Merritt Ranew
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1962-1969)
Merritt Ranew was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1969 for 5 teams, including the Houston Astros, a span of 8 seasons. In 269 career games, he hit .247 with 147 hits, 8 home runs, and 54 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
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 170 lb
- Died
- 10/18/2011 in Valdosta, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1962-04-13
- Last Game
- 1969-09-30
Full name: Merritt Thomas Ranew
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 269 | 594 | 68 | 147 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 54 | 3 | 42 | 120 | .247 | .301 | .352 | .653 | -82 |
Career AVG .247 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .301 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .352 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 6.6% below league average.
Career OPS .653 vs. league average .692 across their career seasons — 5.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | HOU | NL | 71 | 218 | 26 | 51 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 24 | 2 | 14 | 43 | .234 | .257 (-9%) | .326 (-12%) | .393 (-1%) | .719 (-6%) | -286.1 |
| 1963 | CHN | NL | 78 | 154 | 18 | 52 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 32 | .338 | .246 (+37%) | .308 (+23%) | .371 (+24%) | .680 (+23%) | 622.5 |
| 1964 | CHN | NL | 16 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .091 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1964 | ML1 | NL | 9 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .118 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1965 | CAL | AL | 41 | 91 | 12 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 22 | .209 | .245 (-15%) | .310 (-16%) | .371 (-23%) | .682 (-20%) | -292.8 |
| 1969 | SE1 | AL | 54 | 81 | 11 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 14 | .247 | .248 (-1%) | .320 (+3%) | .369 (-26%) | .689 (-13%) | -125.2 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 269 | 594 | 68 | 147 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 54 | 3 | 42 | 120 | .247 | — | — | — | — | -82 | ||
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 (269 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 134 | 267 | 32 | 66 | 3 | 22 | .247 |
| Away | 135 | 327 | 36 | 81 | 5 | 32 | .248 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-09-30 | MIL | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969-09-17 | MIL | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969-09-11 | MIL | OAK | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969-09-04 | MIL | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969-09-02 | MIL | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969-08-31 | MIL | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969-08-30 | MIL | DET | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1969-08-27 | MIL | BAL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1969-08-24 | MIL | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1969-08-22 | MIL | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 144 |
| First Base | 9 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 3 |
Merritt Ranew: the record in brief
April 13, 1962 and September 30, 1969 bracket Merritt Ranew's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Houston Colt .45's (1962), the Chicago Cubs (1963 to 1964), the Milwaukee Braves (1964), the California Angels (1965), and the Seattle Pilots (1969). Ranew, born on May 10, 1938, in Albany, GA, USA, is listed as a catcher and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. Ranew's listed size is 5 feet, 11 inches and 170 pounds. The bio records the death on October 18, 2011, in Valdosta, GA, USA. Ranew's full given name, per the bio, is Merritt Thomas Ranew.
In 269 games and 594 at bats, Ranew batted .247 with 147 hits, along with 8 homers and 54 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .301 clip and slugging .352, Ranew finished with a .653 OPS. Ranew hit .247 while the league hit .250 over the same span, a figure close to average. In OPS terms, Ranew's .653 stands 5.7% below the league's .692. No season topped the 52 hits of 1963.
Frequently Asked Questions about Merritt Ranew
- What years did Merritt Ranew play?
- Merritt Ranew played in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1969.
- Was Merritt Ranew a pitcher?
- No. Merritt Ranew was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Merritt Ranew hit?
- Merritt Ranew hit 8 career home runs with 147 hits.
- What teams did Merritt Ranew play for?
- Merritt Ranew played for 5 teams: the Houston Colt .45's (1962), the Chicago Cubs (1963–1964), the Milwaukee Braves (1964), the California Angels (1965), and the Seattle Pilots (1969).
- What were Merritt Ranew's career stats?
- In 269 games, Merritt Ranew had 147 hits, 8 home runs, 54 RBI, 68 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .247 batting average.
- What position did Merritt Ranew play?
- Merritt Ranew played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Merritt Ranew and how much did he weigh?
- Merritt Ranew was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Merritt Ranew hit each season?
- Merritt Ranew's home runs by season: 4 in 1962, 3 in 1963, 0 in 1964, 1 in 1965, and 0 in 1969. His most in one season was 4, in 1962.
- What was Merritt Ranew's career batting average?
- Merritt Ranew batted .247 over his career, with 147 hits in 594 at bats.
- How many RBI did Merritt Ranew have?
- Merritt Ranew drove in 54 runs in his career.
- Is Merritt Ranew in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Merritt Ranew has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.