Ed Seward
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1885-1891)
Ed Seward was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1885 to 1891 for the Providence Grays, the Philadelphia Athletics, and the Cleveland Spiders, a span of 7 seasons. Across 176 career appearances, he went 89-72 with a 3.40 ERA and 589 strikeouts. He also batted .174 with 9 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 11169.6.
- 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
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- — / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'7" / 175 lb
- Died
- 7/30/1947 in Cleveland, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1885-09-30
- Last Game
- 1891-06-08
Full name: Edward William Seward
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | PRO | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1887 | PH4 | AA | 25 | 25 | 55 | 52 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 470.2 | 445 | 216 | 140 | 155 | 4.13 | 4.17 (+1%) | 4130.6 |
| 1888 | PH4 | AA | 35 | 19 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 6 | 0 | 518.2 | 388 | 116 | 127 | 272 | 2.01 | 2.95 (+32%) | 6537.7 |
| 1889 | PH4 | AA | 21 | 15 | 39 | 38 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 320.0 | 353 | 141 | 101 | 102 | 3.97 | 3.93 (-1%) | 1469.7 |
| 1890 | PH4 | AA | 6 | 12 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 154.0 | 165 | 81 | 72 | 55 | 4.73 | 3.88 (-22%) | -750.9 |
| 1891 | CL4 | NL | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 3.86 | 3.52 (-10%) | -217.6 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 89 | 72 | 176 | 169 | 159 | 13 | 0 | 1,485.2 | 1,369 | 561 | 451 | 589 | 3.40 | — | 11,170 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 218 | 728 | 89 | 127 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 62 | 35 | 67 | 95 | .174 | .253 | .261 | .514 | -2,453 |
Career AVG .174 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — 31.8% below league average.
Career OBP .253 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 21.2% below league average.
Career SLG .261 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — 24.6% below league average.
Career OPS .514 vs. league average .668 across their career seasons — 22.9% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | PRO | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1887 | PH4 | AA | 74 | 266 | 31 | 50 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 14 | 16 | 36 | .188 | .270 (-31%) | .331 (-28%) | .373 (-25%) | .705 (-26%) | -1103.8 |
| 1888 | PH4 | AA | 64 | 225 | 27 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 34 | .142 | .238 (-40%) | .290 (-26%) | .319 (-35%) | .610 (-30%) | -915.9 |
| 1889 | PH4 | AA | 46 | 143 | 22 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 22 | 19 | .217 | .263 (-18%) | .334 (avg) | .357 (-6%) | .691 (-3%) | -36.6 |
| 1890 | PH4 | AA | 26 | 72 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0 | .139 | .260 (-47%) | .336 (-28%) | .351 (-45%) | .687 (-36%) | -396.6 |
| 1891 | CL4 | NL | 7 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .211 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 218 | 728 | 89 | 127 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 62 | 35 | 67 | 95 | .174 | — | — | — | — | -2,453 | ||
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.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 45 | 0 | 65 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| P | 176 | 0 | 75 | 291 | 49 | 8 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | PRO | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1887 | PH4 | OF | 21 | 0 | 42 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 1887 | PH4 | P | 55 | 0 | 21 | 79 | 11 | 1 |
| 1888 | PH4 | OF | 7 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1888 | PH4 | P | 57 | 0 | 24 | 125 | 19 | 4 |
| 1889 | PH4 | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | PH4 | OF | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | PH4 | P | 39 | 0 | 13 | 56 | 9 | 1 |
| 1890 | PH4 | OF | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1890 | PH4 | P | 21 | 0 | 17 | 26 | 10 | 2 |
| 1891 | CL4 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1891 | CL4 | OF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1891 | CL4 | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 176 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Center Field | 33 |
| Right Field | 7 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ed Seward (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ed Seward: the record in brief
According to the bio, Ed Seward debuted on September 30, 1885 and played a final game on June 8, 1891. The season rows list, in order, the Providence Grays (1885), the Philadelphia Athletics (1887 through 1890), and the Cleveland Spiders (1891). Seward is listed as a pitcher at 5'7" and 175 pounds. The recorded birth is June 29, 1867, in Cleveland, OH, USA. The bio records the death on July 30, 1947, in Cleveland, OH, USA. The given name on file is Edward William Seward.
The pitching table credits Seward with a 89-72 record and a 3.40 ERA in 176 games. The totals include 589 strikeouts, 159 complete games, and 13 shutouts. That 3.40 ERA compares with a 3.61 league average across the same seasons, 6.0% better. Seward won 35 games in 1888, the most of any season listed. In 1888, one of the busiest seasons, Seward posted a 2.01 ERA; the league figure that year was 2.95.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Seward
- What years did Ed Seward play?
- Ed Seward played in Major League Baseball from 1885 to 1891.
- Was Ed Seward a pitcher?
- Yes. Ed Seward pitched in the major leagues, recording 89 wins and 589 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Ed Seward hit?
- Ed Seward hit 9 career home runs with 127 hits.
- What was Ed Seward's career batting average?
- Ed Seward batted .174 over his career, with 127 hits in 728 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ed Seward have?
- Ed Seward drove in 62 runs in his career.
- What was Ed Seward's career ERA?
- Ed Seward finished with a 3.40 career ERA, going 89-72 with 589 strikeouts.