Tom Seaver

Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1967-1986)

Tom Seaver was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1967 to 1986 for 4 teams, including the New York Mets, a span of 20 seasons. Across 656 career appearances, he went 311-205 with a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts. He also batted .154 with 12 home runs. Tom Seaver was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 and was a 12-time All-Star, a 3-time Cy Young, and a Rookie of the Year. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 79192.4.

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

⭐ Hall of Fame 1992
W–L 311–205
ERA 2.86
WHIP 1.12
SO 3,640
Pitcher PIV 79192.4
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'1" / 195 lb
Born
11/17/1944 in Fresno, CA, USA
Died
8/31/2020 in Calistoga, CA, USA
MLB Debut
1967-04-13
Last Game
1986-09-19
Hall of Fame
Inducted 1992 (BBWAA)
Awards
12× All-Star · 3× Cy Young · Rookie of the Year

Full name: George Thomas Seaver

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Career Pitching Statistics

Tom Seaver — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
311 205 656 647 231 61 1 4782.2 3,971 1,521 380 1,390 3,640 2.86 79192.4

Career ERA 2.86 vs. league average 3.70 across their career seasons — 22.7% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Tom Seaver Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1967 NYN NL 16 13 35 34 18 2 0 251.0 224 77 78 170 2.76 3.30 (+16%) 943.0
1968 NYN NL 16 12 36 35 14 5 1 277.2 224 68 48 205 2.20 2.98 (+26%) 5622.6
1969 NYN NL 25 7 36 35 18 5 0 273.1 202 67 82 208 2.21 3.61 (+39%) 3665.9
1970 NYN NL 18 12 37 36 19 2 0 290.2 230 91 83 283 2.82 3.89 (+27%) 10454.9
1971 NYN NL 20 10 36 35 21 4 0 286.1 210 56 61 289 1.76 3.47 (+49%) 11657.8
1972 NYN NL 21 12 35 35 13 3 0 262.0 215 85 77 249 2.92 3.26 (+11%) 4732.7
1973 NYN NL 19 10 36 36 18 3 0 290.0 219 67 64 251 2.08 3.75 (+44%) 9041.7
1974 NYN NL 11 11 32 32 12 5 0 236.0 199 84 75 201 3.20 3.63 (+12%) 4419.4
1975 NYN NL 22 9 36 36 15 5 0 280.1 217 74 88 243 2.38 3.71 (+36%) 10100.4
1976 NYN NL 14 11 35 34 13 5 0 271.0 211 78 77 235 2.59 3.51 (+26%) 7493.5
1977 NYN NL 7 3 13 13 5 3 0 96.0 79 32 28 72 3.00 4.00 (+25%) 2294.6
1977 CIN NL 14 3 20 20 14 4 0 165.1 120 43 38 124 2.34 4.00 (+41%) 4818.5
1978 CIN NL 16 14 36 36 8 1 0 259.2 218 83 89 226 2.88 3.69 (+22%) 3507.5
1979 CIN NL 16 6 32 32 9 5 0 215.0 187 75 61 131 3.14 4.00 (+22%) 3759.7
1980 CIN NL 10 8 26 26 5 1 0 168.0 140 68 59 101 3.64 3.84 (+5%) -2674.3
1981 CIN NL 14 2 23 23 6 1 0 166.1 120 47 66 87 2.54 3.58 (+29%) 14.2
1982 CIN NL 5 13 21 21 0 0 0 111.1 136 68 44 62 5.50 3.86 (-42%) -1784.3
1983 NYN NL 9 14 34 34 5 2 0 231.0 201 91 86 135 3.55 3.87 (+8%) 631.2
1984 CHA AL 15 11 34 33 10 4 0 236.2 216 104 61 131 3.95 3.81 (-4%) -780.2
1985 CHA AL 16 11 35 33 6 1 0 238.2 223 84 69 134 3.17 3.89 (+19%) 1038.2
1986 CHA AL 2 6 12 12 1 0 0 72.0 66 35 27 31 4.38 3.97 (-10%) -1612.3
1986 BOS AL 5 7 16 16 1 0 0 104.1 114 44 29 72 3.80 3.97 (+4%) 1847.7
Career · 22 seasons 311 205 656 647 231 61 1 4,782.2 3,971 1,521 1,390 3,640 2.86 — 79,192

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

Tom Seaver — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
677 1,315 99 202 28 5 12 86 4 108 485 .154 .219 .210 .429 -7,256

Career AVG .154 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 40.0% below league average.

