Luke Sewell

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1921-1942)

Luke Sewell was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1921 to 1942 for 4 teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 22 seasons. In 1,630 career games, he hit .259 with 1,393 hits, 20 home runs, and 696 RBI. Luke Sewell was an All-Star.

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

AVG .259
HR 20
RBI 696
H 1,393
OPS .665
PIV -8,435
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'9" / 160 lb
Born
1/5/1901 in Titus, AL, USA
Died
5/14/1987 in Akron, OH, USA
MLB Debut
1921-06-30
Last Game
1942-08-01
Awards
All-Star

Full name: James Luther Sewell

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Career Batting Statistics

Luke Sewell — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,630 5,383 653 1,393 272 56 20 696 65 486 307 .259 .323 .341 .665 -8,435

Career AVG .259 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.

Career OBP .323 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Career SLG .341 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 13.6% below league average.

Career OPS .665 vs. league average .738 across their career seasons — 9.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Luke Sewell 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
1921 CLE AL 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 .000 — — — — 0.0
1922 CLE AL 41 87 14 23 5 0 0 10 1 5 8 .264 .285 (-7%) .345 (-10%) .397 (-19%) .743 (-15%) -206.5
1923 CLE AL 10 10 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 .200 — — — — 0.0
1924 CLE AL 63 165 27 48 9 1 0 17 1 22 13 .291 .283 (+2%) .345 (+12%) .389 (-8%) .734 (+1%) 139.3
1925 CLE AL 74 220 30 51 10 2 0 18 6 33 18 .232 .288 (-20%) .349 (-4%) .407 (-27%) .756 (-16%) -525.1
1926 CLE AL 126 433 41 103 16 4 0 46 9 36 27 .238 .279 (-15%) .345 (-13%) .390 (-25%) .735 (-19%) -1317.5
1927 CLE AL 128 470 52 138 27 6 0 53 4 20 23 .294 .282 (+4%) .344 (-5%) .392 (-4%) .736 (-4%) -403.9
1928 CLE AL 122 411 52 111 16 9 3 52 3 26 27 .270 .280 (-4%) .342 (-7%) .395 (-5%) .737 (-6%) -462.6
1929 CLE AL 124 406 41 96 16 3 1 39 6 29 26 .236 .289 (-18%) .353 (-19%) .415 (-28%) .769 (-24%) -1647.7
1930 CLE AL 76 292 40 75 21 2 1 43 5 14 9 .257 .293 (-13%) .354 (-17%) .429 (-18%) .784 (-18%) -921.1
1931 CLE AL 108 375 45 103 30 4 1 53 1 36 17 .275 .276 (-1%) .338 (+1%) .388 (-1%) .726 (avg) -10.5
1932 CLE AL 87 300 36 76 20 2 2 52 4 38 24 .253 .275 (-8%) .335 (+1%) .391 (-10%) .726 (-5%) -186.3
1933 WS1 AL 141 474 65 125 30 4 2 61 7 48 24 .264 .270 (-2%) .329 (+2%) .377 (-6%) .707 (-2%) -109.5
1934 WS1 AL 72 207 21 49 7 3 2 21 0 22 10 .237 .278 (-15%) .340 (-8%) .392 (-16%) .733 (-13%) -407.0
1935 CHA AL 118 421 52 120 19 3 2 67 3 32 18 .285 .279 (+2%) .342 (-2%) .399 (-10%) .742 (-6%) -429.8
1936 CHA AL 128 451 59 113 20 5 5 73 11 54 16 .251 .283 (-12%) .349 (-5%) .404 (-13%) .753 (-9%) -673.5
1937 CHA AL 122 412 51 111 21 6 1 61 4 46 18 .269 .276 (-3%) .342 (avg) .398 (-10%) .740 (-6%) -335.5
1938 CHA AL 65 211 23 45 4 1 0 27 0 20 20 .213 .272 (-22%) .341 (-17%) .392 (-38%) .734 (-28%) -937.9
1939 CLE AL 16 20 1 3 1 0 0 1 0 3 1 .150 — — — — 0.0
1942 SLA AL 6 12 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 .083 — — — — 0.0
Career · 20 seasons 1,630 5,383 653 1,393 272 56 20 696 65 486 307 .259 — — — — -8,435

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

Luke Sewell — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 17 1 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 .176

Playoff Batting by Year

Luke Sewell — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1933 WS WS1 5 17 1 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 .176

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1631 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Luke Sewell — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home80425583376958338.272
Away827282531369512361.246

