Al Spangler
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1959-1971)
Al Spangler was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1971 for 4 teams, including the Milwaukee Braves, a span of 13 seasons. In 912 career games, he hit .262 with 594 hits, 21 home runs, and 175 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,192.
- 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
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1959-09-16
- Last Game
- 1971-09-12
Full name: Albert Donald Spangler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 912 | 2,267 | 307 | 594 | 87 | 26 | 21 | 175 | 37 | 295 | 234 | .262 | .347 | .351 | .698 | 1,192 |
Career AVG .262 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .347 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — +9.8% above league average.
Career SLG .351 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — 6.4% below league average.
Career OPS .698 vs. league average .691 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | ML1 | NL | 6 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .417 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1960 | ML1 | NL | 101 | 105 | 26 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 17 | .267 | .255 (+5%) | .323 (+10%) | .387 (-9%) | .711 (-1%) | 22.4 |
| 1961 | ML1 | NL | 68 | 97 | 23 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 28 | 9 | .268 | .258 (+4%) | .328 (+32%) | .399 (-28%) | .727 (-1%) | 172.5 |
| 1962 | HOU | NL | 129 | 418 | 51 | 119 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 35 | 7 | 70 | 46 | .285 | .257 (+10%) | .326 (+19%) | .393 (-1%) | .719 (+8%) | 945.0 |
| 1963 | HOU | NL | 120 | 430 | 52 | 121 | 25 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 5 | 50 | 38 | .281 | .246 (+14%) | .308 (+15%) | .371 (+4%) | .680 (+9%) | 796.6 |
| 1964 | HOU | NL | 135 | 449 | 51 | 110 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 7 | 41 | 43 | .245 | .250 (-2%) | .312 (-1%) | .377 (-12%) | .690 (-7%) | -434.6 |
| 1965 | HOU | NL | 38 | 112 | 18 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 8 | .214 | .245 (-13%) | .310 (-4%) | .371 (-28%) | .682 (-17%) | -256.9 |
| 1965 | CAL | AL | 51 | 96 | 17 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | .260 | .245 (+6%) | .310 (+2%) | .371 (-27%) | .682 (-14%) | -256.9 |
| 1966 | CAL | AL | 6 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .667 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | CHN | NL | 62 | 130 | 18 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 23 | 17 | .254 | .242 (+5%) | .306 (+18%) | .357 (-14%) | .663 (+1%) | 112.3 |
| 1968 | CHN | NL | 88 | 177 | 21 | 48 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 20 | 24 | .271 | .236 (+15%) | .298 (+15%) | .340 (+15%) | .638 (+15%) | 439.5 |
| 1969 | CHN | NL | 82 | 213 | 23 | 45 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 21 | 16 | .211 | .248 (-15%) | .320 (-11%) | .369 (-15%) | .689 (-13%) | -436.4 |
| 1970 | CHN | NL | 21 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | CHN | NL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 912 | 2,267 | 307 | 594 | 87 | 26 | 21 | 175 | 37 | 295 | 234 | .262 | — | — | — | — | 1,104 | ||
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 (911 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 475 | 1137 | 168 | 322 | 6 | 99 | .283 |
| Away | 436 | 1130 | 139 | 272 | 15 | 76 | .241 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-09-12 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-09-06 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-09-03 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-31 | CHC | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-30 | CHC | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-08-26 | CHC | LAD | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-08-22 | CHC | SFG | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970-08-21 | CHC | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970-08-18 | CHC | SDP | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970-08-15 | CHC | LAD | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | ML1 | OF | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960 | ML1 | OF | 92 | 22 | 88 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1961 | ML1 | OF | 44 | 19 | 56 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962 | HOU | OF | 121 | 109 | 183 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| 1963 | HOU | OF | 113 | 110 | 215 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 1964 | HOU | OF | 127 | 112 | 185 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 1965 | HOU | OF | 33 | 25 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1965 | CAL | OF | 24 | 18 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | CAL | OF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | CHN | OF | 41 | 33 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968 | CHN | OF | 48 | 39 | 71 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1969 | CHN | OF | 58 | 52 | 75 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1970 | CHN | OF | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 438 |
| Center Field | 143 |
| Right Field | 152 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University | Durham | NC | 1953, 1954 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Al Spangler (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Al Spangler: the record in brief
Al Spangler's major league career runs from a debut on September 16, 1959 to a final game on September 12, 1971. Club by club, the record runs the Milwaukee Braves (1959 through 1961), the Houston Colt .45's (1962 through 1964), the Houston Astros (1965), the California Angels (1965 to 1966), and the Chicago Cubs (1967 to 1971). At 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds, Spangler is listed as an outfielder. Spangler both batted and threw left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is July 8, 1933, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Spangler's full given name, per the bio, is Albert Donald Spangler.
Across 912 games at the plate, Spangler's career line reads 594 hits in 2,267 at bats for a .262 average, adding 21 home runs, 175 runs batted in, and 37 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .347 and .351 give Spangler a career OPS of .698. Spangler hit .262 while the league hit .250 over the same span, a figure close to average. No season topped the 121 hits of 1963.
Frequently Asked Questions about Al Spangler
- What years did Al Spangler play?
- Al Spangler played in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1971.
- Was Al Spangler a pitcher?
- No. Al Spangler was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Al Spangler hit?
- Al Spangler hit 21 career home runs with 594 hits.
- What was Al Spangler's career batting average?
- Al Spangler batted .262 over his career, with 594 hits in 2,267 at bats.
- How many RBI did Al Spangler have?
- Al Spangler drove in 175 runs in his career.
- Is Al Spangler in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Al Spangler has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.