Career OBP .219 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — 31.8% below league average.

Career SLG .210 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 44.5% below league average.

Career OPS .429 vs. league average .700 across their career seasons — 38.7% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Tom Seaver 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
1967 NYN NL 36 77 5 11 2 0 0 5 2 8 24 .143 .242 (-41%) .306 (-25%) .357 (-53%) .663 (-40%) -442.5
1968 NYN NL 38 95 5 15 2 0 0 3 0 3 44 .158 .236 (-33%) .298 (-39%) .340 (-47%) .638 (-43%) -587.2
1969 NYN NL 39 91 7 11 3 0 0 6 1 7 34 .121 .248 (-51%) .320 (-38%) .369 (-58%) .689 (-49%) -671.8
1970 NYN NL 42 95 9 17 1 1 1 10 0 10 31 .179 .253 (-30%) .325 (-21%) .385 (-37%) .711 (-30%) -438.2
1971 NYN NL 39 92 8 18 3 0 1 7 0 6 31 .196 .249 (-22%) .316 (-23%) .365 (-29%) .682 (-26%) -363.0
1972 NYN NL 36 89 5 13 3 1 3 4 0 5 41 .146 .243 (-40%) .310 (-38%) .353 (-14%) .664 (-26%) -369.6
1973 NYN NL 39 93 9 15 2 1 1 5 1 7 34 .161 .256 (-37%) .325 (-32%) .378 (-38%) .703 (-35%) -518.9
1974 NYN NL 32 71 3 7 0 0 0 4 0 9 28 .099 .256 (-62%) .324 (-38%) .369 (-73%) .693 (-57%) -605.8
1975 NYN NL 37 95 7 17 1 0 0 5 0 8 24 .179 .257 (-31%) .327 (-24%) .374 (-49%) .701 (-37%) -530.8
1976 NYN NL 35 82 5 7 0 0 0 3 0 9 26 .085 .255 (-67%) .320 (-45%) .360 (-76%) .681 (-62%) -749.6
1977 NYN NL 13 31 1 5 0 0 0 4 0 2 12 .161 — — — — 0.0
1977 CIN NL 20 55 10 12 1 0 3 5 0 2 21 .218 .264 (-17%) .329 (-25%) .401 (avg) .730 (-12%) 0.0
1978 CIN NL 36 74 5 9 1 0 0 4 0 8 31 .122 .257 (-53%) .323 (-36%) .378 (-64%) .702 (-51%) -575.4
1979 CIN NL 33 76 3 12 3 0 2 8 0 1 29 .158 .265 (-41%) .329 (-49%) .397 (-30%) .727 (-39%) -489.1
1980 CIN NL 26 46 5 6 3 0 0 3 0 7 17 .130 — — — — -269.9
1981 CIN NL 23 55 3 11 1 0 1 6 0 8 16 .200 .255 (-22%) .320 (-7%) .368 (-26%) .688 (-17%) -132.7
1982 CIN NL 22 34 3 6 2 0 0 0 0 2 16 .176 — — — — 0.0
1983 NYN NL 34 64 6 10 0 2 0 4 0 6 26 .156 .260 (-40%) .324 (-31%) .389 (-44%) .714 (-38%) -396.3
1984 CHA AL 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1985 CHA AL 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 CHA AL 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 BOS AL 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 22 seasons 677 1,315 99 202 28 5 12 86 4 108 485 .154 — — — — -7,141

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

Tom Seaver — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 20 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 6 .100

Playoff Batting by Year

Tom Seaver — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1979 NLCS CIN 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
1973 NLCS NYN 2 6 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 1 .333
1973 WS NYN 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000
1969 NLCS NYN 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1969 WS NYN 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Tom Seaver — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
3 3 8 8 0 61.2 51 19 16 51 2.77

