Jim Small
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1955-1958)
Jim Small was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1958 for the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Athletics, a span of 4 seasons. In 108 career games, he hit .270 with 38 hits and 10 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 80.
- 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
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1955-06-22
- Last Game
- 1958-09-27
Full name: James Arthur Patrick Small
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 108 | 141 | 22 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 22 | .270 | .318 | .340 | .658 | 80 |
Career AVG .270 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .318 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .340 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 13.6% below league average.
Career OPS .658 vs. league average .722 across their career seasons — 8.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | DET | AL | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1956 | DET | AL | 58 | 91 | 13 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 10 | .319 | .258 (+23%) | .331 (+9%) | .397 (+2%) | .728 (+5%) | 80.0 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 36 | 42 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | .214 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1958 | KC1 | AL | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 108 | 141 | 22 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 22 | .270 | — | — | — | — | 80 | ||
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 (108 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55 | 67 | 11 | 21 | 0 | 6 | .313 |
| Away | 53 | 74 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 4 | .230 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-09-27 | KC1 | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958-09-14 | KC1 | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-18 | DET | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-14 | DET | BAL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-09-11 | DET | MIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-30 | DET | CLE | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-29 | DET | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-27 | DET | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-08-24 | DET | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-23 | DET | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 14 |
| Center Field | 13 |
| Right Field | 18 |
Jim Small: the record in brief
Jim Small's major league career runs from a debut on June 22, 1955 to a final game on September 27, 1958. Club by club, the record runs the Detroit Tigers (1955 to 1957) and the Kansas City Athletics (1958). Small played primarily as an outfielder and threw and hit left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on March 8, 1937, in Portland, OR, USA and a listed size of 180 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. Jim Small was the playing name; the full given name is James Arthur Patrick.
Small's career batting table shows 108 games, 141 at bats and 38 hits, a .270 average, plus 10 RBI. The on-base percentage is .318 and the slugging percentage .340, for an OPS of .658. Against a .258 league average for those years, Small's .270 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .658 to a league .722, 8.8% below average. The hits column peaks at 29, in 1956. 1956 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .319 against a league .258, a 23% edge.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Small
- What years did Jim Small play?
- Jim Small played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1958.
- Was Jim Small a pitcher?
- No. Jim Small was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Jim Small hit?
- Jim Small hit 0 career home runs with 38 hits.
- What was Jim Small's career batting average?
- Jim Small batted .270 over his career, with 38 hits in 141 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Small have?
- Jim Small drove in 10 runs in his career.
- Is Jim Small in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Small has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.