Jim Sundberg
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1974-1989)
Jim Sundberg was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1989 for 4 teams, including the Texas Rangers, a span of 16 seasons. In 1,962 career games, he hit .248 with 1,493 hits, 95 home runs, and 624 RBI. Jim Sundberg was a 3-time All-Star and a 6-time Gold Glove.
- 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" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1974-04-04
- Last Game
- 1989-09-24
- Awards
- 3× All-Star · 6× Gold Glove
Full name: James Howard Sundberg
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,962 | 6,021 | 621 | 1,493 | 243 | 36 | 95 | 624 | 20 | 699 | 963 | .248 | .327 | .348 | .674 | -3,149 |
Career AVG .248 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .327 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .348 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 9.8% below league average.
Career OPS .674 vs. league average .710 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 | TEX | AL | 132 | 368 | 45 | 91 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 36 | 2 | 62 | 61 | .247 | .256 (-4%) | .324 (+9%) | .369 (-12%) | .693 (-2%) | 59.3 |
| 1975 | TEX | AL | 155 | 472 | 45 | 94 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 36 | 3 | 51 | 77 | .199 | .257 (-23%) | .327 (-14%) | .374 (-31%) | .701 (-23%) | -1591.0 |
| 1976 | TEX | AL | 140 | 448 | 33 | 102 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 34 | 0 | 37 | 61 | .228 | .255 (-11%) | .320 (-11%) | .360 (-14%) | .681 (-13%) | -877.0 |
| 1977 | TEX | AL | 149 | 453 | 61 | 132 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 65 | 2 | 53 | 77 | .291 | .264 (+10%) | .329 (+11%) | .401 (-3%) | .730 (+3%) | 431.9 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 149 | 518 | 54 | 144 | 23 | 6 | 6 | 58 | 2 | 64 | 70 | .278 | .257 (+8%) | .323 (+11%) | .378 (avg) | .702 (+5%) | 689.8 |
| 1979 | TEX | AL | 150 | 495 | 50 | 136 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 64 | 3 | 51 | 51 | .275 | .265 (+3%) | .329 (+5%) | .397 (-7%) | .727 (-2%) | -76.1 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 151 | 505 | 59 | 138 | 24 | 1 | 10 | 63 | 2 | 64 | 67 | .273 | .264 (+3%) | .326 (+8%) | .387 (-1%) | .714 (+3%) | 490.6 |
| 1981 | TEX | AL | 102 | 339 | 42 | 94 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 2 | 50 | 48 | .277 | .255 (+8%) | .320 (+15%) | .368 (-1%) | .688 (+7%) | 583.3 |
| 1982 | TEX | AL | 139 | 470 | 37 | 118 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 47 | 2 | 49 | 57 | .251 | .261 (-4%) | .324 (avg) | .388 (-1%) | .712 (-1%) | -53.9 |
| 1983 | TEX | AL | 131 | 378 | 30 | 76 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 35 | 64 | .201 | .260 (-23%) | .324 (-16%) | .389 (-35%) | .714 (-26%) | -1515.9 |
| 1984 | ML4 | AL | 110 | 348 | 43 | 91 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 43 | 1 | 38 | 63 | .261 | .259 (+1%) | .322 (+3%) | .384 (+4%) | .707 (+3%) | 211.9 |
| 1985 | KCA | AL | 115 | 367 | 38 | 90 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 35 | 0 | 33 | 67 | .245 | .257 (-5%) | .323 (-5%) | .390 (-2%) | .714 (-4%) | -222.5 |
| 1986 | KCA | AL | 140 | 429 | 41 | 91 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 42 | 1 | 57 | 91 | .212 | .257 (-18%) | .325 (-7%) | .395 (-19%) | .720 (-13%) | -841.5 |
| 1987 | CHN | NL | 61 | 139 | 9 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 19 | 40 | .201 | .262 (-23%) | .331 (-8%) | .415 (-27%) | .746 (-19%) | -371.7 |
| 1988 | CHN | NL | 24 | 54 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 15 | .241 | .254 (-5%) | .317 (+5%) | .377 (-2%) | .695 (+1%) | 24.5 |
| 1988 | TEX | AL | 38 | 91 | 13 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 17 | .286 | .254 (+12%) | .317 (+2%) | .377 (+22%) | .695 (+13%) | 24.5 |
| 1989 | TEX | AL | 76 | 147 | 13 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 23 | 37 | .197 | .254 (-22%) | .319 (-5%) | .375 (-20%) | .694 (-13%) | -263.7 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,962 | 6,021 | 621 | 1,493 | 243 | 36 | 95 | 624 | 20 | 699 | 963 | .248 | — | — | — | — | -3,298 | ||
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 (1962 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 982 | 2950 | 287 | 720 | 36 | 302 | .244 |
| Away | 980 | 3071 | 334 | 773 | 59 | 322 | .252 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-09-24 | TEX | CHW | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-09-09 | TEX | BAL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-08-31 | TEX | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-08-25 | TEX | LAA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-08-15 | TEX | SEA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-08-13 | TEX | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-08-12 | TEX | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-08-09 | TEX | TOR | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989-08-08 | TEX | TOR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-08-07 | TEX | TOR | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1927 | 1775 | 9767 | 1007 | 81 | 145 |
| OF | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | TEX | C | 132 | 121 | 722 | 69 | 8 | 15 |
| 1975 | TEX | C | 155 | 148 | 791 | 101 | 17 | 11 |
| 1976 | TEX | C | 140 | 135 | 719 | 96 | 7 | 11 |
| 1977 | TEX | C | 149 | 137 | 801 | 103 | 5 | 12 |
| 1978 | TEX | C | 148 | 145 | 769 | 91 | 3 | 14 |
| 1979 | TEX | C | 150 | 144 | 754 | 75 | 4 | 14 |
| 1980 | TEX | C | 151 | 145 | 853 | 76 | 7 | 7 |