Playoff Pitching by Year

Tom Seaver — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1979 NLCS CIN 0 0 1 1 0 8.0 5 2 2 5 2.25
1973 NLCS NYN 1 1 2 2 0 16.2 13 3 5 17 1.62
1973 WS NYN 0 1 2 2 0 15.0 13 4 3 18 2.40
1969 NLCS NYN 1 0 1 1 0 7.0 8 5 3 2 6.43
1969 WS NYN 1 1 2 2 0 15.0 12 5 3 9 3.00

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1333 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Tom Seaver — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home3315954685530.143
Away34672053117756.163

Pitching — Home / Away

Tom Seaver — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home3242359.2194176069918482.90
Away3322423.1203076169117922.83

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Tom Seaver — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1986-09-19 BOSTOR L 4.0533210
1986-09-13 BOSNYY L 4.0965021
1986-09-08 BOSBAL — 8.0633360
1986-09-03 BOSTEX — 8.0722240
1986-08-29 BOSCLE L 4.1955042
1986-08-23 BOSCLE — 5.1944161
1986-08-18 BOSMIN W 8.2311471
1986-08-13 BOSKCR W 7.2922140
1986-08-08 BOSDET W 9.0511190
1986-08-02 BOSKCR L 6.0633280

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Tom Seaver — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 656 647 328 692 42 54

Season-by-Season Fielding

Tom Seaver — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1967 NYN P 35 34 17 38 1 3
1968 NYN P 36 35 21 48 1 4
1969 NYN P 36 35 18 48 2 7
1970 NYN P 37 36 19 46 3 3
1971 NYN P 36 35 17 38 1 3
1972 NYN P 35 35 17 40 3 3
1973 NYN P 36 36 26 35 5 1
1974 NYN P 32 32 9 42 1 7
1975 NYN P 36 36 21 43 4 6
1976 NYN P 35 34 12 41 1 3
1977 NYN P 13 13 6 17 1 0
1977 CIN P 20 20 7 16 0 3
1978 CIN P 36 36 15 28 6 2
1979 CIN P 32 32 22 26 2 2
1980 CIN P 26 26 16 26 0 0
1981 CIN P 23 23 8 22 1 1
1982 CIN P 21 21 7 11 2 1
1983 NYN P 34 34 22 28 4 0
1984 CHA P 34 33 11 40 0 2
1985 CHA P 35 33 20 43 2 2
1986 CHA P 12 12 4 7 0 0
1986 BOS P 16 16 13 9 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Tom Seaver Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 656

Awards & Honors

Tom Seaver — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
2017 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award - HOF Player
1985 Player of the Week Week of 1985-08-02
1981 Pitcher of the Month September
1981 TSN All-Star RHP
1979 Player of the Week Week of 1979-06-29
1978 Player of the Week Week of 1978-06-16
1977 Pitcher of the Month April
1977 Pitcher of the Month August
1977 Player of the Week Week of 1977-04-15
1975 Cy Young Award
1975 Pitcher of the Month June
1975 Player of the Week Week of 1975-09-05
1975 Player of the Week Week of 1975-06-13
1975 TSN All-Star RHP
1975 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1973 Cy Young Award
1973 Player of the Week Week of 1973-06-01
1973 TSN All-Star RHP
1969 Cy Young Award
1969 TSN All-Star RHP
1969 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1967 Rookie of the Year

Salary History

Tom Seaver's recorded salaries total $2,268,914 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Seaver's career ran from 1967 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.

Tom Seaver — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1986 CHA AL $1,132,652
1985 CHA AL $1,136,262
Total recorded salary (partial) $2,268,914

College History

Tom Seaver — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Fresno City College Fresno CA 1964
University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 1965

Award Voting History

Tom Seaver — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1981 Cy Young Award NL 2nd 67.0 120 8
1981 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 35.0 336 0
1979 Cy Young Award NL 4th 20.0 120 0
1979 Most Valuable Player NL 21th 9.0 336 0
1977 Cy Young Award NL 3rd 18.0 120 2
1977 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 1.0 336 0
1976 Cy Young Award NL 8th 1.0 120 0
1975 Cy Young Award NL 1st 98.0 120 15
1975 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 65.0 336 0
1973 Cy Young Award NL 1st 71.0 120 10
1973 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 57.0 336 0
1972 Cy Young Award NL 5th 6.0 120 0
1972 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 2.0 336 0
1971 Cy Young Award NL 2nd 61.0 120 6
1971 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 46.0 336 0
1970 Cy Young Award NL 7th 4.0 120 0
1970 Most Valuable Player NL 29th 2.0 336 0
1969 Cy Young Award NL 1st 23.0 24 23
1969 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 243.0 336 11
1967 Most Valuable Player NL 22th 5.0 280 0
1967 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 11.0 20 11

