Jack Pfiester

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1903-1911)

Jack Pfiester was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1911 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 9 seasons. Across 149 career appearances, he went 71-44 with a 2.02 ERA and 503 strikeouts. He also batted .103 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 7177.4.

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 71–44
ERA 2.02
WHIP 1.09
SO 503
Pitcher PIV 7177.4
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / L
Height / Weight
5'11" / 180 lb
Born
5/24/1878 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
Died
9/3/1953 in Loveland, OH, USA
MLB Debut
1903-09-08
Last Game
1911-05-10

Full name: John Albert Pfiester

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Pitching Statistics

Jack Pfiester — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
71 44 149 128 75 17 0 1067.1 869 240 6 293 503 2.02 7177.4

Career ERA 2.02 vs. league average 2.75 across their career seasons — 26.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jack Pfiester Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1903 PIT NL 0 3 3 3 2 0 0 19.0 26 13 10 15 6.16 3.10 (-99%) 18.2
1904 PIT NL 1 1 3 2 1 0 0 20.0 28 16 9 6 7.20 2.66 (-171%) -254.6
1906 CHN NL 20 8 31 29 20 4 0 250.2 173 42 63 153 1.51 2.68 (+44%) 3024.2
1907 CHN NL 14 9 30 22 13 3 0 195.0 143 25 48 90 1.15 2.50 (+54%) 1842.1
1908 CHN NL 12 10 33 29 18 3 0 252.0 204 56 70 117 2.00 2.40 (+17%) 1215.6
1909 CHN NL 17 6 29 25 13 5 0 196.2 179 53 49 73 2.43 2.55 (+5%) 811.7
1910 CHN NL 6 3 14 13 5 2 0 100.1 82 20 26 34 1.79 2.79 (+36%) 788.4
1911 CHN NL 1 4 6 5 3 0 0 33.2 34 15 18 15 4.01 3.37 (-19%) -268.2
Career · 8 seasons 71 44 149 128 75 17 0 1,067.1 869 240 293 503 2.02 — 7,177

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

Jack Pfiester — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
149 349 18 36 3 1 0 14 2 20 137 .103 .154 .117 .272 -2,328

Career AVG .103 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — 58.8% below league average.

Career OBP .154 vs. league average .311 across their career seasons — 50.5% below league average.

Career SLG .117 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 63.8% below league average.

Career OPS .272 vs. league average .635 across their career seasons — 57.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Jack Pfiester — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1903 PIT NL 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
1904 PIT NL 3 7 1 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 2 .286 — — — — 0.0
1906 CHN NL 31 84 5 4 0 0 0 1 0 3 34 .048 .247 (-81%) .307 (-70%) .315 (-85%) .622 (-78%) -907.5
1907 CHN NL 30 64 4 6 1 0 0 1 0 5 26 .094 .245 (-62%) .304 (-48%) .308 (-65%) .613 (-56%) -491.7
1908 CHN NL 33 79 2 8 1 0 0 2 1 3 30 .101 .240 (-58%) .298 (-55%) .306 (-63%) .605 (-59%) -634.5
1909 CHN NL 29 65 5 11 1 0 0 4 1 5 26 .169 .244 (-31%) .306 (-25%) .312 (-41%) .618 (-33%) -294.1
1910 CHN NL 14 33 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 2 12 .091 — — — — 0.0
1911 CHN NL 6 11 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 5 .182 — — — — 0.0
Career · 8 seasons 149 349 18 36 3 1 0 14 2 20 137 .103 — — — — -2,328

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

Jack Pfiester — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Jack Pfiester — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1910 WS CHN 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
1908 WS CHN 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000
1907 WS CHN 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
1906 WS CHN 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Jack Pfiester — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 3 5 3 0 34.0 38 15 8 16 3.97

Playoff Pitching by Year

Jack Pfiester — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1910 WS CHN 0 0 1 0 0 6.2 10 0 1 1 0.00
1908 WS CHN 0 1 1 1 0 8.0 11 7 3 1 7.88
1907 WS CHN 1 0 1 1 0 9.0 10 1 1 3 1.00
1906 WS CHN 0 2 2 1 0 10.1 7 7 3 11 6.10

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (298 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Jack Pfiester — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home8017491506.086
Away6917692109.119

