Derrel Thomas
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1971-1985)
Derrel Thomas was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1985 for 7 teams, including the Houston Astros, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,597 career games, he hit .249 with 1,163 hits, 43 home runs, and 370 RBI.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 160 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1971-09-14
- Last Game
- 1985-10-05
Full name: Derrell Osbon Thomas
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,597 | 4,677 | 585 | 1,163 | 154 | 54 | 43 | 370 | 140 | 456 | 593 | .249 | .317 | .332 | .649 | -4,795 |
Career AVG .249 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .317 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .332 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 12.6% below league average.
Career OPS .649 vs. league average .703 across their career seasons — 7.7% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | HOU | NL | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | SDN | NL | 130 | 500 | 48 | 115 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 36 | 9 | 41 | 73 | .230 | .243 (-6%) | .310 (-6%) | .353 (-12%) | .664 (-10%) | -712.2 |
| 1973 | SDN | NL | 113 | 404 | 41 | 96 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 15 | 34 | 52 | .238 | .256 (-8%) | .325 (-8%) | .378 (-31%) | .703 (-21%) | -1223.7 |
| 1974 | SDN | NL | 141 | 523 | 48 | 129 | 24 | 6 | 3 | 41 | 7 | 51 | 58 | .247 | .256 (-4%) | .324 (-4%) | .369 (-10%) | .693 (-7%) | -573.5 |
| 1975 | SFN | NL | 144 | 540 | 99 | 149 | 21 | 9 | 6 | 48 | 28 | 57 | 56 | .276 | .257 (+7%) | .327 (+6%) | .374 (+2%) | .701 (+4%) | 438.7 |
| 1976 | SFN | NL | 81 | 272 | 38 | 63 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 10 | 29 | 26 | .232 | .255 (-9%) | .320 (-2%) | .360 (-16%) | .681 (-10%) | -352.9 |
| 1977 | SFN | NL | 148 | 506 | 75 | 135 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 44 | 15 | 46 | 70 | .267 | .264 (+1%) | .329 (avg) | .401 (-5%) | .730 (-3%) | -257.6 |
| 1978 | SDN | NL | 128 | 352 | 36 | 80 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 11 | 35 | 37 | .227 | .257 (-12%) | .323 (-7%) | .378 (-23%) | .702 (-15%) | -785.8 |
| 1979 | LAN | NL | 141 | 406 | 47 | 104 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 44 | 18 | 41 | 49 | .256 | .265 (-4%) | .329 (avg) | .397 (-12%) | .727 (-7%) | -365.5 |
| 1980 | LAN | NL | 117 | 297 | 32 | 79 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 7 | 26 | 48 | .266 | .264 (+1%) | .326 (avg) | .387 (-8%) | .714 (-4%) | -191.2 |
| 1981 | LAN | NL | 80 | 218 | 25 | 54 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 7 | 25 | 23 | .248 | .255 (-3%) | .320 (+1%) | .368 (-13%) | .688 (-7%) | -165.2 |
| 1982 | LAN | NL | 66 | 98 | 13 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 12 | .265 | .261 (+2%) | .324 (+3%) | .388 (-21%) | .712 (-10%) | -128.0 |
| 1983 | LAN | NL | 118 | 192 | 38 | 48 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 27 | 36 | .250 | .260 (-4%) | .324 (+6%) | .389 (-4%) | .714 (+1%) | 69.5 |
| 1984 | MON | NL | 108 | 243 | 26 | 62 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 33 | .255 | .259 (-2%) | .322 (-5%) | .384 (-17%) | .707 (-11%) | -426.1 |
| 1984 | CAL | AL | 14 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .138 | — | — | — | — | -426.1 |
| 1985 | PHI | NL | 63 | 92 | 16 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 11 | 14 | .207 | .257 (-20%) | .323 (-10%) | .390 (-8%) | .714 (-9%) | -121.0 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 1,597 | 4,677 | 585 | 1,163 | 154 | 54 | 43 | 370 | 140 | 456 | 593 | .249 | — | — | — | — | -5,221 | ||
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 (1596 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 792 | 2276 | 290 | 587 | 21 | 165 | .258 |
| Away | 804 | 2398 | 295 | 574 | 22 | 205 | .239 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-10-05 | PHI | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-10-05 | PHI | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985-10-04 | PHI | PIT | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-10-04 | PHI | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-29 | PHI | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985-09-28 | PHI | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-26 | PHI | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-25 | PHI | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-24 | PHI | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985-09-21 | PHI | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 19 | 14 | 125 | 9 | 2 | 9 |
| 2B | 608 | 539 | 1338 | 1597 | 90 | 361 |
| 3B | 116 | 70 | 78 | 150 | 13 | 14 |
| C | 6 | 3 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 542 | 257 | 893 | 32 | 11 | 9 |
| SS | 339 | 265 | 486 | 781 | 85 | 157 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | HOU | 2B | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972 | SDN | 2B | 83 | 80 | 197 | 239 | 15 | 52 |
| 1972 | SDN | OF | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972 | SDN | SS | 49 | 40 | 87 | 118 | 10 | 25 |
| 1973 | SDN | 2B | 47 | 32 | 96 | 97 | 5 | 27 |
| 1973 | SDN | SS | 74 | 69 | 115 | 227 | 32 | 39 |
| 1974 | SDN | 2B | 104 | 97 | 232 | 294 | 13 | 45 |
| 1974 | SDN | 3B | 22 | 20 | 19 | 41 | 3 | 6 |
| 1974 | SDN | OF | 20 | 18 | 58 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1974 | SDN | SS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 | SFN | 2B | 141 | 135 | 348 | 372 | 19 | 100 |
| 1975 | SFN | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | SFN | 2B | 69 | 63 | 160 | 212 | 14 | 52 |
| 1976 | SFN | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | SFN | OF | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | SFN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | SFN | 1B | 3 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | SFN | 2B | 27 | 23 | 49 | 78 | 7 | 11 |
