Pete Runnels
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1951-1964)
Pete Runnels was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1964 for the Washington Senators, the Boston Red Sox, and the Houston Astros, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,799 career games, he hit .291 with 1,854 hits, 49 home runs, and 630 RBI. Pete Runnels was a 3-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 9,953.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 170 lb
- Died
- 5/20/1991 in Pasadena, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1951-07-01
- Last Game
- 1964-05-14
- Awards
- 3× All-Star
Full name: James Edward Runnels
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,799 | 6,373 | 876 | 1,854 | 282 | 64 | 49 | 630 | 37 | 844 | 627 | .291 | .375 | .378 | .753 | 9,953 |
Career AVG .291 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — +13.4% above league average.
Career OBP .375 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +15.0% above league average.
Career SLG .378 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .753 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — +5.4% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | WS1 | AL | 78 | 273 | 31 | 76 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 31 | 24 | .278 | .260 (+7%) | .336 (+5%) | .385 (-13%) | .721 (-4%) | -133.5 |
| 1952 | WS1 | AL | 152 | 555 | 70 | 158 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 64 | 0 | 72 | 55 | .285 | .252 (+13%) | .326 (+13%) | .369 (-10%) | .696 (+1%) | 345.6 |
| 1953 | WS1 | AL | 137 | 486 | 64 | 125 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 50 | 3 | 64 | 36 | .257 | .264 (-3%) | .335 (+3%) | .397 (-19%) | .733 (-9%) | -549.3 |
| 1954 | WS1 | AL | 139 | 488 | 75 | 131 | 17 | 15 | 3 | 56 | 2 | 78 | 60 | .268 | .261 (+3%) | .333 (+10%) | .390 (-2%) | .723 (+4%) | 542.5 |
| 1955 | WS1 | AL | 134 | 503 | 66 | 143 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 49 | 3 | 55 | 51 | .284 | .258 (+10%) | .332 (+6%) | .393 (-13%) | .726 (-4%) | -211.1 |
| 1956 | WS1 | AL | 147 | 578 | 72 | 179 | 29 | 9 | 8 | 76 | 5 | 58 | 64 | .310 | .258 (+20%) | .331 (+12%) | .397 (+9%) | .728 (+10%) | 1274.2 |
| 1957 | WS1 | AL | 134 | 473 | 53 | 109 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 2 | 55 | 51 | .230 | .257 (-11%) | .323 (-4%) | .391 (-24%) | .715 (-15%) | -1044.1 |
| 1958 | BOS | AL | 147 | 568 | 103 | 183 | 32 | 5 | 8 | 59 | 1 | 87 | 49 | .322 | .257 (+25%) | .324 (+28%) | .394 (+11%) | .719 (+19%) | 2610.7 |
| 1959 | BOS | AL | 147 | 560 | 95 | 176 | 33 | 6 | 6 | 57 | 6 | 95 | 48 | .314 | .256 (+22%) | .323 (+28%) | .392 (+9%) | .715 (+18%) | 2460.3 |
| 1960 | BOS | AL | 143 | 528 | 80 | 169 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 35 | 5 | 71 | 51 | .320 | .255 (+25%) | .323 (+24%) | .387 (+2%) | .711 (+12%) | 1574.6 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 143 | 360 | 49 | 114 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 5 | 46 | 32 | .317 | .258 (+23%) | .328 (+21%) | .399 (+4%) | .727 (+11%) | 992.6 |
| 1962 | BOS | AL | 152 | 562 | 80 | 183 | 33 | 5 | 10 | 60 | 3 | 79 | 57 | .326 | .257 (+26%) | .326 (+25%) | .393 (+16%) | .719 (+20%) | 2548.8 |
| 1963 | HOU | NL | 124 | 388 | 35 | 98 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 45 | 42 | .253 | .246 (+3%) | .308 (+7%) | .371 (-20%) | .680 (-8%) | -297.2 |
| 1964 | HOU | NL | 22 | 51 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 7 | .196 | .250 (-22%) | .312 (-2%) | .377 (-43%) | .690 (-25%) | -160.7 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,799 | 6,373 | 876 | 1,854 | 282 | 64 | 49 | 630 | 37 | 844 | 627 | .291 | — | — | — | — | 9,953 | ||
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 (1799 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 903 | 3162 | 449 | 959 | 12 | 323 | .303 |
| Away | 896 | 3211 | 427 | 895 | 37 | 305 | .279 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-05-14 | HOU | SFG | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-05-12 | HOU | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-05-10 | HOU | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964-05-10 | HOU | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-05-06 | HOU | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-05-05 | HOU | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964-05-04 | HOU | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-05-02 | HOU | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-04-28 | HOU | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1964-04-27 | HOU | LAD | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 644 | 542 | 4876 | 346 | 30 | 492 |
