John Sullivan
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1920-1921)
John Sullivan was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1920 to 1921 for the Boston Braves and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 2 seasons. In 162 career games, he hit .309 with 153 hits, 5 home runs, and 69 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 1,201.
- 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 180 lb
- Died
- 4/1/1966 in Milton, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1920-04-18
- Last Game
- 1921-10-02
Full name: John Lawrence Sullivan
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 162 | 495 | 64 | 153 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 69 | 6 | 48 | 55 | .309 | .374 | .428 | .802 | 1,201 |
Career AVG .309 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — +10.6% above league average.
Career OBP .374 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +10.4% above league average.
Career SLG .428 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — +12.8% above league average.
Career OPS .802 vs. league average .718 across their career seasons — +11.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | BSN | NL | 81 | 250 | 36 | 74 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 3 | 29 | 29 | .296 | .271 (+9%) | .331 (+13%) | .363 (+9%) | .694 (+11%) | 537.7 |
| 1921 | BSN | NL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | CHN | NL | 76 | 240 | 28 | 79 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 41 | 3 | 19 | 26 | .329 | .286 (+15%) | .344 (+11%) | .395 (+19%) | .739 (+15%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 162 | 495 | 64 | 153 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 69 | 6 | 48 | 55 | .309 | — | — | — | — | 538 | ||
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 (162 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 85 | 266 | 32 | 85 | 2 | 37 | .320 |
| Away | 77 | 231 | 31 | 67 | 3 | 29 | .290 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-10-02 | CHC | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-10-02 | CHC | CIN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1921-10-01 | CHC | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-27 | CHC | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-21 | CHC | NY1 | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-20 | CHC | NY1 | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-18 | CHC | BRO | W | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-18 | CHC | BRO | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-17 | CHC | BRO | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-09-11 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 6 |
| Left Field | 65 |
| Center Field | 6 |
| Right Field | 64 |
John Sullivan: the record in brief
According to the bio, John Sullivan debuted on April 18, 1920 and played a final game on October 2, 1921. The season rows list, in order, the Boston Braves (1920 through 1921) and the Chicago Cubs (1921). Listed as an outfielder, Sullivan threw and hit right-handed. Sullivan is listed at 180 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The birth record reads March 21, 1890, in Williamsport, PA, USA. Sullivan's death is recorded on April 1, 1966, in Milton, PA, USA. The bio lists the given name John Lawrence.
Across 162 games at the plate, Sullivan's career line reads 153 hits in 495 at bats for a .309 average, plus 5 homers and 69 RBI. Sullivan got on base at a .374 rate and slugged .428 (.802 OPS). The league as a whole hit .279 across Sullivan's seasons, which puts the .309 career mark 10.6% above average. By OPS the gap is 11.7% above league average (.802 against .718). The highest hit total in a season was 79, in 1921.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Sullivan
- What years did John Sullivan play?
- John Sullivan played in Major League Baseball from 1920 to 1921.
- Was John Sullivan a pitcher?
- No. John Sullivan was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did John Sullivan hit?
- John Sullivan hit 5 career home runs with 153 hits.
- What was John Sullivan's career batting average?
- John Sullivan batted .309 over his career, with 153 hits in 495 at bats.
- How many RBI did John Sullivan have?
- John Sullivan drove in 69 runs in his career.
- Is John Sullivan in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Sullivan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.