Dutch Ruether

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1917-1927)

Dutch Ruether was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1927 for 5 teams, including the Chicago Cubs, a span of 11 seasons. Across 309 career appearances, he went 137-95 with a 3.50 ERA and 708 strikeouts. He also batted .258 with 7 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 3427.3.

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 137–95
ERA 3.50
WHIP 1.40
SO 708
Pitcher PIV 3427.3
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
L / L
Height / Weight
6'1" / 180 lb
Born
9/13/1893 in Alameda, CA, USA
Died
5/16/1970 in Phoenix, AZ, USA
MLB Debut
1917-04-13
Last Game
1927-09-29

Full name: Walter Henry Ruether

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Career Pitching Statistics

Dutch Ruether — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
137 95 309 272 155 18 8 2124.2 2,244 826 54 739 708 3.50 3427.3

Career ERA 3.50 vs. league average 3.81 across their career seasons — 8.2% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Dutch Ruether Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1917 CHN NL 2 0 10 4 1 0 0 36.1 37 10 12 23 2.48 2.69 (+8%) 399.8
1917 CIN NL 1 2 7 4 1 1 0 35.2 43 14 14 12 3.53 2.69 (-31%) -235.5
1918 CIN NL 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 10.0 10 3 3 10 2.70 2.83 (+5%) 334.8
1919 CIN NL 19 6 33 29 20 3 0 242.2 195 49 83 78 1.82 3.09 (+41%) 359.3
1920 CIN NL 16 12 37 33 23 5 3 265.2 235 73 96 99 2.47 3.45 (+28%) 797.6
1921 BRO NL 10 13 36 27 12 1 2 211.1 247 100 67 78 4.26 4.02 (-6%) 615.8
1922 BRO NL 21 12 35 35 26 2 0 267.1 290 105 92 89 3.53 4.18 (+15%) 110.0
1923 BRO NL 15 14 34 34 20 0 0 275.0 308 129 86 87 4.22 4.03 (-5%) 786.5
1924 BRO NL 8 13 30 21 13 2 3 168.0 190 73 45 63 3.91 4.13 (+5%) 2039.8
1925 WS1 AL 18 7 30 29 16 1 0 223.1 241 96 105 68 3.87 4.55 (+15%) -1397.3
1926 WS1 AL 12 6 23 23 9 0 0 169.1 214 91 66 48 4.84 4.11 (-18%) -82.3
1926 NYA AL 2 3 5 5 1 0 0 36.0 32 14 18 8 3.50 4.11 (+15%) -91.1
1927 NYA AL 13 6 27 26 12 3 0 184.0 202 69 52 45 3.38 4.08 (+17%) -210.2
Career · 13 seasons 137 95 309 272 155 18 8 2,124.2 2,244 826 739 708 3.50 — 3,427

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

Dutch Ruether — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
488 969 83 250 30 12 7 111 3 77 129 .258 .314 .335 .649 -1,193

Career AVG .258 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Career OBP .314 vs. league average .339 across their career seasons — 7.3% below league average.

Career SLG .335 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — 11.4% below league average.

Career OPS .649 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — 9.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Dutch Ruether 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
1917 CHN NL 31 44 3 12 1 3 0 11 0 8 11 .273 — — — — 199.1
1917 CIN NL 19 24 1 5 2 0 0 1 1 3 6 .208 — — — — 199.1
1918 CIN NL 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
1919 CIN NL 42 92 8 24 2 3 0 6 1 4 18 .261 .262 (-1%) .322 (-10%) .347 (avg) .670 (-5%) -94.2
1920 CIN NL 45 104 3 20 4 0 0 10 0 5 24 .192 .271 (-29%) .331 (-31%) .363 (-36%) .694 (-34%) -548.2
1921 BRO NL 49 97 12 34 5 2 2 13 1 4 9 .351 .286 (+22%) .344 (+9%) .395 (+28%) .739 (+19%) 299.6
1922 BRO NL 67 125 12 26 6 1 2 20 0 12 11 .208 .285 (-27%) .345 (-18%) .397 (-19%) .743 (-19%) -395.0
1923 BRO NL 49 117 6 32 1 0 0 10 0 12 12 .274 .282 (-3%) .344 (-1%) .390 (-28%) .734 (-15%) -244.2
1924 BRO NL 34 62 5 15 1 1 0 4 0 5 2 .242 .283 (-15%) .345 (-14%) .389 (-25%) .734 (-20%) -198.3
1925 WS1 AL 55 108 18 36 3 2 1 15 0 10 8 .333 .288 (+16%) .349 (+12%) .407 (+5%) .756 (+8%) 171.3
1926 WS1 AL 47 92 6 23 2 0 1 11 0 6 10 .250 .279 (-11%) .345 (-14%) .390 (-22%) .735 (-18%) -272.0
1926 NYA AL 13 21 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .095 — — — — -272.0
1927 NYA AL 35 80 7 21 3 0 1 10 0 8 15 .263 .282 (-7%) .344 (-4%) .392 (-14%) .736 (-9%) -111.1
Career · 13 seasons 488 969 83 250 30 12 7 111 3 77 129 .258 — — — — -1,266

