Muddy Ruel

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1915-1934)

Muddy Ruel was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1934 for 6 teams, including the St. Louis Browns, a span of 20 seasons. In 1,468 career games, he hit .275 with 1,242 hits, 4 home runs, and 534 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

AVG .275
HR 4
RBI 534
H 1,242
OPS .697
PIV -1,204
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'9" / 150 lb
Born
2/20/1896 in St. Louis, MO, USA
Died
11/13/1963 in Palo Alto, CA, USA
MLB Debut
1915-05-29
Last Game
1934-08-25

Full name: Herold Dominic Ruel

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Career Batting Statistics

Muddy Ruel — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,468 4,514 494 1,242 187 29 4 534 61 606 238 .275 .365 .332 .697 -1,204

Career AVG .275 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .365 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — +7.6% above league average.

Career SLG .332 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 13.4% below league average.

Career OPS .697 vs. league average .722 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Muddy Ruel Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1915 SLA AL 10 14 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 5 .000 — — — — 0.0
1917 NYA AL 6 17 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 .118 — — — — 0.0
1918 NYA AL 3 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 .333 — — — — 0.0
1919 NYA AL 79 233 18 56 6 0 0 31 4 34 26 .240 .262 (-8%) .322 (+5%) .347 (-24%) .670 (-10%) -200.5
1920 NYA AL 82 261 30 70 14 1 1 15 4 15 18 .268 .271 (-1%) .331 (-6%) .363 (-6%) .694 (-6%) -271.2
1921 BOS AL 113 358 41 99 21 1 1 45 2 41 15 .277 .286 (-3%) .344 (+2%) .395 (-12%) .739 (-5%) -210.5
1922 BOS AL 116 361 34 92 15 1 0 28 4 41 26 .255 .285 (-11%) .345 (-4%) .397 (-24%) .743 (-15%) -771.0
1923 WS1 AL 136 449 63 142 24 3 0 54 4 55 21 .316 .282 (+12%) .344 (+14%) .390 (-2%) .734 (+6%) 753.9
1924 WS1 AL 149 501 50 142 20 2 0 57 7 62 20 .283 .283 (avg) .345 (+7%) .389 (-15%) .734 (-5%) -145.3
1925 WS1 AL 127 393 55 122 9 2 0 54 4 63 16 .310 .288 (+8%) .349 (+18%) .407 (-16%) .756 (avg) 360.9
1926 WS1 AL 117 368 42 110 22 4 1 53 7 61 14 .299 .279 (+7%) .345 (+16%) .390 (avg) .735 (+7%) 772.5
1927 WS1 AL 131 428 61 132 16 5 1 52 9 63 18 .308 .282 (+9%) .344 (+17%) .392 (-4%) .736 (+6%) 812.3
1928 WS1 AL 108 350 31 90 18 2 0 55 12 44 14 .257 .280 (-8%) .342 (avg) .395 (-19%) .737 (-10%) -490.8
1929 WS1 AL 69 188 16 46 4 2 0 20 0 31 7 .245 .289 (-15%) .353 (-1%) .415 (-31%) .769 (-17%) -452.8
1930 WS1 AL 66 198 18 50 3 4 0 26 1 24 13 .253 .293 (-14%) .354 (-3%) .429 (-28%) .784 (-17%) -518.9
1931 BOS AL 33 83 6 25 5 0 0 6 0 9 6 .301 .276 (+9%) .338 (+9%) .388 (-7%) .726 (+1%) 34.0
1931 DET AL 14 50 1 6 1 0 0 3 0 5 1 .120 .276 (-57%) .338 (-41%) .388 (-64%) .726 (-53%) 34.0
1932 DET AL 51 136 10 32 4 2 0 18 1 17 6 .235 .275 (-14%) .335 (-4%) .391 (-25%) .726 (-15%) -305.0
1933 SLA AL 36 63 13 12 2 0 0 8 0 24 4 .190 .270 (-29%) .329 (+25%) .377 (-41%) .707 (-10%) 40.9
1934 CHA AL 22 57 4 12 3 0 0 7 0 8 5 .211 .278 (-24%) .340 (-10%) .392 (-33%) .733 (-22%) -189.3
Career · 20 seasons 1,468 4,514 494 1,242 187 29 4 534 61 606 238 .275 — — — — -747

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

Muddy Ruel — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
14 40 2 8 2 0 0 1 9 3 .200

Playoff Batting by Year

Muddy Ruel — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1925 WS WS1 7 19 0 6 1 0 0 1 3 2 .316
1924 WS WS1 7 21 2 2 1 0 0 0 6 1 .095

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1468 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Muddy Ruel — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home74622272636651297.299
Away72222842325773239.253

Last 10 Games — Batting

Muddy Ruel — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1934-08-25 CHWBOSW 300000000
1934-08-18 CHWMINL 311000010
1934-06-25 CHWNYYL 100000000
1934-06-02 CHWDETL 100000001
1934-05-30 CHWCLEW 201000100
1934-05-20 CHWBOSL 402000000
1934-05-19 CHWPHAW 411000100
1934-05-18 CHWPHAW 300000110
1934-05-17 CHWPHAW 401000000
1934-05-14 CHWBOSW 300000111

