Jason Thompson
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1976-1986)
Jason Thompson was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1976 to 1986 for 4 teams, including the Detroit Tigers, a span of 11 seasons. In 1,418 career games, he hit .261 with 1,253 hits, 208 home runs, and 782 RBI. Jason Thompson was a 3-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 14,527.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1976-04-23
- Last Game
- 1986-06-23
- Awards
- 3× All-Star
Full name: Jason Dolph Thompson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,418 | 4,802 | 640 | 1,253 | 204 | 12 | 208 | 782 | 8 | 816 | 862 | .261 | .366 | .438 | .804 | 14,527 |
Career AVG .261 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .366 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +12.6% above league average.
Career SLG .438 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — +13.4% above league average.
Career OPS .804 vs. league average .711 across their career seasons — +13.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | DET | AL | 123 | 412 | 45 | 90 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 54 | 2 | 68 | 72 | .218 | .255 (-14%) | .320 (+2%) | .360 (+4%) | .681 (+3%) | 393.6 |
| 1977 | DET | AL | 158 | 585 | 87 | 158 | 24 | 5 | 31 | 105 | 0 | 73 | 91 | .270 | .264 (+2%) | .329 (+6%) | .401 (+21%) | .730 (+14%) | 1682.1 |
| 1978 | DET | AL | 153 | 589 | 79 | 169 | 25 | 3 | 26 | 96 | 0 | 74 | 96 | .287 | .257 (+11%) | .323 (+12%) | .378 (+25%) | .702 (+19%) | 2300.4 |
| 1979 | DET | AL | 145 | 492 | 58 | 121 | 16 | 1 | 20 | 79 | 2 | 70 | 90 | .246 | .265 (-7%) | .329 (+2%) | .397 (+2%) | .727 (+2%) | 325.2 |
| 1980 | DET | AL | 36 | 126 | 10 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 13 | 26 | .214 | .264 (-19%) | .326 (-12%) | .387 (-10%) | .714 (-11%) | -219.8 |
| 1980 | CAL | AL | 102 | 312 | 59 | 99 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 70 | 2 | 70 | 60 | .317 | .264 (+20%) | .326 (+34%) | .387 (+36%) | .714 (+35%) | -219.8 |
| 1981 | PIT | NL | 86 | 223 | 36 | 54 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 42 | 0 | 59 | 49 | .242 | .255 (-5%) | .320 (+24%) | .368 (+36%) | .688 (+31%) | 1417.9 |
| 1982 | PIT | NL | 156 | 550 | 87 | 156 | 32 | 0 | 31 | 101 | 1 | 101 | 107 | .284 | .261 (+9%) | .324 (+21%) | .388 (+31%) | .712 (+27%) | 3242.3 |
| 1983 | PIT | NL | 152 | 517 | 70 | 134 | 20 | 1 | 18 | 76 | 1 | 99 | 128 | .259 | .260 (-1%) | .324 (+16%) | .389 (+4%) | .714 (+9%) | 1371.2 |
| 1984 | PIT | NL | 154 | 543 | 61 | 138 | 22 | 0 | 17 | 74 | 0 | 87 | 73 | .254 | .259 (-2%) | .322 (+11%) | .384 (+1%) | .707 (+5%) | 888.4 |
| 1985 | PIT | NL | 123 | 402 | 42 | 97 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 61 | 0 | 84 | 58 | .241 | .257 (-6%) | .323 (+14%) | .390 (-3%) | .714 (+5%) | 681.4 |
| 1986 | MON | NL | 30 | 51 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 12 | .196 | .257 (-24%) | .325 (+25%) | .395 (-31%) | .720 (-6%) | 44.9 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 1,418 | 4,802 | 640 | 1,253 | 204 | 12 | 208 | 782 | 8 | 816 | 862 | .261 | — | — | — | — | 11,908 | ||
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 (1418 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 712 | 2343 | 343 | 625 | 109 | 393 | .267 |
| Away | 706 | 2459 | 297 | 628 | 99 | 389 | .255 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-06-23 | WSN | NYN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-06-22 | WSN | PIT | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-06-09 | WSN | STL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-06-07 | WSN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-06-06 | WSN | PHI | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-06-03 | WSN | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-06-01 | WSN | HOU | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-05-28 | WSN | SDP | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-05-25 | WSN | SFG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1986-05-21 | WSN | LAD | 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 | 1314 | 1268 | 11818 | 819 | 97 | 1090 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | DET | 1B | 117 | 117 | 1157 | 88 | 8 | 104 |
| 1977 | DET | 1B | 158 | 157 | 1599 | 97 | 16 | 135 |
| 1978 | DET | 1B | 151 | 151 | 1503 | 92 | 11 | 153 |
| 1979 | DET | 1B | 140 | 128 | 1176 | 91 | 8 | 135 |
| 1980 | DET | 1B | 36 | 33 | 328 | 30 | 0 | 33 |
| 1980 | CAL | 1B | 47 | 43 | 351 | 21 | 0 | 33 |
| 1981 | PIT | 1B | 78 | 65 | 590 | 46 | 7 | 65 |
| 1982 | PIT | 1B | 155 | 152 | 1395 | 105 | 10 | 114 |
| 1983 | PIT | 1B | 151 | 144 | 1266 | 89 | 9 | 131 |
| 1984 | PIT | 1B | 152 | 150 | 1337 | 74 | 14 | 111 |
| 1985 | PIT | 1B | 114 | 114 | 995 | 82 | 9 | 69 |
| 1986 | MON | 1B | 15 | 14 | 121 | 4 | 5 | 7 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1314 |
| Designated Hitter | 47 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-04-30 |
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-05-07 |
| 1980 | Player of the Week | Week of 1980-07-25 |
| 1978 | Player of the Week | Week of 1978-06-23 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | PIT | NL | $1,150,000 |
| 1986 | MON | NL | $1,000,000 |
| 1985 | PIT | NL | $1,066,667 |
| Total Career Earnings | $3,216,667 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University Northridge | Los Angeles | CA | 1973, 1974, 1975 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 6.0 | 392 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jason Thompson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson: the record in brief
The profile opens with Jason Thompson's first major league game on April 23, 1976; the last one listed came on June 23, 1986. By club, Thompson's seasons break down as the Detroit Tigers (1976 through 1980), the California Angels (1980), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1981 through 1985), and the Montreal Expos (1986). Thompson, a first baseman by primary position, both batted and threw left-handed. Height and weight on file: 6'4" and 200 pounds. The birth record reads July 6, 1954, in Hollywood, CA, USA. On the record, Jason Thompson was born Jason Dolph Thompson.
In 1,418 games and 4,802 at bats, Thompson batted .261 with 1,253 hits, adding 208 home runs and 782 RBI. The on-base percentage is .366 and the slugging percentage .438, for an OPS of .804. Against a .260 league average for those years, Thompson's .261 average was near the norm. No season beat the 31 home runs Thompson hit in 1977. No season topped the 169 hits of 1978.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jason Thompson
- What years did Jason Thompson play?
- Jason Thompson played in Major League Baseball from 1976 to 1986.
- Was Jason Thompson a pitcher?
- No. Jason Thompson was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Jason Thompson hit?
- Jason Thompson hit 208 career home runs with 1253 hits.
- What was Jason Thompson's career batting average?
- Jason Thompson batted .261 over his career, with 1,253 hits in 4,802 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jason Thompson have?
- Jason Thompson drove in 782 runs in his career.
- Is Jason Thompson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jason Thompson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.