Joe Thurston
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2002-2011)
Joe Thurston was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2011 for 5 teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, a span of 10 seasons. In 184 career games, he hit .226 with 76 hits, 1 home runs, and 27 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 225 lb
- MLB Debut
- 2002-09-02
- Last Game
- 2011-08-05
Full name: Joseph William Thurston
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184 | 337 | 34 | 76 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 27 | 5 | 35 | 67 | .226 | .305 | .323 | .629 | -592 |
Career AVG .226 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 14.3% below league average.
Career OBP .305 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 8.0% below league average.
Career SLG .323 vs. league average .419 across their career seasons — 22.8% below league average.
Career OPS .629 vs. league average .751 across their career seasons — 16.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | LAN | NL | 8 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .462 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2003 | LAN | NL | 12 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2004 | LAN | NL | 17 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2006 | PHI | NL | 18 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .222 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2008 | BOS | AL | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2009 | SLN | NL | 124 | 267 | 27 | 60 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 4 | 33 | 56 | .225 | .262 (-14%) | .332 (-5%) | .417 (-21%) | .750 (-14%) | -591.8 |
| 2011 | FLO | NL | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 184 | 337 | 34 | 76 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 27 | 5 | 35 | 67 | .226 | — | — | — | — | -592 | ||
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 (184 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 84 | 160 | 15 | 42 | 0 | 18 | .263 |
| Away | 100 | 177 | 19 | 34 | 1 | 9 | .192 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-08-05 | MIA | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009-10-04 | STL | MIL | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009-10-03 | STL | MIL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009-10-02 | STL | MIL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009-10-01 | STL | CIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009-09-30 | STL | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009-09-29 | STL | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009-09-27 | STL | COL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009-09-26 | STL | COL | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009-09-22 | STL | HOU | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 63 | 9 | 49 | 67 | 3 | 21 |
| 3B | 68 | 55 | 38 | 109 | 10 | 11 |
| OF | 12 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | LAN | 2B | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 2003 | LAN | 2B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 2004 | LAN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | PHI | 2B | 4 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | PHI | OF | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | BOS | OF | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | SLN | 2B | 47 | 7 | 32 | 48 | 2 | 13 |
| 2009 | SLN | 3B | 68 | 55 | 38 | 109 | 10 | 11 |
| 2009 | SLN | OF | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | FLO | 2B | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 63 |
| Third Base | 68 |
| Left Field | 11 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Salary History
Joe Thurston's recorded salaries total $776,000 over 2 seasons, 2004 to 2009. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Thurston's career ran from 2002 to 2011. No salary is recorded for 5 of his seasons between 1985 and 2016.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | SLN | NL | $475,000 |
| 2004 | LAN | NL | $301,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $776,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | CA | 1998, 1999 |
Joe Thurston: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 2, 2002 and the final game on August 5, 2011, Joe Thurston built the record summarized on this page. Thurston played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2002 through 2004), the Philadelphia Phillies (2006), the Boston Red Sox (2008), the St. Louis Cardinals (2009), and the Florida Marlins (2011). Thurston, born on September 29, 1979, in Fairfield, CA, USA, is listed as a third baseman and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. The bio gives 5 feet, 11 inches and 225 pounds. Joe Thurston was the playing name; the full given name is Joseph William.
The batting record for Thurston: 184 games, 76 hits in 337 at bats, and a .226 average, plus 1 home run and 27 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .305 and .323 give Thurston a career OPS of .629. The league as a whole hit .263 across Thurston's seasons, which puts the .226 career mark 14.3% below average. The OPS comparison is .629 to a league .751, 16.2% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 60, in 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joe Thurston
- What years did Joe Thurston play?
- Joe Thurston played in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2011.
- Was Joe Thurston a pitcher?
- No. Joe Thurston was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Joe Thurston hit?
- Joe Thurston hit 1 career home run with 76 hits.
- What teams did Joe Thurston play for?
- Joe Thurston played for 5 teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2004), the Philadelphia Phillies (2006), the Boston Red Sox (2008), the St. Louis Cardinals (2009), and the Florida Marlins (2011).
- What were Joe Thurston's career stats?
- In 184 games, Joe Thurston had 76 hits, 1 home runs, 27 RBI, 34 runs, and 5 stolen bases, with a .226 batting average.
- How much did Joe Thurston earn in his career?
- Joe Thurston's recorded salaries total $776,000 over 2 seasons, 2004 to 2009. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Thurston's career ran from 2002 to 2011. No salary is recorded for 5 of his seasons between 1985 and 2016.
- What was Joe Thurston's salary?
- Joe Thurston's last recorded salary was $475,000, in 2009. His highest recorded salary was $475,000, in 2009, and his lowest was $301,000, in 2004. The Salary History table lists each season from 2004 to 2009.
- What position did Joe Thurston play?
- Joe Thurston played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Joe Thurston and how much did he weigh?
- Joe Thurston was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 225 pounds.
- How many home runs did Joe Thurston hit each season?
- Joe Thurston's home runs by season: 0 in 2002, 0 in 2003, 0 in 2004, 0 in 2006, 0 in 2008, 1 in 2009, and 0 in 2011. His most in one season was 1, in 2009.
- What was Joe Thurston's career batting average?
- Joe Thurston batted .226 over his career, with 76 hits in 337 at bats.
- How many RBI did Joe Thurston have?
- Joe Thurston drove in 27 runs in his career.
- Is Joe Thurston in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Joe Thurston has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.