Jack Saltzgaver
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1932-1945)
Jack Saltzgaver was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1932 to 1945 for the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 14 seasons. In 278 career games, he hit .260 with 199 hits, 10 home runs, and 82 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
- Position
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 165 lb
- Died
- 2/1/1978 in Keokuk, IA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1932-04-12
- Last Game
- 1945-09-30
Full name: Otto Hamlin Saltzgaver
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 278 | 764 | 131 | 199 | 26 | 5 | 10 | 82 | 9 | 105 | 80 | .260 | .351 | .347 | .698 | -232 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.
Career OBP .351 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .347 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.
Career OPS .698 vs. league average .730 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | NYA | AL | 20 | 47 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 10 | .128 | — | — | — | — | -229.8 |
| 1934 | NYA | AL | 94 | 350 | 64 | 95 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 36 | 8 | 48 | 28 | .271 | .278 (-2%) | .340 (+6%) | .392 (-11%) | .733 (-3%) | -39.0 |
| 1935 | NYA | AL | 61 | 149 | 17 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 23 | 12 | .262 | .279 (-6%) | .342 (+7%) | .399 (-9%) | .742 (-2%) | 39.9 |
| 1936 | NYA | AL | 34 | 90 | 14 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 18 | .211 | .283 (-26%) | .349 (-11%) | .404 (-26%) | .753 (-19%) | -270.2 |
| 1937 | NYA | AL | 17 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | PIT | NL | 52 | 117 | 20 | 38 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 8 | .325 | .260 (+24%) | .328 (+12%) | .354 (+18%) | .683 (+15%) | 267.3 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 278 | 764 | 131 | 199 | 26 | 5 | 10 | 82 | 9 | 105 | 80 | .260 | — | — | — | — | -232 | ||
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 (278 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 131 | 339 | 63 | 92 | 6 | 36 | .271 |
| Away | 147 | 425 | 68 | 108 | 4 | 43 | .254 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-30 | PIT | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-29 | PIT | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-16 | PIT | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-11 | PIT | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-11 | PIT | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-09 | PIT | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-08 | PIT | BRO | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-07 | PIT | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-04 | PIT | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-29 | PIT | CHC | 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 | 18 | 0 | 84 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 2B | 78 | 0 | 156 | 172 | 16 | 26 |
| 3B | 119 | 0 | 99 | 167 | 12 | 13 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | NYA | 2B | 16 | 0 | 38 | 30 | 3 | 5 |
| 1934 | NYA | 1B | 4 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 1934 | NYA | 3B | 84 | 0 | 71 | 130 | 10 | 10 |
| 1935 | NYA | 1B | 6 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1935 | NYA | 2B | 25 | 0 | 40 | 64 | 7 | 8 |
| 1935 | NYA | 3B | 18 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| 1936 | NYA | 1B | 4 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1936 | NYA | 2B | 6 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 1936 | NYA | 3B | 16 | 0 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 1937 | NYA | 1B | 4 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 1945 | PIT | 2B | 31 | 0 | 63 | 66 | 5 | 11 |
| 1945 | PIT | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 18 |
| Second Base | 78 |
| Third Base | 119 |
Jack Saltzgaver: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jack Saltzgaver's first major league game on April 12, 1932; the last one listed came on September 30, 1945. The season rows list, in order, the New York Yankees (1932 to 1937) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1945). Saltzgaver is listed as a third baseman at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds. Saltzgaver batted left-handed and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is January 23, 1903, in Croton, IA, USA. The bio records the death on February 1, 1978, in Keokuk, IA, USA. Jack Saltzgaver was the playing name; the full given name is Otto Hamlin.
Saltzgaver collected 199 hits in 764 at bats across 278 games, good for a .260 batting average, plus 10 homers and 82 runs batted in. Saltzgaver got on base at a .351 rate and slugged .347 (.698 OPS). Measured against the leagues Saltzgaver played in, the .260 career average compares with a .276 league average over the same seasons, 5.5% below the league. The hits column peaks at 95, in 1934. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .271 in 1934, did not top the league's .278.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jack Saltzgaver
- What years did Jack Saltzgaver play?
- Jack Saltzgaver played in Major League Baseball from 1932 to 1945.
- Was Jack Saltzgaver a pitcher?
- No. Jack Saltzgaver was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Jack Saltzgaver hit?
- Jack Saltzgaver hit 10 career home runs with 199 hits.
- What teams did Jack Saltzgaver play for?
- Jack Saltzgaver played for 2 teams: the New York Yankees (1932, 1934–1937) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1945).
- What were Jack Saltzgaver's career stats?
- In 278 games, Jack Saltzgaver had 199 hits, 10 home runs, 82 RBI, 131 runs, and 9 stolen bases, with a .260 batting average.
- What position did Jack Saltzgaver play?
- Jack Saltzgaver played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jack Saltzgaver and how much did he weigh?
- Jack Saltzgaver was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jack Saltzgaver hit each season?
- Jack Saltzgaver's home runs by season: 0 in 1932, 6 in 1934, 3 in 1935, 1 in 1936, 0 in 1937, and 0 in 1945. His most in one season was 6, in 1934.
- What was Jack Saltzgaver's career batting average?
- Jack Saltzgaver batted .260 over his career, with 199 hits in 764 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jack Saltzgaver have?
- Jack Saltzgaver drove in 82 runs in his career.
- Is Jack Saltzgaver in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jack Saltzgaver has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.