| 1981 | TEX | C | 98 | 97 | 464 | 52 | 2 | 9 |
| 1981 | TEX | OF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | TEX | C | 132 | 129 | 607 | 69 | 6 | 15 |
| 1982 | TEX | OF | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | TEX | C | 131 | 116 | 618 | 56 | 5 | 2 |
| 1984 | ML4 | C | 109 | 100 | 556 | 55 | 3 | 6 |
| 1985 | KCA | C | 112 | 107 | 572 | 41 | 5 | 10 |
| 1986 | KCA | C | 134 | 124 | 686 | 46 | 4 | 11 |
| 1987 | CHN | C | 57 | 35 | 273 | 34 | 2 | 2 |
| 1988 | CHN | C | 20 | 14 | 88 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988 | TEX | C | 36 | 25 | 141 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 1989 | TEX | C | 73 | 53 | 353 | 27 | 3 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1927 |
| Left Field | 3 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1981 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1980 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1979 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1978 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1978 | Player of the Week | Week of 1978-05-19 |
| 1978 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1977 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1976 | Gold Glove | C |
Salary History
Jim Sundberg's recorded salaries total $2,528,128 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1989. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Sundberg's career ran from 1974 to 1989. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1988.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | TEX | AL | $475,000 |
| 1987 | CHN | NL | $791,667 |
| 1986 | KCA | AL | $653,128 |
| 1985 | KCA | AL | $608,333 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $2,528,128 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | IA | 1970, 1971, 1972 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 24.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 30.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1974 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 4th | 1.0 | 24 | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Sundberg (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jim Sundberg: the record in brief
According to the bio, Jim Sundberg debuted on April 4, 1974 and played a final game on September 24, 1989. Club by club, the record runs the Texas Rangers (1974 to 1989), the Milwaukee Brewers (1984), the Kansas City Royals (1985 through 1986), and the Chicago Cubs (1987 through 1988). Sundberg played primarily as a catcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on May 18, 1951, in Galesburg, IL, USA, Sundberg was listed at 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds. Sundberg's full given name, per the bio, is James Howard Sundberg.
Sundberg finished with 1,493 hits from 6,021 at bats in 1,962 games, which works out to .248; the totals also include 95 homers, 624 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .327 clip and slugging .348, Sundberg finished with a .674 OPS. Sundberg hit .248 while the league hit .259 over the same span, a figure close to average. Sundberg's most home runs in a season came in 1986, when the total reached 12 for the Kansas City Royals. The hits column peaks at 144, in 1978.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Sundberg
- What years did Jim Sundberg play?
- Jim Sundberg played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1989.
- Was Jim Sundberg a pitcher?
- No. Jim Sundberg was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jim Sundberg hit?
- Jim Sundberg hit 95 career home runs with 1,493 hits.
- What teams did Jim Sundberg play for?
- Jim Sundberg played for 4 teams: the Texas Rangers (1974–1983, 1988–1989), the Milwaukee Brewers (1984), the Kansas City Royals (1985–1986), and the Chicago Cubs (1987–1988).
- Did Jim Sundberg win an MVP award?
- No. Jim Sundberg did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Jim Sundberg win?
- Jim Sundberg won 6 Gold Gloves (1976–1981). He was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
- What were Jim Sundberg's career stats?
- In 1,962 games, Jim Sundberg had 1,493 hits, 95 home runs, 624 RBI, 621 runs, and 20 stolen bases, with a .248 batting average.
- How much did Jim Sundberg earn in his career?
- Jim Sundberg's recorded salaries total $2,528,128 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1989. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Sundberg's career ran from 1974 to 1989. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1988.
- What was Jim Sundberg's salary?
- Jim Sundberg's last recorded salary was $475,000, in 1989. His highest recorded salary was $791,667, in 1987, and his lowest was $475,000, in 1989. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1989.
- What position did Jim Sundberg play?
- Jim Sundberg played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jim Sundberg and how much did he weigh?
- Jim Sundberg was listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jim Sundberg hit each season?
- Jim Sundberg's home runs by season: 3 in 1974, 6 in 1975, 3 in 1976, 6 in 1977, 6 in 1978, 5 in 1979, 10 in 1980, 3 in 1981, 10 in 1982, 2 in 1983, 7 in 1984, 10 in 1985, 12 in 1986, 4 in 1987, 6 in 1988, and 2 in 1989. His most in one season was 12, in 1986.
- What was Jim Sundberg's career batting average?
- Jim Sundberg batted .248 over his career, with 1,493 hits in 6,021 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Sundberg have?
- Jim Sundberg drove in 624 runs in his career.