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Tom Seaver (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Bert Blyleven HOF
    287-250, 3.31 ERA
  2. 92
    Don Sutton HOF
    324-256, 3.26 ERA
  3. 89
    Gaylord Perry HOF
    314-265, 3.11 ERA
  4. 89
    Fergie Jenkins HOF
    284-226, 3.34 ERA
  5. 87
    Greg Maddux HOF
    355-227, 3.16 ERA
  6. 83
    Roger Clemens
    354-184, 3.12 ERA

Compare Tom Seaver

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Seaver's closest peers by position and era.

vs Roger Clemens
vs Cy Young
vs Greg Maddux
vs Walter Johnson
vs Randy Johnson
vs Pedro Martinez

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See Tom Seaver in Another Era

What would Seaver's 1971 season look like in a different era's run environment? Try the cross-era translation with a live slider.

Translate Tom Seaver's peak season across eras →

Tom Seaver: the record in brief

Tom Seaver played a first major league game on April 13, 1967 and a last one on September 19, 1986. Seaver played for the New York Mets (1967 through 1983), the Cincinnati Reds (1977 through 1982), the Chicago White Sox (1984 through 1986), and the Boston Red Sox (1986). Seaver, born on November 17, 1944, in Fresno, CA, USA, is listed as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Seaver's listed size is 6 feet, 1 inch and 195 pounds. Seaver's death is recorded on August 31, 2020, in Calistoga, CA, USA. The bio lists the given name George Thomas.

The pitching table credits Seaver with a 311-205 record and a 2.86 ERA in 656 games. The same table counts 3,640 strikeouts, 231 complete games, and 61 shutouts. That 2.86 ERA compares with a 3.70 league average across the same seasons, 22.7% better. Seaver won 25 games in 1969, the most of any season listed. Seaver struck out 289 batters in 1971, a career high.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Seaver

What years did Tom Seaver play?
Tom Seaver played in Major League Baseball from 1967 to 1986.
Was Tom Seaver a pitcher?
Yes. Tom Seaver pitched in the major leagues, recording 311 wins and 3640 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Tom Seaver hit?
Tom Seaver hit 12 career home runs with 202 hits.
Is Tom Seaver in the Hall of Fame?
Yes. Tom Seaver was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
What teams did Tom Seaver play for?
Tom Seaver played for 4 teams: the New York Mets (1967–1977, 1983), the Cincinnati Reds (1977–1982), the Chicago White Sox (1984–1986), and the Boston Red Sox (1986).
How many Cy Young Awards did Tom Seaver win?
Tom Seaver won 3 Cy Young Awards, in 1969, 1973, and 1975.
What awards did Tom Seaver win?
Tom Seaver won 3 Cy Young Awards (1969, 1973, and 1975) and the Rookie of the Year award (1967). He was selected to 12 All-Star Games.
What were Tom Seaver's career stats?
In 656 games, Tom Seaver went 311-205 with a 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts, 4,782.2 innings pitched, and 1 saves. At the plate he had 202 hits and 12 home runs.
How much did Tom Seaver earn in his career?
Tom Seaver's recorded salaries total $2,268,914 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Seaver's career ran from 1967 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
What was Tom Seaver's salary?
Tom Seaver's last recorded salary was $1,132,652, in 1986. His highest recorded salary was $1,136,262, in 1985, and his lowest was $1,132,652, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1986.
What position did Tom Seaver play?
Tom Seaver played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Tom Seaver and how much did he weigh?
Tom Seaver was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 195 pounds.
What was Tom Seaver's career ERA?
Tom Seaver finished with a 2.86 career ERA, going 311-205 with 3,640 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Tom Seaver have?
Tom Seaver recorded 3,640 career strikeouts.