Hoyt Wilhelm

Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1952-1972)

⭐ Hall of Fame 1985
W–L 143–122
ERA 2.52
WHIP 1.12
SO 1,610
Pitcher PIV 40894.2
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 190 lb
Born
7/26/1922 in Huntersville, NC, USA
Died
8/23/2002 in Sarasota, FL, USA
MLB Debut
1952-04-18
Last Game
1972-07-10
Hall of Fame
Inducted 1985 (BBWAA)
Awards
5× All-Star

Full name: James Hoyt Wilhelm

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Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
143 122 1,070 52 20 5 227 2254.3 1,757 632 150 778 1,610 2.52 40894.2

Career ERA 2.52 vs. league average 3.67 across their career seasons — 31.2% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1952 NY1 NL 15 3 71 0 0 0 11 159.3 127 43 57 108 2.43 3.70 (+34%) 2147.9
1953 NY1 NL 7 8 68 0 0 0 15 145.0 127 49 77 71 3.04 4.14 (+26%) -1145.2
1954 NY1 NL 12 4 57 0 0 0 7 111.3 77 26 52 64 2.10 3.90 (+46%) 1508.3
1955 NY1 NL 4 1 59 0 0 0 0 103.0 104 45 40 71 3.93 4.00 (+2%) 1378.4
1956 NY1 NL 4 9 64 0 0 0 8 89.3 97 38 43 71 3.83 3.96 (+3%) 1490.8
1957 SLN NL 1 4 40 0 0 0 11 55.0 52 26 21 29 4.25 3.83 (-11%) -732.4
1957 CLE AL 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 3.7 2 1 1 0 2.45 — 0.0
1958 CLE AL 2 7 30 6 1 0 5 90.3 70 25 35 57 2.49 3.86 (+35%) 2016.8
1958 BAL AL 1 3 9 4 3 1 0 40.7 25 9 10 35 1.99 3.86 (+48%) 1698.0
1959 BAL AL 15 11 32 27 13 3 0 226.0 178 55 77 139 2.19 3.90 (+44%) 4079.8
1960 BAL AL 11 8 41 11 3 1 7 147.0 125 54 39 107 3.31 3.82 (+13%) 2957.6
1961 BAL AL 9 7 51 1 0 0 18 109.7 89 28 41 87 2.30 4.03 (+43%) 3407.1
1962 BAL AL 7 10 52 0 0 0 15 93.0 64 20 34 90 1.94 3.96 (+51%) 3272.5
1963 CHA AL 5 8 55 3 0 0 21 136.3 106 40 30 111 2.64 3.46 (+24%) 3844.8
1964 CHA AL 12 9 73 0 0 0 27 131.3 94 29 30 95 1.99 3.58 (+44%) 3366.8
1965 CHA AL 7 7 66 0 0 0 20 144.0 88 29 32 106 1.81 3.50 (+48%) 2789.1
1966 CHA AL 5 2 46 0 0 0 6 81.3 50 15 17 61 1.66 3.52 (+53%) 1742.8
1967 CHA AL 8 3 49 0 0 0 12 89.0 58 13 34 76 1.31 3.30 (+60%) 2037.5
1968 CHA AL 4 4 72 0 0 0 12 93.7 69 18 24 72 1.73 2.98 (+42%) 1781.5
1969 CAL AL 5 7 44 0 0 0 10 65.7 45 18 18 53 2.47 3.61 (+32%) 1609.3
1969 ATL NL 2 0 8 0 0 0 4 12.3 5 1 4 14 0.73 3.61 (+80%) 667.2
1970 ATL NL 6 4 50 0 0 0 13 78.3 69 27 39 67 3.10 3.89 (+20%) 526.3
1970 CHN NL 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 3.7 4 4 3 1 9.82 — 0.0
1971 ATL NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2.3 6 4 1 1 15.43 — 0.0
1971 LAN NL 0 1 9 0 0 0 3 17.7 6 2 4 15 1.02 3.47 (+71%) 576.5
1972 LAN NL 0 1 16 0 0 0 1 25.3 20 13 15 9 4.62 3.26 (-41%) -127.2
Career · 26 seasons 143 122 1,070 52 20 5 227 2,254.1 1,757 632 778 1,610 2.52 — 40,894

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.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,070 432 24 38 3 1 1 21 0 26 166 .088 .139 .106 .246 -924

Career AVG .088 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 65.1% below league average.

Career OBP .139 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — 56.4% below league average.

Career SLG .106 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — 71.8% below league average.

Career OPS .246 vs. league average .698 across their career seasons — 64.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

