Mickey Vernon
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1939-1960)
Mickey Vernon was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1960 for 5 teams, including the Washington Senators, a span of 22 seasons. In 2,409 career games, he hit .286 with 2,495 hits, 172 home runs, and 1,311 RBI. Mickey Vernon was a 7-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 19,008.
- 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
- 6'2" / 170 lb
- Died
- 9/24/2008 in Media, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1939-07-08
- Last Game
- 1960-09-27
- Awards
- 7× All-Star
Full name: James Barton Vernon
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,409 | 8,731 | 1,196 | 2,495 | 490 | 120 | 172 | 1,311 | 137 | 955 | 869 | .286 | .359 | .428 | .787 | 19,008 |
Career AVG .286 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +9.7% above league average.
Career OBP .359 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +7.9% above league average.
Career SLG .428 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — +12.3% above league average.
Career OPS .787 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — +10.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | WS1 | AL | 76 | 276 | 23 | 71 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 24 | 28 | .257 | .274 (-6%) | .342 (-7%) | .393 (-11%) | .735 (-9%) | -434.9 |
| 1940 | WS1 | AL | 5 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .158 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1941 | WS1 | AL | 138 | 531 | 73 | 159 | 27 | 11 | 9 | 93 | 9 | 43 | 51 | .299 | .262 (+14%) | .332 (+6%) | .373 (+19%) | .705 (+13%) | 1174.2 |
| 1942 | WS1 | AL | 151 | 621 | 76 | 168 | 34 | 6 | 9 | 86 | 25 | 59 | 63 | .271 | .253 (+7%) | .323 (+4%) | .349 (+11%) | .672 (+8%) | 871.9 |
| 1943 | WS1 | AL | 145 | 553 | 89 | 148 | 29 | 8 | 7 | 70 | 24 | 67 | 55 | .268 | .255 (+5%) | .324 (+10%) | .346 (+12%) | .671 (+11%) | 1267.9 |
| 1946 | WS1 | AL | 148 | 587 | 88 | 207 | 51 | 8 | 8 | 85 | 14 | 49 | 64 | .353 | .256 (+37%) | .328 (+22%) | .358 (+42%) | .687 (+32%) | 3554.8 |
| 1947 | WS1 | AL | 154 | 600 | 77 | 159 | 29 | 12 | 7 | 85 | 12 | 49 | 42 | .265 | .262 (+1%) | .336 (-5%) | .376 (+3%) | .712 (-1%) | -204.4 |
| 1948 | WS1 | AL | 150 | 558 | 78 | 135 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 48 | 15 | 54 | 43 | .242 | .263 (-8%) | .340 (-9%) | .379 (-13%) | .719 (-11%) | -1016.6 |
| 1949 | CLE | AL | 153 | 584 | 72 | 170 | 27 | 4 | 18 | 83 | 9 | 58 | 51 | .291 | .262 (+11%) | .343 (+4%) | .384 (+15%) | .727 (+10%) | 1135.1 |
| 1950 | CLE | AL | 28 | 90 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 10 | .189 | .265 (-29%) | .346 (-18%) | .401 (-53%) | .747 (-37%) | -519.8 |
| 1950 | WS1 | AL | 90 | 327 | 47 | 100 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 65 | 6 | 50 | 29 | .306 | .265 (+15%) | .346 (+17%) | .401 (+14%) | .747 (+15%) | -519.8 |
| 1951 | WS1 | AL | 141 | 546 | 69 | 160 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 87 | 7 | 53 | 45 | .293 | .260 (+12%) | .336 (+6%) | .385 (+10%) | .721 (+8%) | 851.7 |
| 1952 | WS1 | AL | 154 | 569 | 71 | 143 | 33 | 9 | 10 | 80 | 7 | 89 | 66 | .251 | .252 (-1%) | .326 (+8%) | .369 (+7%) | .696 (+7%) | 920.7 |
| 1953 | WS1 | AL | 152 | 608 | 101 | 205 | 43 | 11 | 15 | 115 | 4 | 63 | 57 | .337 | .264 (+28%) | .335 (+20%) | .397 (+30%) | .733 (+26%) | 3228.8 |
| 1954 | WS1 | AL | 151 | 597 | 90 | 173 | 33 | 14 | 20 | 97 | 1 | 61 | 61 | .290 | .261 (+11%) | .333 (+7%) | .390 (+26%) | .723 (+17%) | 1990.1 |
| 1955 | WS1 | AL | 150 | 538 | 74 | 162 | 23 | 8 | 14 | 85 | 0 | 74 | 50 | .301 | .258 (+16%) | .332 (+16%) | .393 (+15%) | .726 (+15%) | 1779.9 |
| 1956 | BOS | AL | 119 | 403 | 67 | 125 | 28 | 4 | 15 | 84 | 1 | 57 | 40 | .310 | .258 (+20%) | .331 (+22%) | .397 (+29%) | .728 (+25%) | 2166.2 |
| 1957 | BOS | AL | 102 | 270 | 36 | 65 | 18 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 0 | 41 | 35 | .241 | .257 (-7%) | .323 (+8%) | .391 (avg) | .715 (+4%) | 313.4 |
| 1958 | CLE | AL | 119 | 355 | 49 | 104 | 22 | 3 | 8 | 55 | 0 | 44 | 56 | .293 | .257 (+14%) | .324 (+15%) | .394 (+11%) | .719 (+13%) | 975.5 |
| 1959 | ML1 | NL | 74 | 91 | 8 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 20 | .220 | .256 (-14%) | .323 (-13%) | .392 (-7%) | .715 (-10%) | -145.3 |
| 1960 | PIT | NL | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 21 seasons | 2,409 | 8,731 | 1,196 | 2,495 | 490 | 120 | 172 | 1,311 | 137 | 955 | 869 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 17,389 | ||
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 (2408 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1189 | 4182 | 567 | 1202 | 57 | 602 | .287 |
