Wes Westrum
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1947-1957)
Wes Westrum was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1957 for the New York Giants, a span of 11 seasons. In 919 career games, he hit .217 with 503 hits, 96 home runs, and 315 RBI. Wes Westrum was a 2-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,015.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/28/2002 in Clearbrook, MN, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1947-09-17
- Last Game
- 1957-09-29
- Awards
- 2× All-Star
Full name: Wesley Noreen Westrum
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 919 | 2,322 | 302 | 503 | 59 | 8 | 96 | 315 | 10 | 489 | 514 | .217 | .356 | .373 | .729 | 2,015 |
Career AVG .217 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 16.9% below league average.
Career OBP .356 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.
Career SLG .373 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .729 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | NY1 | NL | 6 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .417 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1948 | NY1 | NL | 66 | 125 | 14 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 20 | 36 | .160 | .263 (-39%) | .340 (-19%) | .379 (-22%) | .719 (-20%) | -410.6 |
| 1949 | NY1 | NL | 64 | 169 | 23 | 41 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 1 | 37 | 39 | .243 | .262 (-8%) | .343 (+12%) | .384 (+5%) | .727 (+8%) | 366.4 |
| 1950 | NY1 | NL | 140 | 437 | 68 | 103 | 13 | 3 | 23 | 71 | 2 | 92 | 73 | .236 | .265 (-11%) | .346 (+7%) | .401 (+9%) | .747 (+8%) | 940.1 |
| 1951 | NY1 | NL | 124 | 361 | 59 | 79 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 70 | 1 | 104 | 93 | .219 | .260 (-16%) | .336 (+19%) | .385 (+8%) | .721 (+13%) | 1440.3 |
| 1952 | NY1 | NL | 114 | 322 | 47 | 71 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 43 | 1 | 76 | 68 | .220 | .252 (-13%) | .326 (+14%) | .369 (+4%) | .696 (+9%) | 860.0 |
| 1953 | NY1 | NL | 107 | 290 | 40 | 65 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 30 | 2 | 56 | 73 | .224 | .264 (-15%) | .335 (+5%) | .397 (-8%) | .733 (-2%) | 45.3 |
| 1954 | NY1 | NL | 98 | 246 | 25 | 46 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 27 | 0 | 45 | 60 | .187 | .261 (-28%) | .333 (-5%) | .390 (-22%) | .723 (-14%) | -482.0 |
| 1955 | NY1 | NL | 69 | 137 | 11 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 24 | 18 | .212 | .258 (-18%) | .332 (-1%) | .393 (-22%) | .726 (-13%) | -233.9 |
| 1956 | NY1 | NL | 68 | 132 | 10 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 28 | .220 | .258 (-15%) | .331 (+4%) | .397 (-10%) | .728 (-4%) | -30.1 |
| 1957 | NY1 | NL | 63 | 91 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 24 | .165 | .257 (-36%) | .323 (-21%) | .391 (-47%) | .715 (-35%) | -480.5 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 919 | 2,322 | 302 | 503 | 59 | 8 | 96 | 315 | 10 | 489 | 514 | .217 | — | — | — | — | 2,015 | ||
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 (917 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 440 | 1088 | 155 | 224 | 58 | 159 | .206 |
| Away | 477 | 1229 | 147 | 279 | 38 | 156 | .227 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-09-29 | NY1 | PIT | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-09-21 | NY1 | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-08-20 | NY1 | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1957-08-18 | NY1 | PHI | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957-08-17 | NY1 | PHI | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-11 | NY1 | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-07 | NY1 | BRO | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-04 | NY1 | CIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-08-01 | NY1 | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957-07-30 | NY1 | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 902 | 220 | 3639 | 415 | 62 | 82 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | NY1 | C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | NY1 | C | 63 | 0 | 179 | 25 | 4 | 4 |
| 1949 | NY1 | C | 62 | 0 | 224 | 18 | 5 | 4 |
| 1950 | NY1 | C | 139 | 0 | 608 | 71 | 1 | 21 |
| 1951 | NY1 | C | 122 | 0 | 554 | 62 | 8 | 9 |
| 1952 | NY1 | C | 112 | 0 | 481 | 64 | 12 | 11 |
| 1953 | NY1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953 | NY1 | C | 106 | 0 | 441 | 53 | 9 | 9 |
| 1954 | NY1 | C | 98 | 83 | 419 | 45 | 7 | 8 |
| 1955 | NY1 | C | 68 | 51 | 280 | 27 | 4 | 5 |
| 1956 | NY1 | C | 67 | 45 | 297 | 27 | 6 | 7 |
| 1957 | NY1 | C | 63 | 41 | 148 | 21 | 6 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 901 |
| Third Base | 1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 32th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Wes Westrum (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Wes Westrum: the record in brief
The profile opens with Wes Westrum's first major league game on September 17, 1947; the last one listed came on September 29, 1957. Westrum's only club in the season tables is the New York Giants. At 185 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame, Westrum is listed as a catcher. The bio says Westrum both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is November 28, 1922, in Clearbrook, MN, USA. Westrum died on May 28, 2002, in Clearbrook, MN, USA. The given name on file is Wesley Noreen Westrum.
Westrum finished with 503 hits from 2,322 at bats in 919 games, which works out to .217, adding 96 homers and 315 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .356 clip and slugging .373, Westrum finished with a .729 OPS. Measured against the leagues Westrum played in, the .217 career average compares with a .261 league average over the same seasons, 16.9% below the league. The single-season home run high is 23, set in 1950. No season topped the 103 hits of 1950.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wes Westrum
- What years did Wes Westrum play?
- Wes Westrum played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1957.
- Was Wes Westrum a pitcher?
- No. Wes Westrum was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Wes Westrum hit?
- Wes Westrum hit 96 career home runs with 503 hits.
- What teams did Wes Westrum play for?
- Wes Westrum played for one team, the New York Giants (1947–1957).
- Did Wes Westrum win an MVP award?
- No. Wes Westrum did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Wes Westrum win?
- Wes Westrum was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Wes Westrum's career stats?
- In 919 games, Wes Westrum had 503 hits, 96 home runs, 315 RBI, 302 runs, and 10 stolen bases, with a .217 batting average.
- What position did Wes Westrum play?
- Wes Westrum played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Wes Westrum and how much did he weigh?
- Wes Westrum was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Wes Westrum hit each season?
- Wes Westrum's home runs by season: 0 in 1947, 4 in 1948, 7 in 1949, 23 in 1950, 20 in 1951, 14 in 1952, 12 in 1953, 8 in 1954, 4 in 1955, 3 in 1956, and 1 in 1957. His most in one season was 23, in 1950.
- What was Wes Westrum's career batting average?
- Wes Westrum batted .217 over his career, with 503 hits in 2,322 at bats.
- How many RBI did Wes Westrum have?
- Wes Westrum drove in 315 runs in his career.
- Is Wes Westrum in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Wes Westrum has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Wes Westrum make?
- Wes Westrum was selected to 2 All-Star Games.