Jim Rivera
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1952-1961)
Jim Rivera was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1961 for the St. Louis Browns, the Chicago White Sox, and the Kansas City Athletics, a span of 10 seasons. In 1,171 career games, he hit .256 with 911 hits, 83 home runs, and 422 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 734.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 196 lb
- Died
- 11/13/2017 in Fort Wayne, IN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1952-04-15
- Last Game
- 1961-09-30
Full name: Manuel Joseph Rivera
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,171 | 3,552 | 503 | 911 | 155 | 56 | 83 | 422 | 160 | 365 | 523 | .256 | .328 | .402 | .729 | 734 |
Career AVG .256 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .328 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .402 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .729 vs. league average .720 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | SLA | AL | 97 | 336 | 45 | 86 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 8 | 29 | 59 | .256 | .252 (+1%) | .326 (-2%) | .369 (-1%) | .696 (-2%) | -129.1 |
| 1952 | CHA | AL | 53 | 201 | 27 | 50 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 21 | 27 | .249 | .252 (-2%) | .326 (-2%) | .369 (-3%) | .696 (-3%) | -129.1 |
| 1953 | CHA | AL | 156 | 567 | 79 | 147 | 26 | 16 | 11 | 78 | 22 | 53 | 70 | .259 | .264 (-2%) | .335 (-2%) | .397 (+6%) | .733 (+2%) | 105.3 |
| 1954 | CHA | AL | 145 | 490 | 62 | 140 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 61 | 18 | 49 | 68 | .286 | .261 (+9%) | .333 (+7%) | .390 (+10%) | .723 (+9%) | 918.3 |
| 1955 | CHA | AL | 147 | 454 | 71 | 120 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 52 | 25 | 62 | 59 | .264 | .258 (+2%) | .332 (+6%) | .393 (+2%) | .726 (+4%) | 422.4 |
| 1956 | CHA | AL | 139 | 491 | 76 | 125 | 23 | 5 | 12 | 66 | 20 | 49 | 75 | .255 | .258 (-1%) | .331 (-3%) | .397 (-1%) | .728 (-2%) | -176.8 |
| 1957 | CHA | AL | 125 | 402 | 51 | 103 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 52 | 18 | 40 | 80 | .256 | .257 (-1%) | .323 (+1%) | .391 (+13%) | .715 (+7%) | 518.1 |
| 1958 | CHA | AL | 116 | 276 | 37 | 62 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 35 | 21 | 24 | 49 | .225 | .257 (-13%) | .324 (-13%) | .394 (-3%) | .719 (-8%) | -442.7 |
| 1959 | CHA | AL | 80 | 177 | 18 | 39 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 5 | 11 | 19 | .220 | .256 (-14%) | .323 (-18%) | .392 (-2%) | .715 (-9%) | -346.0 |
| 1960 | CHA | AL | 48 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | .294 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1961 | CHA | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1961 | KC1 | AL | 64 | 141 | 20 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 24 | 14 | .241 | .258 (-7%) | .328 (+7%) | .399 (-15%) | .727 (-5%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 1,171 | 3,552 | 503 | 911 | 155 | 56 | 83 | 422 | 160 | 365 | 523 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 741 | ||
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 (1171 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 594 | 1787 | 249 | 451 | 39 | 206 | .252 |
| Away | 577 | 1765 | 254 | 461 | 44 | 215 | .261 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-09-30 | KC1 | TEX | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1961-09-27 | KC1 | DET | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961-09-25 | KC1 | DET | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-09-25 | KC1 | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-09-23 | KC1 | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-09-19 | KC1 | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961-09-15 | KC1 | TEX | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1961-09-14 | KC1 | DET | W | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961-09-13 | KC1 | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1961-09-10 | KC1 | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 31 | 30 | 233 | 8 | 3 | 22 |
| OF | 1038 | 587 | 2065 | 78 | 51 | 24 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | SLA | OF | 88 | 0 | 273 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 1952 | CHA | OF | 53 | 0 | 157 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1953 | CHA | OF | 156 | 0 | 385 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 1954 | CHA | OF | 143 | 131 | 255 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 1955 | CHA | OF | 143 | 115 | 288 | 22 | 6 | 7 |
| 1956 | CHA | OF | 134 | 115 | 271 | 9 | 7 | 4 |
| 1957 | CHA | 1B | 31 | 30 | 233 | 8 | 3 | 22 |
| 1957 | CHA | OF | 86 | 76 | 141 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 1958 | CHA | OF | 99 | 72 | 153 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| 1959 | CHA | OF | 69 | 43 | 75 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 1960 | CHA | OF | 24 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961 | KC1 | OF | 43 | 34 | 51 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 31 |
| Left Field | 97 |
| Center Field | 400 |
| Right Field | 587 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Rivera (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jim Rivera: the record in brief
April 15, 1952 and September 30, 1961 bracket Jim Rivera's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The team column moves through the St. Louis Browns (1952), the Chicago White Sox (1952 through 1961), and the Kansas City Athletics (1961). Born on July 22, 1921, in New York, NY, USA, Rivera is listed as an outfielder and batted and threw left-handed. Size on record: 6'0" and 196 pounds. The bio records the death on November 13, 2017, in Fort Wayne, IN, USA. Rivera's full given name, per the bio, is Manuel Joseph Rivera.
Across 1,171 games at the plate, Rivera's career line reads 911 hits in 3,552 at bats for a .256 average, plus 83 home runs, 422 runs batted in, and 160 stolen bases. Rivera got on base at a .328 rate and slugged .402 (.729 OPS). Against a .258 league average for those years, Rivera's .256 average was near the norm. 1957 was Rivera's biggest home run year, with 14.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Rivera
- What years did Jim Rivera play?
- Jim Rivera played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1961.
- Was Jim Rivera a pitcher?
- No. Jim Rivera was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Jim Rivera hit?
- Jim Rivera hit 83 career home runs with 911 hits.
- What was Jim Rivera's career batting average?
- Jim Rivera batted .256 over his career, with 911 hits in 3,552 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Rivera have?
- Jim Rivera drove in 422 runs in his career.
- Is Jim Rivera in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Rivera has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.