Joe Pignatano
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1957-1962)
Joe Pignatano was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1962 for 5 teams, including the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 6 seasons. In 307 career games, he hit .234 with 161 hits, 16 home runs, and 62 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 180 lb
- Died
- 5/23/2022 in Naples, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1957-04-28
- Last Game
- 1962-09-30
Full name: Joseph Benjamin Pignatano
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 307 | 689 | 81 | 161 | 25 | 4 | 16 | 62 | 8 | 94 | 116 | .234 | .332 | .351 | .683 | -327 |
Career AVG .234 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.
Career OBP .332 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .351 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 10.7% below league average.
Career OPS .683 vs. league average .718 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 8 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .214 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1958 | LAN | NL | 63 | 142 | 18 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 4 | 16 | 26 | .218 | .257 (-15%) | .324 (-6%) | .394 (+11%) | .719 (+3%) | 87.7 |
| 1959 | LAN | NL | 52 | 139 | 17 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 21 | 15 | .237 | .256 (-8%) | .323 (+7%) | .392 (-23%) | .715 (-10%) | -129.8 |
| 1960 | LAN | NL | 58 | 90 | 11 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 17 | .233 | .255 (-9%) | .323 (+6%) | .387 (-11%) | .711 (-3%) | -6.9 |
| 1961 | KC1 | AL | 92 | 243 | 31 | 59 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 2 | 36 | 42 | .243 | .258 (-6%) | .328 (+6%) | .399 (-10%) | .727 (-3%) | -39.6 |
| 1962 | SFN | NL | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1962 | NYN | NL | 27 | 56 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | .232 | .257 (-10%) | .326 (-21%) | .393 (-32%) | .719 (-27%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 307 | 689 | 81 | 161 | 25 | 4 | 16 | 62 | 8 | 94 | 116 | .234 | — | — | — | — | -89 | ||
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 (306 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 150 | 325 | 36 | 66 | 8 | 32 | .203 |
| Away | 156 | 363 | 45 | 94 | 8 | 30 | .259 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-09-30 | NYN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-22 | NYN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-21 | NYN | CHC | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-07 | NYN | HOU | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-04 | NYN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962-09-03 | NYN | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-02 | NYN | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-09-01 | NYN | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962-08-28 | NYN | PHI | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1962-08-26 | NYN | LAD | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 267 |
| Third Base | 2 |
Joe Pignatano: the record in brief
The profile opens with Joe Pignatano's first major league game on April 28, 1957; the last one listed came on September 30, 1962. The team column moves through the Brooklyn Dodgers (1957), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958 to 1960), the Kansas City Athletics (1961), the San Francisco Giants (1962), and the New York Mets (1962). Pignatano played primarily as a catcher and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on August 4, 1929, in Brooklyn, NY, USA and a listed size of 5 feet, 10 inches and 180 pounds. Pignatano died on May 23, 2022, in Naples, FL, USA. The bio lists the given name Joseph Benjamin.
The batting record for Pignatano: 307 games, 161 hits in 689 at bats, and a .234 average, plus 16 home runs and 62 RBI. Pignatano got on base at a .332 rate and slugged .351 (.683 OPS). Measured against the leagues Pignatano played in, the .234 career average compares with a .257 league average over the same seasons, 9.2% below the league. The hits column peaks at 59, in 1961. 1961 brought the most runs batted in, 22.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Pignatano
- What years did Joe Pignatano play?
- Joe Pignatano played in Major League Baseball from 1957 to 1962.
- Was Joe Pignatano a pitcher?
- No. Joe Pignatano was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Joe Pignatano hit?
- Joe Pignatano hit 16 career home runs with 161 hits.
- What teams did Joe Pignatano play for?
- Joe Pignatano played for 4 teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (1957–1960), the Kansas City Athletics (1961), the San Francisco Giants (1962), and the New York Mets (1962).
- What were Joe Pignatano's career stats?
- In 307 games, Joe Pignatano had 161 hits, 16 home runs, 62 RBI, 81 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .234 batting average.
- What position did Joe Pignatano play?
- Joe Pignatano played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Pignatano and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Pignatano was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Pignatano hit each season?
- Joe Pignatano's home runs by season: 0 in 1957, 9 in 1958, 1 in 1959, 2 in 1960, 4 in 1961, and 0 in 1962. His most in one season was 9, in 1958.
- What was Joe Pignatano's career batting average?
- Joe Pignatano batted .234 over his career, with 161 hits in 689 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Pignatano have?
- Joe Pignatano drove in 62 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Pignatano in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Pignatano has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.