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Muddy Ruel — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 3 0 21 2 1 2
C 1410 0 5347 1136 116 135

Season-by-Season Fielding

Muddy Ruel — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1915 SLA C 6 0 20 3 1 0
1917 NYA C 6 0 23 6 0 0
1918 NYA C 2 0 8 2 0 0
1919 NYA C 79 0 340 90 11 6
1920 NYA C 80 0 317 62 6 2
1921 BOS C 109 0 375 86 11 7
1922 BOS C 112 0 359 96 10 17
1923 WS1 C 133 0 528 146 14 14
1924 WS1 C 147 0 612 112 15 23
1925 WS1 1B 1 0 2 0 0 1
1925 WS1 C 126 0 491 103 11 18
1926 WS1 C 117 0 452 81 6 13
1927 WS1 C 128 0 495 100 7 8
1928 WS1 1B 2 0 19 2 1 1
1928 WS1 C 101 0 397 73 5 5
1929 WS1 C 62 0 247 52 3 6
1930 WS1 C 60 0 243 32 4 5
1931 BOS C 30 0 83 21 6 2
1931 DET C 14 0 60 17 2 2
1932 DET C 49 0 150 25 2 3
1933 SLA C 28 0 72 21 0 3
1934 CHA C 21 0 75 8 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Muddy Ruel Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 1409
First Base 3

Awards & Honors

Muddy Ruel — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1927 Baseball Magazine All-Star C
1926 Baseball Magazine All-Star C
1925 Baseball Magazine All-Star C1

Award Voting History

Muddy Ruel — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1927 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 15.0 64 0
1924 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 7.0 64 0
1923 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 7.0 64 0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Muddy Ruel (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Steve O'Neill
    .263 avg, 13 HR
  2. 83
    Birdie Tebbetts
    .270 avg, 38 HR
  3. 82
    Hank Severeid
    .289 avg, 17 HR
  4. 81
    Mike Scioscia
    .259 avg, 68 HR
  5. 79
    Jimmie Wilson
    .284 avg, 32 HR
  6. 79
    Phil Masi
    .264 avg, 47 HR

Muddy Ruel: the record in brief

Between the debut on May 29, 1915 and the final game on August 25, 1934, Muddy Ruel built the record summarized on this page. By club, Ruel's seasons break down as the St. Louis Browns (1915 to 1933), the New York Yankees (1917 to 1920), the Boston Red Sox (1921 through 1931), the Washington Senators (1923 through 1930), the Detroit Tigers (1931 to 1932), and the Chicago White Sox (1934). Listed as a catcher, Ruel batted and threw right-handed. Ruel is listed at 5 feet, 9 inches and 150 pounds. Ruel was born on February 20, 1896, in St. Louis, MO, USA. Ruel's death is recorded on November 13, 1963, in Palo Alto, CA, USA. The given name on file is Herold Dominic Ruel.

Across 1,468 games at the plate, Ruel's career line reads 1,242 hits in 4,514 at bats for a .275 average, along with 4 home runs, 534 RBI, and 61 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .365 clip and slugging .332, Ruel finished with a .697 OPS. The .275 career average is close to the .277 the league hit across the same seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions about Muddy Ruel

What years did Muddy Ruel play?
Muddy Ruel played in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1934.
Was Muddy Ruel a pitcher?
No. Muddy Ruel was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Muddy Ruel hit?
Muddy Ruel hit 4 career home runs with 1,242 hits.
What teams did Muddy Ruel play for?
Muddy Ruel played for 6 teams: the St. Louis Browns (1915, 1933), the New York Yankees (1917–1920), the Boston Red Sox (1921–1922, 1931), the Washington Senators (1923–1930), the Detroit Tigers (1931–1932), and the Chicago White Sox (1934).
What were Muddy Ruel's career stats?
In 1,468 games, Muddy Ruel had 1,242 hits, 4 home runs, 534 RBI, 494 runs, and 61 stolen bases, with a .275 batting average.
What position did Muddy Ruel play?
Muddy Ruel played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Muddy Ruel and how much did he weigh?
Muddy Ruel was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 150 pounds.
How many home runs did Muddy Ruel hit each season?
Muddy Ruel's home runs by season: 0 in 1915, 0 in 1917, 0 in 1918, 0 in 1919, 1 in 1920, 1 in 1921, 0 in 1922, 0 in 1923, 0 in 1924, 0 in 1925, 1 in 1926, 1 in 1927, 0 in 1928, 0 in 1929, 0 in 1930, 0 in 1931, 0 in 1932, 0 in 1933, and 0 in 1934. His most in one season was 1, in 1920, 1921, 1926, and 1927.
What was Muddy Ruel's career batting average?
Muddy Ruel batted .275 over his career, with 1,242 hits in 4,514 at bats.
How many RBI did Muddy Ruel have?
Muddy Ruel drove in 534 runs in his career.
Is Muddy Ruel in the Hall of Fame?
No. Muddy Ruel has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.