Leon Ruffin

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Leon Ruffin was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Brooklyn Eagles. In 231 career games, he hit .211 with 147 hits, 2 home runs, and 87 RBI. Leon Ruffin was a 2-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.

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 .211
HR 2
RBI 87
H 147
OPS .524
PIV -1,799
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 169 lb
Born
2/11/1912 in Portsmouth, VA, USA
Died
8/14/1970 in Portsmouth, VA, USA
Awards
2× All-Star

Full name: Charles Leon Ruffin

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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Leon Ruffin — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
902.0 834.0 96.0 176.0 17.0 2.0 2.0 53.0 52.0 2.0 7.0 .211 .264 .243 .507

Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Leon Ruffin — Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1949 65.0 59.0 4.0 13.0 1.0 0 0 7.0 5.0 0 0 .220 .292 .237 .529
Listed seasons · 1 65 59 4 13 1 0 0 7 5 0 0 .220 — — —

Career Batting Statistics

Leon Ruffin — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
231 698 79 147 18 2 2 87 7 53 3 .211 .273 .251 .524 -1,799

Career AVG .211 vs. league average .268 across their career seasons — 21.5% below league average.

Career OBP .273 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 18.6% below league average.

Career SLG .251 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — 33.8% below league average.

Career OPS .524 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 26.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Leon Ruffin 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
1935 BE NN2 14 38 3 9 0 0 0 5 0 3 0 .237 — — — — 0.0
1936 NE NN2 18 56 3 6 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 .107 .283 (-62%) .349 (-45%) .404 (-73%) .753 (-60%) -555.1
1937 PC NN2 22 65 4 16 2 1 0 7 0 1 0 .246 .276 (-11%) .342 (-25%) .398 (-23%) .740 (-24%) -264.9
1938 PC NN2 22 72 5 13 1 0 0 10 0 7 0 .181 .272 (-34%) .341 (-26%) .392 (-50%) .734 (-39%) -445.4
1939 NE NN2 10 29 2 5 1 0 0 7 0 1 3 .172 — — — — 0.0
1939 PS NN2 13 36 4 4 0 0 1 2 0 4 0 .111 — — — — 0.0
1940 PS NN2 16 36 3 5 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 .139 — — — — 0.0
1942 NE NN2 37 109 16 26 3 0 0 11 1 8 0 .239 .253 (-6%) .323 (-5%) .349 (-24%) .672 (-15%) -213.2
1943 NE NN2 31 108 16 23 7 1 0 19 4 8 0 .213 .255 (-17%) .324 (-14%) .346 (-14%) .671 (-14%) -242.3
1944 NE NN2 3 13 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .154 — — — — 0.0
1946 NE NN2 45 136 23 38 4 0 1 23 1 9 0 .279 .256 (+9%) .328 (avg) .358 (-8%) .687 (-4%) -78.3
Career · 11 seasons 231 698 79 147 18 2 2 87 7 53 3 .211 — — — — -1,799

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

Leon Ruffin — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 25 2 7 1 0 0 4 2 1 .280

Playoff Batting by Year

Leon Ruffin — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1946 NWS NE 7 25 2 7 1 0 0 4 2 1 .280
1939 NLP2 PS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (301 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Leon Ruffin — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1483294182227.249
Away1534144980023.193

Last 10 Games — Batting

Leon Ruffin — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1949-08-28 HOEMEMW 000000000
1949-08-21 HOENY6L 100000000
1949-08-21 HOENY6W 502100200
1949-08-16 HOEBLGW 401000000
1949-08-15 HOEBLGW 511000000
1949-08-10 HOEKCMW 522000000
1949-08-09 HOEKCML 301000000
1949-08-07 HOEKCMW 000000000
1949-08-07 HOEKCMW 401000100
1949-07-24 HOELCBL 000000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Leon Ruffin — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 6 5 43 2 1 1
2B 1 1 1 1 0 0
3B 4 3 5 5 0 1
C 211 193 1070 155 23 12
OF 2 2 2 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Leon Ruffin — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1935 BE C 14 12 51 10 1 1
1936 NE C 18 17 80 18 1 3
1937 PC 1B 1 1 9 0 0 1
1937 PC C 20 17 73 16 1 1
1938 PC C 21 21 115 14 7 2
1939 NE C 10 9 35 3 2 1
1939 PS C 11 11 64 10 2 0
1940 PS C 16 13 64 14 1 1
1942 NE 1B 3 3 25 2 1 0
1942 NE 2B 1 1 1 1 0 0
1942 NE 3B 4 3 5 5 0 1
1942 NE C 28 26 161 16 2 0
1943 NE C 28 26 161 25 3 1
1943 NE OF 2 2 2 0 0 0
1944 NE C 3 3 16 4 0 1
1946 NE 1B 2 1 9 0 0 0
1946 NE C 42 38 250 25 3 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Leon Ruffin Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 211
First Base 6
Second Base 1
Third Base 4
Right Field 2

Leon Ruffin: the record in brief

The season rows for Leon Ruffin begin in 1935. Ruffin played for the Brooklyn Eagles (1935), the Newark Eagles (1936 to 1946), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1937 through 1938), and the Philadelphia Stars (1939 through 1940). Born on February 11, 1912, in Portsmouth, VA, USA, Ruffin is listed as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio gives 5 feet, 11 inches and 169 pounds. Ruffin's death is recorded on August 14, 1970, in Portsmouth, VA, USA. The bio lists the given name Charles Leon.

Ruffin collected 147 hits in 698 at bats across 231 games, good for a .211 batting average, along with 2 homers and 87 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .273 and .251 give Ruffin a career OPS of .524. Ruffin's .211 average ran 21.5% below the .268 that the league posted over the same seasons. In OPS terms, Ruffin's .524 stands 26.7% below the league's .714. 1946 produced Ruffin's most hits, 38 of them for the Newark Eagles. Ruffin drove in a season-high 23 runs in 1946.

Frequently Asked Questions about Leon Ruffin

Was Leon Ruffin a pitcher?
No. Leon Ruffin was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Leon Ruffin hit?
Leon Ruffin hit 2 career home runs with 147 hits.
What teams did Leon Ruffin play for?
Leon Ruffin played for 3 teams: the Newark Eagles (1935–1936, 1939, 1942–1944, 1946), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1937–1938), and the Philadelphia Stars (1939–1940).
Did Leon Ruffin win an MVP award?
No. Leon Ruffin did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Leon Ruffin win?
Leon Ruffin was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
What were Leon Ruffin's career stats?
In 231 games, Leon Ruffin had 147 hits, 2 home runs, 87 RBI, 79 runs, and 7 stolen bases, with a .211 batting average.
What position did Leon Ruffin play?
Leon Ruffin played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Leon Ruffin and how much did he weigh?
Leon Ruffin was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 169 pounds.
How many home runs did Leon Ruffin hit each season?
Leon Ruffin's home runs by season: 0 in 1935, 0 in 1936, 0 in 1937, 0 in 1938, 1 in 1939, 0 in 1940, 0 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 0 in 1944, and 1 in 1946. His most in one season was 1, in 1939 and 1946.
What was Leon Ruffin's career batting average?
Leon Ruffin batted .211 over his career, with 147 hits in 698 at bats.
How many RBI did Leon Ruffin have?
Leon Ruffin drove in 87 runs in his career.
Is Leon Ruffin in the Hall of Fame?
No. Leon Ruffin has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Leon Ruffin make?
Leon Ruffin was selected to 2 All-Star Games.