| 1977 | SFN | 3B | 6 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 1977 | SFN | OF | 78 | 72 | 202 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 1977 | SFN | SS | 26 | 18 | 42 | 59 | 3 | 10 |
| 1978 | SDN | 1B | 14 | 12 | 113 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| 1978 | SDN | 2B | 40 | 36 | 90 | 98 | 6 | 25 |
| 1978 | SDN | 3B | 26 | 25 | 22 | 59 | 3 | 4 |
| 1978 | SDN | OF | 77 | 19 | 103 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 1979 | LAN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | LAN | 2B | 5 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979 | LAN | 3B | 18 | 9 | 20 | 15 | 3 | 3 |
| 1979 | LAN | OF | 119 | 93 | 269 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| 1979 | LAN | SS | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980 | LAN | 2B | 18 | 12 | 28 | 48 | 2 | 13 |
| 1980 | LAN | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | LAN | C | 5 | 3 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | LAN | OF | 52 | 14 | 75 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980 | LAN | SS | 49 | 42 | 74 | 119 | 11 | 25 |
| 1981 | LAN | 2B | 30 | 26 | 73 | 71 | 2 | 16 |
| 1981 | LAN | 3B | 10 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | LAN | OF | 18 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1981 | LAN | SS | 26 | 21 | 42 | 63 | 9 | 13 |
| 1982 | LAN | 2B | 18 | 17 | 28 | 44 | 1 | 8 |
| 1982 | LAN | 3B | 14 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | LAN | OF | 28 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | LAN | SS | 6 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 6 |
| 1983 | LAN | 2B | 9 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 4 |
| 1983 | LAN | 3B | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | LAN | OF | 82 | 25 | 97 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | LAN | SS | 13 | 11 | 19 | 28 | 1 | 7 |
| 1984 | MON | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | MON | 2B | 15 | 8 | 16 | 21 | 3 | 6 |
| 1984 | MON | 3B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | MON | OF | 48 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | MON | SS | 62 | 45 | 73 | 111 | 7 | 27 |
| 1984 | CAL | 3B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | CAL | OF | 7 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | CAL | SS | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985 | PHI | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985 | PHI | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | PHI | C | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | PHI | OF | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | PHI | SS | 21 | 13 | 21 | 37 | 6 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 6 |
| First Base | 19 |
| Second Base | 609 |
| Third Base | 118 |
| Shortstop | 339 |
| Left Field | 91 |
| Center Field | 400 |
| Right Field | 69 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Derrel Thomas (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Derrel Thomas: the record in brief
Derrel Thomas's major league career runs from a debut on September 14, 1971 to a final game on October 5, 1985. Thomas played for the Houston Astros (1971), the San Diego Padres (1972 through 1978), the San Francisco Giants (1975 to 1977), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1979 through 1983), the Montreal Expos (1984), the California Angels (1984), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1985). Thomas played primarily as a second baseman and switch-hit and threw right-handed. Born on January 14, 1951, in Los Angeles, CA, USA, Thomas was listed at 6'0" and 160 pounds. The given name on file is Derrell Osbon Thomas.
In 1,597 games and 4,677 at bats, Thomas batted .249 with 1,163 hits; the totals also include 43 homers, 370 RBI, and 140 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .317 clip and slugging .332, Thomas finished with a .649 OPS. Against a .258 league average for those years, Thomas's .249 average was near the norm. In OPS terms, Thomas's .649 stands 7.7% below the league's .703. The hits column peaks at 149, in 1975. Thomas drove in a season-high 48 runs in 1975. 1975 brought a season-best 28 stolen bases.
Frequently Asked Questions about Derrel Thomas
- What years did Derrel Thomas play?
- Derrel Thomas played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1985.
- Was Derrel Thomas a pitcher?
- No. Derrel Thomas was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Derrel Thomas hit?
- Derrel Thomas hit 43 career home runs with 1,163 hits.
- What teams did Derrel Thomas play for?
- Derrel Thomas played for 7 teams: the Houston Astros (1971), the San Diego Padres (1972–1974, 1978), the San Francisco Giants (1975–1977), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1979–1983), the Montreal Expos (1984), the California Angels (1984), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1985).
- What were Derrel Thomas's career stats?
- In 1,597 games, Derrel Thomas had 1,163 hits, 43 home runs, 370 RBI, 585 runs, and 140 stolen bases, with a .249 batting average.
- What position did Derrel Thomas play?
- Derrel Thomas played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Derrel Thomas and how much did he weigh?
- Derrel Thomas was listed at 6 feet and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Derrel Thomas hit each season?
- Derrel Thomas's home runs by season: 0 in 1971, 5 in 1972, 0 in 1973, 3 in 1974, 6 in 1975, 2 in 1976, 8 in 1977, 3 in 1978, 5 in 1979, 1 in 1980, 4 in 1981, 0 in 1982, 2 in 1983, 0 in 1984, and 4 in 1985. His most in one season was 8, in 1977.
- What was Derrel Thomas's career batting average?
- Derrel Thomas batted .249 over his career, with 1,163 hits in 4,677 at bats.
- How many RBI did Derrel Thomas have?
- Derrel Thomas drove in 370 runs in his career.
- Is Derrel Thomas in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Derrel Thomas has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.