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
1952 NY1 NL 71 38 4 6 0 0 1 2 0 1 11 .158 — — — — 0.0
1953 NY1 NL 68 33 5 5 2 1 0 1 0 4 8 .152 — — — — 0.0
1954 NY1 NL 57 21 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 8 .048 — — — — 0.0
1955 NY1 NL 59 19 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 .158 — — — — 0.0
1956 NY1 NL 64 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .222 — — — — 0.0
1957 SLN NL 40 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .000 — — — — 0.0
1957 CLE AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1958 CLE AL 30 21 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 6 .095 — — — — 0.0
1958 BAL AL 9 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .091 — — — — 0.0
1959 BAL AL 32 76 2 4 0 0 0 2 0 5 23 .053 .256 (-79%) .323 (-66%) .392 (-87%) .715 (-77%) -923.6
1960 BAL AL 41 42 1 3 0 0 0 4 0 2 14 .071 — — — — 0.0
1961 BAL AL 51 20 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 10 .050 — — — — 0.0
1962 BAL AL 52 16 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 .125 — — — — 0.0
1963 CHA AL 55 29 3 2 0 0 0 2 0 4 11 .069 — — — — 0.0
1964 CHA AL 73 21 2 3 0 0 0 3 0 1 7 .143 — — — — 0.0
1965 CHA AL 66 22 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 12 .000 — — — — 0.0
1966 CHA AL 46 8 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 .125 — — — — 0.0
1967 CHA AL 49 13 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 11 .077 — — — — 0.0
1968 CHA AL 72 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 — — — — 0.0
1969 CAL AL 44 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .000 — — — — 0.0
1969 ATL NL 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1970 ATL NL 50 11 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 6 .091 — — — — 0.0
1970 CHN NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1971 ATL NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1971 LAN NL 9 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
1972 LAN NL 16 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 26 seasons 1,070 432 24 38 3 1 1 21 0 26 166 .088 — — — — -924

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

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1954 WS NY1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 2 0 1 2.3 1 0 0 3 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1954 WS NY1 0 0 2 0 1 2.3 1 0 0 3 0.00

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (2140 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home5121971219111.096
Away5582351219010.081

Pitching — Home / Away

SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home5121079.18072893498022.41
Away5581176.19493444278112.63

Last 10 Games — Batting

DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1972-07-10 LADPHIL 000000000
1972-06-30 LADSFGL 000000000
1972-06-26 LADCINL 000000000
1972-06-24 LADATLL 000000000
1972-06-19 LADPITL 000000000
1972-06-17 LADCHCL 000000000
1972-06-09 LADPITL 000000000
1972-06-07 LADCHCL 000000000
1972-05-31 LADSFGW 000000000
1972-05-28 LADHOUW 100000001

Last 10 Games — Pitching

DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1972-07-10 LADPHI — 2.0100100
1972-06-30 LADSFG — 2.0111300
1972-06-26 LADCIN — 2.0000210
1972-06-24 LADATL L 1.0322000
1972-06-19 LADPIT — 1.1132210
1972-06-17 LADCHC — 1.0122100
1972-06-09 LADPIT — 2.0100010
1972-06-07 LADCHC — 1.0000010
1972-05-31 LADSFG — 1.1000100
1972-05-28 LADHOU — 3.2432100

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 1070 52 114 373 11 17

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1952 NY1 P 71 0 9 32 2 0
1953 NY1 P 68 0 11 19 1 1
1954 NY1 P 57 0 5 25 0 0
1955 NY1 P 59 0 6 28 1 2
1956 NY1 P 64 0 4 20 0 2
1957 SLN P 40 0 3 8 0 0
1957 CLE P 2 0 0 0 0 0
1958 CLE P 30 6 8 16 0 0
1958 BAL P 9 4 1 6 0 0
1959 BAL P 32 27 13 32 0 1
1960 BAL P 41 11 4 28 1 2
1961 BAL P 51 1 6 22 2 1
1962 BAL P 52 0 10 12 0 0
1963 CHA P 55 3 4 24 1 1
1964 CHA P 73 0 5 16 0 2
1965 CHA P 66 0 7 20 0 2
1966 CHA P 46 0 2 10 0 1
1967 CHA P 49 0 2 11 1 1
1968 CHA P 72 0 3 10 0 1
1969 CAL P 44 0 3 8 1 0
1969 ATL P 8 0 0 2 0 0
1970 ATL P 50 0 4 13 1 0
1970 CHN P 3 0 0 3 0 0
1971 ATL P 3 0 0 2 0 0
1971 LAN P 9 0 1 1 0 0
1972 LAN P 16 0 3 5 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Position Games
Pitcher 1070

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1964 Most Valuable Player AL 19th 8.0 280 0
1961 Most Valuable Player AL 24th 1.0 280 0
1954 Most Valuable Player NL 15th 17.0 336 0
1952 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 133.0 336 0
1952 Rookie of the Year NL 2nd 3.0 24 3

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Hoyt Wilhelm (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Rich Gossage HOF
    124-107, 3.01 ERA
  2. 91
    Rollie Fingers HOF
    114-118, 2.90 ERA
  3. 88
    Lindy McDaniel
    141-119, 3.45 ERA
  4. 81
    Tug McGraw
    96-92, 3.14 ERA
  5. 81
    Stu Miller
    105-103, 3.24 ERA
  6. 74
    Sparky Lyle
    99-76, 2.88 ERA

Compare Hoyt Wilhelm

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Wilhelm's closest peers by position and era.

vs Mariano Rivera
vs Dennis Eckersley
vs Tommy John
vs Billy Wagner
vs Trevor Hoffman
vs Aroldis Chapman

Browse all MLB player comparisons →

See Hoyt Wilhelm in Another Era

What would Wilhelm's 1965 season look like in a different era's run environment? Try the cross-era translation with a live slider.

Translate Hoyt Wilhelm's peak season across eras →

Frequently Asked Questions about Hoyt Wilhelm

What years did Hoyt Wilhelm play?
Hoyt Wilhelm played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1972.
Was Hoyt Wilhelm a pitcher?
Yes. Hoyt Wilhelm pitched in the major leagues, recording 143 wins and 1610 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Hoyt Wilhelm hit?
Hoyt Wilhelm hit 1 career home runs with 38 hits.
Is Hoyt Wilhelm in the Hall of Fame?
Yes. Hoyt Wilhelm was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.