John Stearns
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1974-1984)
John Stearns was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1984 for the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets, a span of 11 seasons. In 810 career games, he hit .260 with 696 hits, 46 home runs, and 312 RBI. John Stearns was a 4-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,204.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 185 lb
- Died
- 9/15/2022 in Denver, CO, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1974-09-22
- Last Game
- 1984-09-30
- Awards
- 4× All-Star
Full name: John Hardin Stearns
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 810 | 2,681 | 334 | 696 | 152 | 10 | 46 | 312 | 91 | 323 | 294 | .260 | .341 | .375 | .717 | 1,204 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .341 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .375 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .717 vs. league average .708 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | PHI | NL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | NYN | NL | 59 | 169 | 25 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 15 | .189 | .257 (-26%) | .327 (-18%) | .374 (-24%) | .701 (-21%) | -568.7 |
| 1976 | NYN | NL | 32 | 103 | 13 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 11 | .262 | .255 (+3%) | .320 (+14%) | .360 (+5%) | .681 (+9%) | 195.8 |
| 1977 | NYN | NL | 139 | 431 | 52 | 108 | 25 | 1 | 12 | 55 | 9 | 77 | 76 | .251 | .264 (-5%) | .329 (+12%) | .401 (-1%) | .730 (+5%) | 725.1 |
| 1978 | NYN | NL | 143 | 477 | 65 | 126 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 73 | 25 | 70 | 57 | .264 | .257 (+2%) | .323 (+12%) | .378 (+9%) | .702 (+11%) | 1208.8 |
| 1979 | NYN | NL | 155 | 538 | 58 | 131 | 29 | 2 | 9 | 66 | 15 | 52 | 57 | .243 | .265 (-8%) | .329 (-5%) | .397 (-11%) | .727 (-8%) | -702.0 |
| 1980 | NYN | NL | 91 | 319 | 42 | 91 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 7 | 33 | 24 | .285 | .264 (+8%) | .326 (+6%) | .387 (-5%) | .714 (avg) | 15.1 |
| 1981 | NYN | NL | 80 | 273 | 25 | 74 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 12 | 24 | 17 | .271 | .255 (+6%) | .320 (+3%) | .368 (-10%) | .688 (-4%) | -125.6 |
| 1982 | NYN | NL | 98 | 352 | 46 | 103 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 28 | 17 | 30 | 35 | .293 | .261 (+12%) | .324 (+8%) | .388 (+7%) | .712 (+7%) | 455.8 |
| 1983 | NYN | NL | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1984 | NYN | NL | 8 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 810 | 2,681 | 334 | 696 | 152 | 10 | 46 | 312 | 91 | 323 | 294 | .260 | — | — | — | — | 1,204 | ||
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 (810 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 391 | 1263 | 140 | 319 | 14 | 121 | .253 |
| Away | 419 | 1418 | 194 | 377 | 32 | 191 | .266 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-09-30 | NYN | WSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984-09-29 | NYN | WSN | W | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984-09-28 | NYN | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-26 | NYN | PHI | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984-09-19 | NYN | PHI | L | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984-09-04 | NYN | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-09-01 | NYN | SDP | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984-07-12 | NYN | ATL | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-23 | NYN | CHC | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-19 | NYN | PIT | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 49 | 42 | 330 | 38 | 3 | 36 |
| 3B | 29 | 20 | 10 | 36 | 7 | 3 |
| C | 699 | 651 | 3712 | 446 | 63 | 64 |
| OF | 6 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | PHI | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | NYN | C | 54 | 46 | 297 | 40 | 2 | 9 |
| 1976 | NYN | C | 30 | 28 | 200 | 20 | 3 | 2 |
| 1977 | NYN | 1B | 6 | 5 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 1977 | NYN | C | 127 | 116 | 742 | 76 | 15 | 12 |
| 1978 | NYN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | NYN | C | 141 | 134 | 711 | 84 | 12 | 7 |
| 1979 | NYN | 1B | 16 | 14 | 114 | 8 | 0 | 16 |
| 1979 | NYN | 3B | 11 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 2 |
| 1979 | NYN | C | 121 | 113 | 628 | 85 | 12 | 11 |
| 1979 | NYN | OF | 6 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1980 | NYN | 1B | 16 | 15 | 120 | 18 | 1 | 10 |
| 1980 | NYN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980 | NYN | C | 74 | 70 | 432 | 41 | 7 | 6 |
| 1981 | NYN | 1B | 9 | 7 | 58 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| 1981 | NYN | 3B | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | NYN | C | 66 | 63 | 302 | 38 | 6 | 7 |
| 1982 | NYN | 3B | 12 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| 1982 | NYN | C | 81 | 79 | 379 | 61 | 6 | 9 |
| 1984 | NYN | 1B | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1984 | NYN | C | 4 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 699 |
| First Base | 50 |
| Third Base | 29 |
| Left Field | 6 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado | Boulder | CO | 1971, 1972, 1973 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John Stearns (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare John Stearns
John Stearns: the record in brief
According to the bio, John Stearns debuted on September 22, 1974 and played a final game on September 30, 1984. By club, Stearns's seasons break down as the Philadelphia Phillies (1974) and the New York Mets (1975 to 1984). Stearns played primarily as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on August 21, 1951, in Denver, CO, USA, Stearns was listed at 6'0" and 185 pounds. Stearns died on September 15, 2022, in Denver, CO, USA. John Stearns was the playing name; the full given name is John Hardin.
Stearns collected 696 hits in 2,681 at bats across 810 games, good for a .260 batting average, adding 46 home runs, 312 runs batted in, and 91 stolen bases. Stearns's career OPS of .717 combines a .341 on-base mark with .375 slugging. The .260 career average is close to the .260 the league hit across the same seasons. The home run peak was 15 in 1978 with the New York Mets. No season topped the 131 hits of 1979.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Stearns
- What years did John Stearns play?
- John Stearns played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1984.
- Was John Stearns a pitcher?
- No. John Stearns was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did John Stearns hit?
- John Stearns hit 46 career home runs with 696 hits.
- What teams did John Stearns play for?
- John Stearns played for 2 teams: the Philadelphia Phillies (1974) and the New York Mets (1975–1984).
- Did John Stearns win an MVP award?
- No. John Stearns did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did John Stearns win?
- John Stearns was selected to 4 All-Star Games.
- What were John Stearns's career stats?
- In 810 games, John Stearns had 696 hits, 46 home runs, 312 RBI, 334 runs, and 91 stolen bases, with a .260 batting average.
- What position did John Stearns play?
- John Stearns played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John Stearns and how much did he weigh?
- John Stearns was listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did John Stearns hit each season?
- John Stearns's home runs by season: 0 in 1974, 3 in 1975, 2 in 1976, 12 in 1977, 15 in 1978, 9 in 1979, 0 in 1980, 1 in 1981, 4 in 1982, and 0 in 1984. His most in one season was 15, in 1978.
- What was John Stearns's career batting average?
- John Stearns batted .260 over his career, with 696 hits in 2,681 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Stearns have?
- John Stearns drove in 312 runs in his career.
- Is John Stearns in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Stearns has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did John Stearns make?
- John Stearns was selected to 4 All-Star Games.