | NY1 | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930-09-15 | CHC | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930-09-10 | CHC | BRO | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930-09-06 | CHC | PIT | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930-09-04 | CHC | PIT | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930-08-31 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930-08-27 | CHC | PIT | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1930-06-14 | PIT | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930-09-28 | CHC | CIN | — | 5.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1930-09-20 | CHC | BSN | L | 2.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1930-09-16 | CHC | NY1 | L | 7.0 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1930-09-15 | CHC | PHI | — | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930-09-10 | CHC | BRO | — | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1930-09-06 | CHC | PIT | SV | 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1930-09-04 | CHC | PIT | W | 4.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1930-08-31 | CHC | STL | L | 4.0 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1930-08-27 | CHC | PIT | — | 7.0 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 1930-06-14 | PIT | PHI | L | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 207 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
| 1926 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P4 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 2.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jesse Petty (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jesse Petty: the record in brief
April 14, 1921 and September 28, 1930 bracket Jesse Petty's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Petty played for the Cleveland Indians (1921), the Brooklyn Robins (1925 through 1928), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1929 through 1930), and the Chicago Cubs (1930). At 6 feet, 0 inches and 195 pounds, Petty is listed as a pitcher. The bio says Petty hit right-handed while throwing left-handed. Petty was born on November 23, 1894, in Orr, OK, USA. Petty died on October 23, 1971, in St. Paul, MN, USA. On the record, Jesse Petty was born Jesse Lee Petty.
Across 207 games (154 starts), Petty recorded 67 wins against 78 losses with a 3.68 ERA. The same table counts 407 strikeouts, 76 complete games, and 6 shutouts. Against a 4.32 league ERA for the same years, Petty was 14.9% better. Petty won 17 games in 1926, the most of any season listed. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.84 in 1926, when the league's was 4.11.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jesse Petty
- What years did Jesse Petty play?
- Jesse Petty played in Major League Baseball from 1921 to 1930.
- Was Jesse Petty a pitcher?
- Yes. Jesse Petty pitched in the major leagues, recording 67 wins and 407 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Jesse Petty hit?
- Jesse Petty hit 0 career home runs with 53 hits.
- What teams did Jesse Petty play for?
- Jesse Petty played for 4 teams: the Cleveland Indians (1921), the Brooklyn Robins (1925–1928), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1929–1930), and the Chicago Cubs (1930).
- What were Jesse Petty's career stats?
- In 207 games, Jesse Petty went 67-78 with a 3.68 ERA, 407 strikeouts, 1,208.1 innings pitched, and 4 saves. At the plate he had 53 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did Jesse Petty play?
- Jesse Petty played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jesse Petty and how much did he weigh?
- Jesse Petty was listed at 6 feet and 195 pounds.
- What was Jesse Petty's career ERA?
- Jesse Petty finished with a 3.68 career ERA, going 67-78 with 407 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Jesse Petty have?
- Jesse Petty recorded 407 career strikeouts.
- Is Jesse Petty in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jesse Petty has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.