| Away | 1219 | 4549 | 631 | 1293 | 115 | 711 | .284 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-09-27 | PIT | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-24 | PIT | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-23 | PIT | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-22 | PIT | CHC | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960-09-14 | PIT | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-07 | PIT | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-06 | PIT | ATL | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-05 | PIT | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960-09-03 | PIT | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-25 | ATL | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2237 | 550 | 19808 | 1448 | 211 | 2044 |
| OF | 4 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | WS1 | 1B | 75 | 0 | 690 | 40 | 11 | 75 |
| 1940 | WS1 | 1B | 4 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 1941 | WS1 | 1B | 132 | 0 | 1186 | 80 | 10 | 122 |
| 1942 | WS1 | 1B | 151 | 0 | 1360 | 95 | 26 | 109 |
| 1943 | WS1 | 1B | 143 | 0 | 1351 | 75 | 14 | 125 |
| 1946 | WS1 | 1B | 147 | 0 | 1320 | 101 | 15 | 133 |
| 1947 | WS1 | 1B | 154 | 0 | 1299 | 105 | 19 | 123 |
| 1948 | WS1 | 1B | 150 | 0 | 1297 | 113 | 15 | 128 |
| 1949 | CLE | 1B | 153 | 0 | 1438 | 155 | 14 | 168 |
| 1950 | CLE | 1B | 25 | 0 | 216 | 17 | 1 | 28 |
| 1950 | WS1 | 1B | 85 | 0 | 743 | 61 | 8 | 93 |
| 1951 | WS1 | 1B | 137 | 0 | 1157 | 87 | 8 | 121 |
| 1952 | WS1 | 1B | 153 | 0 | 1291 | 115 | 10 | 139 |
| 1953 | WS1 | 1B | 152 | 0 | 1376 | 94 | 12 | 158 |
| 1954 | WS1 | 1B | 148 | 148 | 1365 | 76 | 11 | 144 |
| 1955 | WS1 | 1B | 144 | 141 | 1258 | 69 | 8 | 137 |
| 1956 | BOS | 1B | 108 | 102 | 930 | 58 | 11 | 96 |
| 1957 | BOS | 1B | 70 | 68 | 662 | 51 | 6 | 47 |
| 1958 | CLE | 1B | 96 | 87 | 774 | 50 | 11 | 90 |
| 1959 | ML1 | 1B | 10 | 4 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 1959 | ML1 | OF | 4 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2237 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 2 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | TSN All-Star | 1B |
| 1946 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova University | Villanova | PA | 1937, 1938 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 14.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1955 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1954 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 9th | 30.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1953 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 3rd | 162.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1946 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 5th | 134.0 | 336 | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Mickey Vernon (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Mickey Vernon
Mickey Vernon: the record in brief
The profile opens with Mickey Vernon's first major league game on July 8, 1939; the last one listed came on September 27, 1960. By club, Vernon's seasons break down as the Washington Senators (1939 through 1955), the Cleveland Indians (1949 to 1958), the Boston Red Sox (1956 through 1957), the Milwaukee Braves (1959), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1960). Vernon, born on April 22, 1918, in Marcus Hook, PA, USA, is listed as a first baseman and both batted and threw left-handed. Size on record: 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds. Vernon's death is recorded on September 24, 2008, in Media, PA, USA. Mickey Vernon was the playing name; the full given name is James Barton.
Across 2,409 games at the plate, Vernon's career line reads 2,495 hits in 8,731 at bats for a .286 average, plus 172 homers, 1,311 RBI, and 137 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .359 clip and slugging .428, Vernon finished with a .787 OPS.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mickey Vernon
- What years did Mickey Vernon play?
- Mickey Vernon played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1960.
- Was Mickey Vernon a pitcher?
- No. Mickey Vernon was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Mickey Vernon hit?
- Mickey Vernon hit 172 career home runs with 2495 hits.
- What was Mickey Vernon's career batting average?
- Mickey Vernon batted .286 over his career, with 2,495 hits in 8,731 at bats.
- How many RBI did Mickey Vernon have?
- Mickey Vernon drove in 1,311 runs in his career.
- Is Mickey Vernon in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mickey Vernon has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.