Hank Sauer
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1941-1959)
Hank Sauer was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1959 for 5 teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 19 seasons. In 1,399 career games, he hit .266 with 1,278 hits, 288 home runs, and 876 RBI. Hank Sauer was a 2-time All-Star and an MVP. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 15,589.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 198 lb
- Died
- 8/24/2001 in Burlingame, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1941-09-09
- Last Game
- 1959-08-17
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · MVP
Full name: Henry John Sauer
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,399 | 4,796 | 709 | 1,278 | 200 | 19 | 288 | 876 | 11 | 561 | 714 | .266 | .347 | .496 | .843 | 15,589 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .347 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .496 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +29.7% above league average.
Career OPS .843 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — +17.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CIN | NL | 9 | 33 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .303 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CIN | NL | 7 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CIN | NL | 31 | 116 | 18 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 16 | .293 | .260 (+12%) | .328 (avg) | .354 (+21%) | .683 (+11%) | 179.4 |
| 1948 | CIN | NL | 145 | 530 | 78 | 138 | 22 | 1 | 35 | 97 | 2 | 60 | 85 | .260 | .263 (-1%) | .340 (avg) | .379 (+33%) | .719 (+17%) | 1742.7 |
| 1949 | CIN | NL | 42 | 152 | 22 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 18 | 19 | .237 | .262 (-10%) | .343 (-8%) | .384 (-7%) | .727 (-8%) | -187.2 |
| 1949 | CHN | NL | 96 | 357 | 59 | 104 | 17 | 1 | 27 | 83 | 0 | 37 | 47 | .291 | .262 (+11%) | .343 (+6%) | .384 (+49%) | .727 (+28%) | -187.2 |
| 1950 | CHN | NL | 145 | 540 | 85 | 148 | 32 | 2 | 32 | 103 | 1 | 60 | 67 | .274 | .265 (+3%) | .346 (+1%) | .401 (+29%) | .747 (+16%) | 1681.9 |
| 1951 | CHN | NL | 141 | 525 | 77 | 138 | 19 | 4 | 30 | 89 | 2 | 45 | 77 | .263 | .260 (+1%) | .336 (-4%) | .385 (+26%) | .721 (+12%) | 1105.1 |
| 1952 | CHN | NL | 151 | 567 | 89 | 153 | 31 | 3 | 37 | 121 | 1 | 77 | 92 | .270 | .252 (+7%) | .326 (+11%) | .369 (+44%) | .696 (+28%) | 3122.2 |
| 1953 | CHN | NL | 108 | 395 | 61 | 104 | 16 | 5 | 19 | 60 | 0 | 50 | 56 | .263 | .264 (avg) | .335 (+4%) | .397 (+19%) | .733 (+12%) | 915.7 |
| 1954 | CHN | NL | 142 | 520 | 98 | 150 | 18 | 1 | 41 | 103 | 2 | 70 | 68 | .288 | .261 (+11%) | .333 (+13%) | .390 (+44%) | .723 (+30%) | 3151.8 |
| 1955 | CHN | NL | 79 | 261 | 29 | 55 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 28 | 0 | 26 | 47 | .211 | .258 (-18%) | .332 (-14%) | .393 (-2%) | .726 (-7%) | -338.9 |
| 1956 | SLN | NL | 75 | 151 | 11 | 45 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 25 | 31 | .298 | .258 (+15%) | .331 (+22%) | .397 (+7%) | .728 (+14%) | 490.6 |
| 1957 | NY1 | NL | 127 | 378 | 46 | 98 | 14 | 1 | 26 | 76 | 1 | 49 | 59 | .259 | .257 (+1%) | .323 (+6%) | .391 (+30%) | .715 (+19%) | 1398.5 |
| 1958 | SFN | NL | 88 | 236 | 27 | 59 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 46 | 0 | 35 | 37 | .250 | .257 (-3%) | .324 (+9%) | .394 (+11%) | .719 (+10%) | 521.8 |
| 1959 | SFN | NL | 13 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .067 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 1,399 | 4,796 | 709 | 1,278 | 200 | 19 | 288 | 876 | 11 | 561 | 714 | .266 | — | — | — | — | 13,596 | ||
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 (1399 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 726 | 2452 | 392 | 699 | 170 | 508 | .285 |
| Away | 673 | 2345 | 317 | 579 | 118 | 367 | .247 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-08-17 | SFG | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-08-08 | SFG | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-07-25 | SFG | CHC | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-06-21 | SFG | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-06-20 | SFG | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-06-14 | SFG | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-05-24 | SFG | LAD | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-05-15 | SFG | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-05-04 | SFG | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-04-21 | SFG | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 38 | 0 | 303 | 34 | 7 | 27 |
| OF | 1228 | 405 | 2408 | 105 | 67 | 21 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CIN | OF | 8 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1942 | CIN | 1B | 4 | 0 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| 1945 | CIN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 1945 | CIN | OF | 28 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1948 | CIN | 1B | 12 | 0 | 89 | 8 | 1 | 4 |