| 2B | 642 | 607 | 1583 | 1675 | 67 | 500 |
| 3B | 49 | 49 | 46 | 115 | 6 | 13 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 463 | 105 | 848 | 1231 | 91 | 297 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | WS1 | SS | 73 | 0 | 159 | 176 | 18 | 41 |
| 1952 | WS1 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 1952 | WS1 | SS | 147 | 0 | 314 | 406 | 25 | 97 |
| 1953 | WS1 | 2B | 11 | 0 | 24 | 27 | 3 | 7 |
| 1953 | WS1 | SS | 121 | 0 | 195 | 324 | 23 | 87 |
| 1954 | WS1 | 2B | 27 | 27 | 90 | 59 | 5 | 23 |
| 1954 | WS1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954 | WS1 | SS | 107 | 104 | 174 | 313 | 24 | 69 |
| 1955 | WS1 | 2B | 132 | 129 | 349 | 338 | 17 | 107 |
| 1955 | WS1 | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956 | WS1 | 1B | 81 | 79 | 693 | 49 | 4 | 73 |
| 1956 | WS1 | 2B | 69 | 65 | 179 | 177 | 10 | 56 |
| 1956 | WS1 | SS | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 1957 | WS1 | 1B | 72 | 70 | 616 | 44 | 3 | 59 |
| 1957 | WS1 | 2B | 23 | 17 | 52 | 43 | 2 | 13 |
| 1957 | WS1 | 3B | 32 | 32 | 31 | 73 | 3 | 12 |
| 1958 | BOS | 1B | 42 | 40 | 364 | 15 | 2 | 41 |
| 1958 | BOS | 2B | 106 | 106 | 267 | 320 | 9 | 88 |
| 1959 | BOS | 1B | 44 | 42 | 387 | 28 | 0 | 48 |
| 1959 | BOS | 2B | 101 | 101 | 273 | 272 | 10 | 82 |
| 1959 | BOS | SS | 9 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1960 | BOS | 1B | 57 | 7 | 142 | 11 | 1 | 15 |
| 1960 | BOS | 2B | 129 | 127 | 274 | 360 | 9 | 99 |
| 1960 | BOS | 3B | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961 | BOS | 1B | 113 | 75 | 701 | 50 | 4 | 92 |
| 1961 | BOS | 2B | 7 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| 1961 | BOS | 3B | 11 | 11 | 8 | 29 | 2 | 0 |
| 1961 | BOS | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962 | BOS | 1B | 151 | 151 | 1309 | 104 | 10 | 125 |
| 1963 | HOU | 1B | 70 | 65 | 526 | 40 | 4 | 31 |
| 1963 | HOU | 2B | 36 | 33 | 64 | 64 | 2 | 18 |
| 1963 | HOU | 3B | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1964 | HOU | 1B | 14 | 13 | 138 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 644 |
| Second Base | 641 |
| Third Base | 49 |
| Shortstop | 463 |
| Left Field | 1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 18th | 9.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1960 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 18.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1959 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 26th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1958 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 29.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 24.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1952 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Pete Runnels (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Pete Runnels
Pete Runnels: the record in brief
Between the debut on July 1, 1951 and the final game on May 14, 1964, Pete Runnels built the record summarized on this page. Runnels played for the Washington Senators (1951 to 1957), the Boston Red Sox (1958 to 1962), and the Houston Colt .45's (1963 to 1964). Runnels played primarily as a first baseman and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Born on January 28, 1928, in Lufkin, TX, USA, Runnels was listed at 170 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. Runnels's death is recorded on May 20, 1991, in Pasadena, TX, USA. The bio lists the given name James Edward.
In 1,799 games and 6,373 at bats, Runnels batted .291 with 1,854 hits, along with 49 home runs, 630 RBI, and 37 stolen bases. Runnels got on base at a .375 rate and slugged .378 (.753 OPS). The league as a whole hit .257 across Runnels's seasons, which puts the .291 career mark 13.4% above average. In OPS terms, Runnels's .753 stands 5.4% above the league's .714.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pete Runnels
- What years did Pete Runnels play?
- Pete Runnels played in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1964.
- Was Pete Runnels a pitcher?
- No. Pete Runnels was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Pete Runnels hit?
- Pete Runnels hit 49 career home runs with 1854 hits.
- What was Pete Runnels's career batting average?
- Pete Runnels batted .291 over his career, with 1,854 hits in 6,373 at bats.
- How many RBI did Pete Runnels have?
- Pete Runnels drove in 630 runs in his career.
- Is Pete Runnels in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Pete Runnels has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.