Last 10 Games — Batting

Luke Sewell — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1942-08-01 SLANYYW 301000001
1942-07-30 SLAMINL 200000002
1942-07-25 SLABOSL 200000000
1942-07-23 SLAPHAW 200000001
1942-07-19 SLAMINW 110000010
1942-07-05 SLACHWL 200000001
1939-08-30 CLENYYW 200000010
1939-08-27 CLEBOSW 100000020
1939-08-24 CLEPHAW 100000000
1939-08-24 CLEPHAW 000000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Luke Sewell — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 7 0 57 3 0 4
2B 1 0 1 1 0 0
3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
C 1562 0 5444 1084 150 138
OF 9 0 20 3 1 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Luke Sewell — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1921 CLE C 3 0 7 4 0 0
1922 CLE C 39 0 108 21 5 2
1923 CLE C 7 0 5 5 2 0
1924 CLE C 57 0 171 42 9 5
1925 CLE C 66 0 216 54 8 13
1925 CLE OF 2 0 6 0 0 0
1926 CLE C 125 0 437 91 9 3
1927 CLE C 126 0 402 119 20 14
1928 CLE C 118 0 430 117 16 13
1929 CLE C 124 0 433 81 18 11
1930 CLE C 76 0 283 49 9 5
1931 CLE C 104 0 384 61 9 5
1932 CLE C 84 0 306 50 8 8
1933 WS1 C 141 0 516 61 6 12
1934 WS1 1B 6 0 57 3 0 4
1934 WS1 2B 1 0 1 1 0 0
1934 WS1 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1934 WS1 C 50 0 143 23 1 6
1934 WS1 OF 7 0 14 3 1 1
1935 CHA C 112 0 399 83 6 10
1936 CHA C 126 0 461 87 9 12
1937 CHA C 118 0 502 72 9 11
1938 CHA C 65 0 205 55 4 7
1939 CLE 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1939 CLE C 15 0 24 4 1 0
1942 SLA C 6 0 12 5 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Luke Sewell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 1558
First Base 7
Second Base 1
Third Base 1
Left Field 4
Right Field 5

College History

Luke Sewell — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL 1919, 1920, 1921

Award Voting History

Luke Sewell — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1937 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 22.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 7.0 80 0
1928 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 6.0 64 0
1927 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 13.0 64 0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Luke Sewell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Al Lopez HOF
    .261 avg, 51 HR
  2. 97
    Rollie Hemsley
    .262 avg, 31 HR
  3. 88
    Steve O'Neill
    .263 avg, 13 HR
  4. 82
    Heinie Peitz
    .271 avg, 16 HR
  5. 82
    Frank Snyder
    .265 avg, 47 HR
  6. 81
    Charlie Moore
    .261 avg, 36 HR

Luke Sewell: the record in brief

Luke Sewell's major league career runs from a debut on June 30, 1921 to a final game on August 1, 1942. The team column moves through the Cleveland Indians (1921 through 1939), the Washington Senators (1933 to 1934), the Chicago White Sox (1935 through 1938), and the St. Louis Browns (1942). The bio lists Sewell as a catcher who both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 160 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. The birth record reads January 5, 1901, in Titus, AL, USA. Sewell died on May 14, 1987, in Akron, OH, USA. The given name on file is James Luther Sewell.

Sewell collected 1,393 hits in 5,383 at bats across 1,630 games, good for a .259 batting average; the totals also include 20 home runs, 696 RBI, and 65 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .323 and .341 give Sewell a career OPS of .665. Set against a .280 league average for the same years, Sewell's .259 average sits 7.6% below it. By OPS the gap is 9.9% below league average (.665 against .738). Sewell collected a career-high 138 hits in 1927.

Frequently Asked Questions about Luke Sewell

What years did Luke Sewell play?
Luke Sewell played in Major League Baseball from 1921 to 1942.
Was Luke Sewell a pitcher?
No. Luke Sewell was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Luke Sewell hit?
Luke Sewell hit 20 career home runs with 1,393 hits.
What teams did Luke Sewell play for?
Luke Sewell played for 4 teams: the Cleveland Indians (1921–1932, 1939), the Washington Senators (1933–1934), the Chicago White Sox (1935–1938), and the St. Louis Browns (1942).
Did Luke Sewell win an MVP award?
No. Luke Sewell did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Luke Sewell win?
Luke Sewell was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
What were Luke Sewell's career stats?
In 1,630 games, Luke Sewell had 1,393 hits, 20 home runs, 696 RBI, 653 runs, and 65 stolen bases, with a .259 batting average.
What position did Luke Sewell play?
Luke Sewell played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Luke Sewell and how much did he weigh?
Luke Sewell was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 160 pounds.
How many home runs did Luke Sewell hit each season?
Luke Sewell's home runs by season: 0 in 1921, 0 in 1922, 0 in 1923, 0 in 1924, 0 in 1925, 0 in 1926, 0 in 1927, 3 in 1928, 1 in 1929, 1 in 1930, 1 in 1931, 2 in 1932, 2 in 1933, 2 in 1934, 2 in 1935, 5 in 1936, 1 in 1937, 0 in 1938, 0 in 1939, and 0 in 1942. His most in one season was 5, in 1936.
What was Luke Sewell's career batting average?
Luke Sewell batted .259 over his career, with 1,393 hits in 5,383 at bats.
How many RBI did Luke Sewell have?
Luke Sewell drove in 696 runs in his career.
Is Luke Sewell in the Hall of Fame?
No. Luke Sewell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Luke Sewell make?
Luke Sewell was selected to 1 All-Star Game.