| 1948 | CIN | OF | 132 | 0 | 270 | 14 | 8 | 6 |
| 1949 | CIN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949 | CIN | OF | 39 | 0 | 102 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 1949 | CHN | OF | 96 | 0 | 199 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 1950 | CHN | 1B | 18 | 0 | 145 | 17 | 4 | 11 |
| 1950 | CHN | OF | 125 | 0 | 236 | 12 | 9 | 1 |
| 1951 | CHN | OF | 132 | 0 | 286 | 19 | 6 | 2 |
| 1952 | CHN | OF | 151 | 0 | 327 | 17 | 6 | 3 |
| 1953 | CHN | OF | 105 | 0 | 221 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1954 | CHN | OF | 141 | 141 | 282 | 8 | 11 | 2 |
| 1955 | CHN | OF | 68 | 68 | 122 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1956 | SLN | OF | 37 | 34 | 55 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957 | NY1 | OF | 98 | 97 | 125 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958 | SFN | OF | 67 | 64 | 93 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 1959 | SFN | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 38 |
| Left Field | 1029 |
| Right Field | 209 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Most Valuable Player | |
| 1952 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1952 | TSN Player of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 26th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1952 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 1st | 226.0 | 336 | 8 |
| 1951 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1950 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 29th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1949 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 19th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1948 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 30th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Hank Sauer (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Hank Sauer: the record in brief
Hank Sauer's major league career runs from a debut on September 9, 1941 to a final game on August 17, 1959. Club by club, the record runs the Cincinnati Reds (1941 through 1949), the Chicago Cubs (1949 to 1955), the St. Louis Cardinals (1956), the New York Giants (1957), and the San Francisco Giants (1958 through 1959). Sauer played primarily as an outfielder and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on March 17, 1917, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Sauer was listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 198 pounds. Sauer's death is recorded on August 24, 2001, in Burlingame, CA, USA. The given name on file is Henry John Sauer.
Across 1,399 games at the plate, Sauer's career line reads 1,278 hits in 4,796 at bats for a .266 average, adding 288 home runs and 876 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .347 and .496 give Sauer a career OPS of .843. The .266 career average is close to the .260 the league hit across the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hank Sauer
- What years did Hank Sauer play?
- Hank Sauer played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1959.
- Was Hank Sauer a pitcher?
- No. Hank Sauer was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Hank Sauer hit?
- Hank Sauer hit 288 career home runs with 1,278 hits.
- What teams did Hank Sauer play for?
- Hank Sauer played for 4 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1941–1942, 1945, 1948–1949), the Chicago Cubs (1949–1955), the St. Louis Cardinals (1956), and the San Francisco Giants (1957–1959).
- How many MVP awards did Hank Sauer win?
- Hank Sauer won 1 MVP award, in 1952.
- What awards did Hank Sauer win?
- Hank Sauer won the MVP award (1952). He was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Hank Sauer's career stats?
- In 1,399 games, Hank Sauer had 1,278 hits, 288 home runs, 876 RBI, 709 runs, and 11 stolen bases, with a .266 batting average.
- What position did Hank Sauer play?
- Hank Sauer played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Hank Sauer and how much did he weigh?
- Hank Sauer was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 198 pounds.
- How many home runs did Hank Sauer hit each season?
- Hank Sauer's home runs by season: 0 in 1941, 2 in 1942, 5 in 1945, 35 in 1948, 31 in 1949, 32 in 1950, 30 in 1951, 37 in 1952, 19 in 1953, 41 in 1954, 12 in 1955, 5 in 1956, 26 in 1957, 12 in 1958, and 1 in 1959. His most in one season was 41, in 1954.
- What was Hank Sauer's career batting average?
- Hank Sauer batted .266 over his career, with 1,278 hits in 4,796 at bats.
- How many RBI did Hank Sauer have?
- Hank Sauer drove in 876 runs in his career.
- Is Hank Sauer in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Hank Sauer has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Hank Sauer make?
- Hank Sauer was selected to 2 All-Star Games.