Elmer Valo

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1940-1961)

Elmer Valo was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1961 for 9 teams, including the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 22 seasons. In 1,806 career games, he hit .282 with 1,420 hits, 58 home runs, and 601 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 14,436.

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

AVG .282
HR 58
RBI 601
H 1,420
OPS .790
PIV 14,436
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
5'11" / 190 lb
Born
3/5/1921 in Rybnik, Plzenský, Czechoslovakia
Died
7/19/1998 in Palmerton, PA, USA
MLB Debut
1940-09-22
Last Game
1961-10-01

Full name: Elmer William Valo

Career Batting Statistics

Elmer Valo — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,806 5,029 768 1,420 228 73 58 601 110 942 284 .282 .398 .391 .790 14,436

Career AVG .282 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +8.8% above league average.

Career OBP .398 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +20.1% above league average.

Career SLG .391 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .790 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — +10.7% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

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.

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Elmer Valo — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home946263041377623353.295
Away860239835564435248.269

Last 10 Games — Batting

Elmer Valo — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1961-10-01 PHISTLL 100000000
1961-09-28 PHILADL 100000000
1961-09-25 PHISFGL 100000000
1961-09-24 PHIPITL 100000000
1961-09-22 PHIPITL 100000000
1961-09-16 PHICINL 000000010
1961-09-13 PHISFGL 100000100
1961-09-10 PHICHCW 111000200
1961-09-05 PHIATLL 000000010
1961-09-04 PHICINL 100000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Elmer Valo — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1329 261 2769 72 67 9

Season-by-Season Fielding

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Elmer Valo Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Left Field 349
Center Field 37
Right Field 957

Award Voting History

Elmer Valo — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 5.0 336 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Elmer Valo (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Augie Galan
    .287 avg, 100 HR
  2. 94
    John Titus
    .282 avg, 38 HR
  3. 93
    George Gore
    .301 avg, 46 HR
  4. 91
    Dom DiMaggio
    .298 avg, 87 HR
  5. 89
    Gene Woodling
    .284 avg, 147 HR
  6. 88
    Topsy Hartsel
    .276 avg, 31 HR

Frequently Asked Questions about Elmer Valo

What years did Elmer Valo play?
Elmer Valo played in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1961.
Was Elmer Valo a pitcher?
No. Elmer Valo was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Elmer Valo hit?
Elmer Valo hit 58 career home runs with 1420 hits.
What was Elmer Valo's career batting average?
Elmer Valo batted .282 over his career, with 1,420 hits in 5,029 at bats.
How many RBI did Elmer Valo have?
Elmer Valo drove in 601 runs in his career.
Is Elmer Valo in the Hall of Fame?
No. Elmer Valo has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.