Herb Souell
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Herb Souell was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs. In 371 career games, he hit .290 with 426 hits, 6 home runs, and 159 RBI. Herb Souell was a 4-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 524.
- 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 150 lb
- Died
- 7/12/1978 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Awards
- 4× All-Star
Full name: Herbert Souell
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 371 | 1,467 | 257 | 426 | 45 | 23 | 6 | 159 | 56 | 106 | 2 | .290 | .342 | .365 | .707 | 524 |
Career AVG .290 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +11.5% above league average.
Career OBP .342 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .365 vs. league average .365 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .707 vs. league average .696 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | KCM | NAL | 35 | 122 | 19 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 1 | .311 | .267 (+17%) | .335 (+18%) | .387 (-5%) | .722 (+6%) | 183.2 |
| 1941 | KCM | NAL | 4 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | KCM | NAL | 32 | 130 | 22 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | .285 | .253 (+12%) | .323 (+1%) | .349 (-10%) | .672 (-5%) | -87.0 |
| 1943 | KCM | NAL | 54 | 208 | 31 | 52 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 0 | .250 | .255 (-2%) | .324 (-6%) | .346 (-13%) | .671 (-9%) | -290.3 |
| 1944 | KCM | NAL | 53 | 200 | 33 | 57 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 4 | 18 | 0 | .285 | .261 (+9%) | .325 (+6%) | .357 (+1%) | .683 (+3%) | 117.7 |
| 1945 | KCM | NAL | 47 | 186 | 39 | 59 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 33 | 4 | 10 | 0 | .317 | .260 (+22%) | .328 (+9%) | .354 (+21%) | .683 (+15%) | 406.2 |
| 1946 | KCM | NAL | 39 | 156 | 18 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .256 | .256 (avg) | .328 (-10%) | .358 (-25%) | .687 (-18%) | -412.4 |
| 1947 | KCM | NAL | 61 | 257 | 52 | 85 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 1 | .331 | .262 (+26%) | .336 (+13%) | .376 (+11%) | .712 (+12%) | 506.9 |
| 1948 | KCM | NAL | 46 | 196 | 41 | 56 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 6 | 14 | 0 | .286 | .263 (+8%) | .340 (-1%) | .379 (+10%) | .719 (+5%) | 99.8 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 371 | 1,467 | 257 | 426 | 45 | 23 | 6 | 159 | 56 | 106 | 2 | .290 | — | — | — | — | 524 | ||
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
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (363 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 258 | 954 | 186 | 285 | 6 | 99 | .299 |
| Away | 105 | 362 | 55 | 114 | 4 | 35 | .315 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-09-05 | KCM | NY6 | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-05 | KCM | NY6 | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-04 | KCM | NY6 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-04 | KCM | NY6 | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-30 | KCM | BLG | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-28 | KCM | BLG | W | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-28 | KCM | BLG | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-11 | KCM | HOE | L | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-10 | KCM | HOE | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-09 | KCM | HOE | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 363 | 358 | 328 | 599 | 83 | 51 |
| OF | 7 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | KCM | 3B | 32 | 31 | 18 | 47 | 6 | 0 |
| 1940 | KCM | OF | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | KCM | 3B | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | KCM | 3B | 31 | 30 | 24 | 34 | 6 | 0 |
| 1942 | KCM | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943 | KCM | 3B | 54 | 54 | 53 | 77 | 11 | 6 |
| 1944 | KCM | 3B | 53 | 50 | 47 | 100 | 14 | 9 |
| 1944 | KCM | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | KCM | SS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | KCM | 3B | 45 | 45 | 45 | 83 | 8 | 9 |
| 1945 | KCM | OF | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | KCM | 3B | 38 | 38 | 41 | 67 | 16 | 11 |
| 1946 | KCM | SS | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | KCM | 3B | 61 | 61 | 61 | 97 | 13 | 9 |
| 1948 | KCM | 3B | 46 | 46 | 36 | 90 | 9 | 7 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 363 |
| Shortstop | 2 |
| Left Field | 6 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Herb Souell: the record in brief
The season rows for Herb Souell begin in 1940. Souell spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the Kansas City Monarchs. The bio lists Souell as a third baseman who batted from both sides and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 150 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. The birth record reads February 5, 1913, in West Monroe, LA, USA. Souell's death is recorded on July 12, 1978, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Souell's full given name, per the bio, is Herbert Souell.
In 371 games and 1,467 at bats, Souell batted .290 with 426 hits, adding 6 home runs, 159 RBI, and 56 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .342 and .365 give Souell a career OPS of .707. Set against a .260 league average for the same years, Souell's .290 average sits 11.5% above it. 1947 produced Souell's most hits, 85 of them for the Kansas City Monarchs. The RBI column peaks at 33 in 1945.
Frequently Asked Questions about Herb Souell
- Was Herb Souell a pitcher?
- No. Herb Souell was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Herb Souell hit?
- Herb Souell hit 6 career home runs with 426 hits.
- What teams did Herb Souell play for?
- Herb Souell played for one team, the Kansas City Monarchs (1940–1948).
- Did Herb Souell win an MVP award?
- No. Herb Souell did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Herb Souell win?
- Herb Souell was selected to 4 All-Star Games.
- What were Herb Souell's career stats?
- In 371 games, Herb Souell had 426 hits, 6 home runs, 159 RBI, 257 runs, and 56 stolen bases, with a .290 batting average.
- What position did Herb Souell play?
- Herb Souell played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Herb Souell and how much did he weigh?
- Herb Souell was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 150 pounds.
- How many home runs did Herb Souell hit each season?
- Herb Souell's home runs by season: 0 in 1940, 0 in 1941, 0 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 2 in 1944, 1 in 1945, 0 in 1946, 1 in 1947, and 2 in 1948. His most in one season was 2, in 1944 and 1948.
- What was Herb Souell's career batting average?
- Herb Souell batted .290 over his career, with 426 hits in 1,467 at bats.
- How many RBI did Herb Souell have?
- Herb Souell drove in 159 runs in his career.
- Is Herb Souell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Herb Souell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Herb Souell make?
- Herb Souell was selected to 4 All-Star Games.