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

Dutch Ruether — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 11 2 4 1 2 0 4 1 1 .364

Playoff Batting by Year

Dutch Ruether — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1926 WS NYA 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1925 WS WS1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
1919 WS CIN 3 6 2 4 1 2 0 4 1 0 .667

Playoff Career Pitching

Dutch Ruether — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 1 3 3 0 18.1 19 6 6 2 2.95

Playoff Pitching by Year

Dutch Ruether — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1926 WS NYA 0 1 1 1 0 4.1 7 2 2 1 4.15
1919 WS CIN 1 0 2 2 0 14.0 12 4 4 1 2.57

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (798 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Dutch Ruether — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home26849541119153.240
Away22147842131661.274

Pitching — Home / Away

Dutch Ruether — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home1641139.111533953794003.12
Away145986.010904323623153.94

Last 10 Games — Batting

Dutch Ruether — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1927-09-29 NYYMINW 211000000
1927-09-21 NYYDETL 300000010
1927-09-15 NYYCLEL 100000000
1927-09-14 NYYCLEW 310000101
1927-09-06 NYYBOSL 200000010
1927-09-05 NYYBOSL 100000000
1927-08-28 NYYSLAW 200000000
1927-08-21 NYYCLEL 101000000
1927-08-20 NYYCLEL 201000001
1927-08-17 NYYCHWW 101000000

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Dutch Ruether — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1927-09-29 NYYMIN — 3.0722111
1927-09-21 NYYDET L 9.01161510
1927-09-14 NYYCLE W 9.0711120
1927-09-06 NYYBOS L 8.0855210
1927-08-28 NYYSLA — 3.2855111
1927-08-20 NYYCLE — 4.0755210
1927-08-09 NYYPHA L 6.0753330
1927-08-04 NYYDET L 8.11164430
1927-07-30 NYYCLE W 9.0833310
1927-07-26 NYYSLA W 9.0611160

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Dutch Ruether — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 8 0 50 2 0 5
P 309 0 60 494 17 30

Season-by-Season Fielding

Dutch Ruether — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1917 CHN 1B 5 0 41 2 0 2
1917 CHN P 10 0 2 11 0 1
1917 CIN P 7 0 0 10 2 0
1918 CIN P 2 0 0 2 0 0
1919 CIN P 33 0 10 57 2 1
1920 CIN 1B 1 0 5 0 0 0
1920 CIN P 37 0 5 74 4 6
1921 BRO P 36 0 6 51 2 3
1922 BRO P 35 0 9 56 0 6
1923 BRO 1B 1 0 2 0 0 2
1923 BRO P 34 0 7 53 2 5
1924 BRO P 30 0 5 46 1 3
1925 WS1 1B 1 0 2 0 0 1
1925 WS1 P 30 0 5 46 2 1
1926 WS1 P 23 0 2 36 1 2
1926 NYA P 5 0 2 5 1 0
1927 NYA P 27 0 7 47 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Dutch Ruether Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 309
First Base 8

Awards & Honors

Dutch Ruether — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1922 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Dutch Ruether (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Rip Sewell
    143-97, 3.48 ERA
  2. 96
    Thornton Lee
    117-124, 3.56 ERA
  3. 92
    Mel Parnell
    123-75, 3.50 ERA
  4. 92
    Max Butcher
    95-106, 3.73 ERA
  5. 91
    Hank Borowy
    108-82, 3.50 ERA
  6. 90
    Jim Hearn
    109-89, 3.81 ERA

Dutch Ruether: the record in brief

April 13, 1917 and September 29, 1927 bracket Dutch Ruether's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Ruether's seasons break down as the Chicago Cubs (1917), the Cincinnati Reds (1917 through 1920), the Brooklyn Robins (1921 through 1924), the Washington Senators (1925 to 1926), and the New York Yankees (1926 through 1927). Born on September 13, 1893, in Alameda, CA, USA, Ruether is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw left-handed. The bio gives 6 feet, 1 inch and 180 pounds. Ruether died on May 16, 1970, in Phoenix, AZ, USA. The bio lists the given name Walter Henry.

Ruether went 137-95 with a 3.50 ERA in 309 games, 272 of them starts. Ruether had 708 strikeouts, 155 complete games, and 18 shutouts. That 3.50 ERA compares with a 3.81 league average across the same seasons, 8.2% better. 1922 brought Ruether a season-high 21 wins. Ruether struck out 99 batters in 1920, a career high.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dutch Ruether

What years did Dutch Ruether play?
Dutch Ruether played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1927.
Was Dutch Ruether a pitcher?
Yes. Dutch Ruether pitched in the major leagues, recording 137 wins and 708 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Dutch Ruether hit?
Dutch Ruether hit 7 career home runs with 250 hits.
What was Dutch Ruether's career batting average?
Dutch Ruether batted .258 over his career, with 250 hits in 969 at bats.
How many RBI did Dutch Ruether have?
Dutch Ruether drove in 111 runs in his career.
What was Dutch Ruether's career ERA?
Dutch Ruether finished with a 3.50 career ERA, going 137-95 with 708 strikeouts.