Pitching — Home / Away

Jack Pfiester — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home80561.1467301332870.48
Away69504.1401491592220.87

Last 10 Games — Batting

Jack Pfiester — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1911-05-10 CHCNY1L 101000000
1911-05-06 CHCCINL 000000000
1911-04-27 CHCCINL 401000100
1911-04-24 CHCCINL 300000003
1911-04-20 CHCSTLW 100000000
1911-04-14 CHCSTLL 200000012
1910-10-10 CHCSTLL 100000001
1910-09-22 CHCNY1W 400000003
1910-08-03 CHCNY1W 301000101
1910-07-30 CHCSTLW 300000001

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Jack Pfiester — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1911-05-10 CHCNY1 L 2.1665110
1911-05-06 CHCCIN — 1.2111210
1911-04-27 CHCCIN L 8.0744430
1911-04-24 CHCCIN L 8.0876640
1911-04-20 CHCSTL W 4.2753210
1911-04-14 CHCSTL L 9.0522350
1910-10-10 CHCSTL L 3.0664240
1910-09-22 CHCNY1 W 9.01011310
1910-08-03 CHCNY1 W 9.0700220
1910-07-30 CHCSTL W 9.0411150

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Jack Pfiester — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 149 120 59 278 23 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Jack Pfiester — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1903 PIT P 3 0 2 3 1 0
1904 PIT P 3 2 0 6 0 0
1906 CHN P 31 29 21 62 7 1
1907 CHN P 30 22 8 44 7 0
1908 CHN P 33 29 13 56 2 2
1909 CHN P 29 25 6 69 2 1
1910 CHN P 14 13 8 25 3 0
1911 CHN P 6 0 1 13 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Jack Pfiester — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 149

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Jack Pfiester (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Rube Foster HOF
    49-17, 2.24 ERA
  2. 91
    Ed Summers
    68-45, 2.42 ERA
  3. 88
    Joe Benz
    76-75, 2.43 ERA
  4. 88
    Fred Glade
    52-68, 2.62 ERA
  5. 88
    Nick Maddox
    43-20, 2.29 ERA
  6. 87
    Harry Coveleski
    81-55, 2.39 ERA

Jack Pfiester: the record in brief

According to the bio, Jack Pfiester debuted on September 8, 1903 and played a final game on May 10, 1911. Club by club, the record runs the Pittsburgh Pirates (1903 through 1904) and the Chicago Cubs (1906 through 1911). At 180 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame, Pfiester is listed as a pitcher. Pfiester batted right-handed and threw left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is May 24, 1878, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. The bio records the death on September 3, 1953, in Loveland, OH, USA. Pfiester's full given name, per the bio, is John Albert Pfiester.

Across 149 games (128 starts), Pfiester recorded 71 wins against 44 losses with a 2.02 ERA. Pfiester had 503 strikeouts, 75 complete games, and 17 shutouts. The leagues Pfiester pitched in allowed 2.75 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 26.4% better than average. The best win total was 20, in 1906. 1907 was Pfiester's sharpest full season, a 1.15 ERA against the league's 2.50.

Frequently Asked Questions about Jack Pfiester

What years did Jack Pfiester play?
Jack Pfiester played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1911.
Was Jack Pfiester a pitcher?
Yes. Jack Pfiester pitched in the major leagues, recording 71 wins and 503 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Jack Pfiester hit?
Jack Pfiester hit 0 career home runs with 36 hits.
What teams did Jack Pfiester play for?
Jack Pfiester played for 2 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1903–1904) and the Chicago Cubs (1906–1911).
What were Jack Pfiester's career stats?
In 149 games, Jack Pfiester went 71-44 with a 2.02 ERA, 503 strikeouts, and 1,067.1 innings pitched. At the plate he had 36 hits and 0 home runs.
What position did Jack Pfiester play?
Jack Pfiester played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Jack Pfiester and how much did he weigh?
Jack Pfiester was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
What was Jack Pfiester's career ERA?
Jack Pfiester finished with a 2.02 career ERA, going 71-44 with 503 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Jack Pfiester have?
Jack Pfiester recorded 503 career strikeouts.
Is Jack Pfiester in the Hall of Fame?
No. Jack Pfiester has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.