Jimmy Sexton
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1983)
Jimmy Sexton was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1983 for 4 teams, including the Seattle Mariners, a span of 7 seasons. In 236 career games, he hit .218 with 81 hits, 5 home runs, and 24 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-09-02
- Last Game
- 1983-10-02
Full name: Jimmy Dale Sexton
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | 372 | 53 | 81 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 36 | 32 | 71 | .218 | .279 | .298 | .578 | -908 |
Career AVG .218 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 16.6% below league average.
Career OBP .279 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 14.2% below league average.
Career SLG .298 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 23.2% below league average.
Career OPS .578 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 19.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SEA | AL | 14 | 37 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | .216 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | HOU | NL | 88 | 141 | 17 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 13 | 28 | .206 | .257 (-20%) | .323 (-16%) | .378 (-21%) | .702 (-19%) | -410.0 |
| 1979 | HOU | NL | 52 | 43 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | .209 | — | — | — | — | -158.3 |
| 1981 | OAK | AL | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | OAK | AL | 69 | 139 | 19 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 9 | 24 | .245 | .261 (-6%) | .324 (-11%) | .388 (-19%) | .712 (-15%) | -339.8 |
| 1983 | SLN | NL | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 236 | 372 | 53 | 81 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 36 | 32 | 71 | .218 | — | — | — | — | -908 | ||
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 (236 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 112 | 174 | 29 | 40 | 2 | 15 | .230 |
| Away | 124 | 198 | 24 | 41 | 3 | 9 | .207 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-10-02 | STL | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983-09-28 | STL | WSN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-23 | STL | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1983-09-22 | STL | NYN | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983-09-20 | STL | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-16 | STL | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1982-10-02 | OAK | KCR | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1982-09-27 | OAK | TEX | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982-09-24 | OAK | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982-09-22 | OAK | TEX | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 3B | 23 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| SS | 132 | 93 | 139 | 266 | 16 | 53 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SEA | SS | 12 | 12 | 12 | 40 | 4 | 10 |
| 1978 | HOU | 2B | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978 | HOU | 3B | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 | HOU | SS | 58 | 37 | 59 | 95 | 3 | 18 |
| 1979 | HOU | 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | HOU | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | HOU | SS | 11 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 2 | 6 |
| 1981 | OAK | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | OAK | 3B | 8 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| 1982 | OAK | SS | 47 | 38 | 56 | 101 | 7 | 17 |
| 1983 | SLN | 3B | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | SLN | SS | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 23 |
| Shortstop | 133 |
| Designated Hitter | 8 |
Jimmy Sexton: the record in brief
September 2, 1977 and October 2, 1983 bracket Jimmy Sexton's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Sexton played for the Seattle Mariners (1977), the Houston Astros (1978 to 1979), the Oakland Athletics (1981 through 1982), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1983). At 5'10" and 175 pounds, Sexton is listed as a shortstop. The bio says Sexton both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is December 15, 1951, in Mobile, AL, USA. Jimmy Sexton was the playing name; the full given name is Jimmy Dale.
The batting record for Sexton: 236 games, 81 hits in 372 at bats, and a .218 average, plus 5 homers, 24 RBI, and 36 stolen bases. Sexton got on base at a .279 rate and slugged .298 (.578 OPS). Set against a .261 league average for the same years, Sexton's .218 average sits 16.6% below it. By OPS the gap is 19.1% below league average (.578 against .714). No season topped the 34 hits of 1982. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .245 in 1982, did not top the league's .261.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy Sexton
- What years did Jimmy Sexton play?
- Jimmy Sexton played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1983.
- Was Jimmy Sexton a pitcher?
- No. Jimmy Sexton was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Jimmy Sexton hit?
- Jimmy Sexton hit 5 career home runs with 81 hits.
- What teams did Jimmy Sexton play for?
- Jimmy Sexton played for 4 teams: the Seattle Mariners (1977), the Houston Astros (1978–1979), the Oakland Athletics (1981–1982), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1983).
- What were Jimmy Sexton's career stats?
- In 236 games, Jimmy Sexton had 81 hits, 5 home runs, 24 RBI, 53 runs, and 36 stolen bases, with a .218 batting average.
- What position did Jimmy Sexton play?
- Jimmy Sexton played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jimmy Sexton and how much did he weigh?
- Jimmy Sexton was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jimmy Sexton hit each season?
- Jimmy Sexton's home runs by season: 1 in 1977, 2 in 1978, 0 in 1979, 0 in 1981, 2 in 1982, and 0 in 1983. His most in one season was 2, in 1978 and 1982.
- What was Jimmy Sexton's career batting average?
- Jimmy Sexton batted .218 over his career, with 81 hits in 372 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jimmy Sexton have?
- Jimmy Sexton drove in 24 runs in his career.
- Is Jimmy Sexton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jimmy Sexton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.