Al Spalding
Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1871-1878)
Al Spalding was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1878 for the Boston Red Stockings and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 8 seasons. Across 347 career appearances, he went 251-65 with a 2.13 ERA and 248 strikeouts. He also batted .313 with 2 home runs. Al Spalding was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 3,806.
- 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 170 lb
- Died
- 9/9/1915 in San Diego, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1871-05-05
- Last Game
- 1878-08-31
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1939 (Veterans)
Full name: Albert Goodwill Spalding
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | BS1 | 19 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 257.1 | 333 | 96 | 38 | 23 | 3.36 | 4.22 (+20%) | 1875.6 | |
| 1872 | BS1 | 38 | 8 | 48 | 48 | 41 | 3 | 0 | 404.2 | 417 | 83 | 27 | 28 | 1.85 | 3.66 (+50%) | 1812.5 | |
| 1873 | BS1 | 41 | 14 | 60 | 54 | 46 | 1 | 3 | 496.2 | 643 | 165 | 36 | 50 | 2.99 | 3.40 (+12%) | 2065.0 | |
| 1874 | BS1 | 52 | 16 | 71 | 69 | 65 | 4 | 0 | 617.1 | 755 | 132 | 19 | 31 | 1.92 | 2.19 (+12%) | 1978.2 | |
| 1875 | BS1 | 54 | 5 | 72 | 62 | 52 | 7 | 9 | 570.2 | 573 | 101 | 18 | 75 | 1.59 | 2.23 (+28%) | 2139.7 | |
| 1876 | CHN | NL | 47 | 12 | 61 | 60 | 53 | 8 | 0 | 528.2 | 542 | 103 | 26 | 39 | 1.75 | 2.31 (+24%) | -1010.2 |
| 1877 | CHN | NL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11.0 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3.27 | 2.81 (-17%) | 91.6 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 251 | 65 | 347 | 325 | 279 | 24 | 13 | 2,886.1 | 3,280 | 684 | 164 | 248 | 2.13 | — | 8,952 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 411 | 1,959 | 417 | 613 | 86 | 19 | 2 | 338 | 18 | 29 | 26 | .313 | .323 | .379 | .702 | 3,806 |
Career AVG .313 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — +15.4% above league average.
Career OBP .323 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — +13.5% above league average.
Career SLG .379 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +13.4% above league average.
Career OPS .702 vs. league average .619 across their career seasons — +13.4% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | BS1 | 31 | 144 | 43 | 39 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 8 | 1 | .271 | .286 (-5%) | .311 (-1%) | .383 (-2%) | .695 (-2%) | -21.3 | |
| 1872 | BS1 | 48 | 237 | 60 | 84 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 3 | 3 | 1 | .354 | .285 (+24%) | .296 (+22%) | .347 (+29%) | .644 (+26%) | 906.5 | |
| 1873 | BS1 | 60 | 323 | 83 | 106 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 71 | 9 | 3 | 2 | .328 | .290 (+13%) | .304 (+10%) | .357 (+9%) | .661 (+10%) | 503.5 | |
| 1874 | BS1 | 71 | 362 | 80 | 119 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .329 | .273 (+20%) | .282 (+18%) | .333 (+11%) | .615 (+14%) | 840.9 | |
| 1875 | BS1 | 74 | 343 | 68 | 107 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 56 | 2 | 3 | 3 | .312 | .253 (+23%) | .260 (+22%) | .309 (+20%) | .570 (+21%) | 1045.3 | |
| 1876 | CHN | NL | 66 | 292 | 54 | 91 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 6 | 3 | .312 | .265 (+17%) | .277 (+17%) | .320 (+16%) | .598 (+17%) | 742.1 |
| 1877 | CHN | NL | 60 | 254 | 29 | 65 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 16 | .256 | .271 (-6%) | .289 (-8%) | .337 (-2%) | .626 (-5%) | -210.8 |
| 1878 | CHN | NL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 411 | 1,959 | 417 | 613 | 86 | 19 | 2 | 338 | 18 | 29 | 26 | .313 | — | — | — | — | 3,806 | ||
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 | 52 | 0 | 506 | 21 | 21 | 23 |
| 2B | 14 | 0 | 40 | 50 | 12 | 6 |
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| OF | 64 | 2 | 32 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| P | 347 | 148 | 211 | 648 | 110 | 29 |
| SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | BS1 | OF | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1871 | BS1 | P | 31 | 31 | 11 | 48 | 17 | 2 |
| 1872 | BS1 | OF | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1872 | BS1 | P | 48 | 48 | 28 | 101 | 14 | 2 |
| 1873 | BS1 | OF | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1873 | BS1 | P | 60 | 0 | 36 | 125 | 21 | 5 |
| 1874 | BS1 | OF | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1874 | BS1 | P | 71 | 69 | 38 | 143 | 31 | 3 |
| 1875 | BS1 | 1B | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1875 | BS1 | OF | 18 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 1875 | BS1 | P | 72 | 0 | 51 | 133 | 19 | 10 |
| 1876 | CHN | 1B | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1876 | CHN | OF | 10 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1876 | CHN | P | 61 | 0 | 45 | 92 | 7 | 7 |
| 1876 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1877 | CHN | 1B | 45 | 0 | 472 | 21 | 21 | 23 |
| 1877 | CHN | 2B | 13 | 0 | 37 | 50 | 8 | 6 |
| 1877 | CHN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1877 | CHN | P | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1878 | CHN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 347 |
| First Base | 52 |
| Second Base | 14 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 10 |
| Center Field | 46 |
| Right Field | 9 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Al Spalding (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Al Spalding
Al Spalding: the record in brief
The profile opens with Al Spalding's first major league game on May 5, 1871; the last one listed came on August 31, 1878. Club by club, the record runs the Boston Red Stockings (1871 to 1875) and the Chicago White Stockings (1876 to 1878). The bio lists Spalding as a pitcher who batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6'1" and 170 pounds. Spalding was born on September 2, 1850, in Byron, IL, USA. Spalding died on September 9, 1915, in San Diego, CA, USA. Spalding's full given name, per the bio, is Albert Goodwill Spalding.
Across 347 games (325 starts), Spalding recorded 251 wins against 65 losses with a 2.13 ERA. The same table counts 248 strikeouts, 279 complete games, 24 shutouts, and 13 saves. The leagues Spalding pitched in allowed 2.79 earned runs per nine over those seasons, so the career ERA was 23.6% better than average. The best win total was 54, in 1875.
Frequently Asked Questions about Al Spalding
- What years did Al Spalding play?
- Al Spalding played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1878.
- Was Al Spalding a pitcher?
- Yes. Al Spalding pitched in the major leagues, recording 251 wins and 248 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Al Spalding hit?
- Al Spalding hit 2 career home runs with 613 hits.
- Is Al Spalding in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Al Spalding was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
- What teams did Al Spalding play for?
- Al Spalding played for 2 teams: the Boston Red Stockings (1871–1875) and the Chicago White Stockings (1876–1878).
- What were Al Spalding's career stats?
- In 347 games, Al Spalding went 251-65 with a 2.13 ERA, 248 strikeouts, 2,886.1 innings pitched, and 13 saves. At the plate he had 613 hits and 2 home runs.
- What position did Al Spalding play?
- Al Spalding played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Al Spalding and how much did he weigh?
- Al Spalding was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 170 pounds.
- What was Al Spalding's career ERA?
- Al Spalding finished with a 2.13 career ERA, going 251-65 with 248 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Al Spalding have?
- Al Spalding recorded 248 career strikeouts.