Kaiser Wilhelm
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1903-1921)
Kaiser Wilhelm was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1921 for 5 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 19 seasons. Across 216 career appearances, he went 56-105 with a 3.44 ERA and 444 strikeouts. He also batted .154 with 0 home runs.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 162 lb
- Died
- 5/22/1936 in Rochester, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1903-04-18
- Last Game
- 1921-08-26
Full name: Irvin Key Wilhelm
Season-by-Season Pitching
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | PIT | NL | 5 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 86.0 | 88 | 31 | 25 | 20 | 3.24 | 3.10 (-5%) | -339.1 |
| 1904 | BSN | NL | 14 | 20 | 39 | 36 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 288.0 | 316 | 118 | 74 | 73 | 3.69 | 2.66 (-39%) | -3290.9 |
| 1905 | BSN | NL | 3 | 23 | 34 | 28 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 242.1 | 287 | 122 | 75 | 76 | 4.53 | 2.82 (-61%) | -2691.4 |
| 1908 | BRO | NL | 16 | 22 | 42 | 36 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 332.0 | 266 | 69 | 83 | 99 | 1.87 | 2.40 (+22%) | -464.6 |
| 1909 | BRO | NL | 3 | 13 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 163.0 | 176 | 59 | 59 | 45 | 3.26 | 2.55 (-28%) | -2056.5 |
| 1910 | BRO | NL | 3 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68.1 | 88 | 36 | 18 | 17 | 4.74 | 2.79 (-70%) | -804.2 |
| 1914 | BLF | FL | 12 | 17 | 47 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 243.2 | 263 | 109 | 81 | 113 | 4.03 | 2.93 (-38%) | -835.0 |
| 1915 | BLF | FL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | PHI | NL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3.38 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 56 | 105 | 216 | 158 | 118 | 12 | 5 | 1,432.1 | 1,495 | 547 | 418 | 444 | 3.44 | — | -10,482 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 223 | 507 | 23 | 78 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 17 | 97 | .154 | .183 | .185 | .368 | -2,757 |
Career AVG .154 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 39.5% below league average.
Career OBP .183 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 42.2% below league average.
Career SLG .185 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 44.8% below league average.
Career OPS .368 vs. league average .652 across their career seasons — 43.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | PIT | NL | 13 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .088 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1904 | BSN | NL | 39 | 100 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 26 | .070 | .246 (-72%) | .300 (-68%) | .321 (-72%) | .622 (-70%) | -975.1 |
| 1905 | BSN | NL | 38 | 100 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 21 | .160 | .248 (-36%) | .307 (-45%) | .322 (-44%) | .629 (-45%) | -641.4 |
| 1908 | BRO | NL | 42 | 111 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 15 | .108 | .240 (-55%) | .298 (-48%) | .306 (-65%) | .605 (-57%) | -845.9 |
| 1909 | BRO | NL | 22 | 57 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | .228 | .244 (-7%) | .306 (-21%) | .312 (+1%) | .618 (-10%) | -110.1 |
| 1910 | BRO | NL | 15 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .316 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1914 | BLF | FL | 49 | 84 | 8 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 14 | .250 | .255 (-2%) | .322 (-17%) | .339 (-9%) | .661 (-13%) | -184.7 |
| 1915 | BLF | FL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | PHI | NL | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 223 | 507 | 23 | 78 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 17 | 97 | .154 | — | — | — | — | -2,757 | ||
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 (439 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 111 | 240 | 11 | 29 | 0 | 11 | .121 |
| Away | 112 | 266 | 11 | 49 | 0 | 11 | .184 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 106 | 740.1 | 728 | 103 | 224 | 257 | 1.25 |
| Away | 110 | 680.1 | 752 | 84 | 200 | 187 | 1.11 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-08-26 | PHI | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-08-08 | PHI | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-06-16 | PHI | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-05-28 | PHI | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1915-04-12 | BLF | NEW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-10-10 | BLF | BRF | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1914-10-09 | BLF | BRF | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-10-07 | BLF | PTF | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-10-05 | BLF | PTF | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-09-28 | BLF | SLF | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921-08-26 | PHI | CIN | — | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-08-08 | PHI | CIN | — | 2.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-06-16 | PHI | CIN | — | 1.1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921-05-28 | PHI | BRO | — | 2.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915-04-12 | BLF | NEW | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-10-10 | BLF | BRF | W | 9.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1914-10-09 | BLF | BRF | SV | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914-10-07 | BLF | PTF | W | 9.0 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 1914-10-05 | BLF | PTF | — | 2.0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1914-09-28 | BLF | SLF | W | 5.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| P | 216 | 122 | 64 | 472 | 31 | 11 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | PIT | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1903 | PIT | P | 12 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 2 | 2 |
| 1904 | BSN | P | 39 | 36 | 10 | 90 | 7 | 3 |
| 1905 | BSN | OF | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1905 | BSN | P | 34 | 28 | 16 | 77 | 5 | 2 |
| 1908 | BRO | P | 42 | 36 | 17 | 109 | 6 | 3 |
| 1909 | BRO | P | 22 | 17 | 3 | 56 | 6 | 0 |
| 1910 | BRO | P | 15 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| 1914 | BLF | P | 47 | 0 | 14 | 82 | 4 | 1 |
| 1915 | BLF | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | PHI | P | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 216 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Kaiser Wilhelm (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Kaiser Wilhelm: the record in brief
According to the bio, Kaiser Wilhelm debuted on April 18, 1903 and played a final game on August 26, 1921. The team column moves through the Pittsburgh Pirates (1903), the Boston Beaneaters (1904 through 1905), the Brooklyn Superbas (1908 to 1910), the Baltimore Terrapins (1914 to 1915), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1921). Wilhelm is listed as a pitcher at 6 feet, 0 inches and 162 pounds. The bio says Wilhelm both batted and threw right-handed. Wilhelm was born on January 26, 1877, in Wooster, OH, USA. The bio records the death on May 22, 1936, in Rochester, NY, USA. The given name on file is Irvin Key Wilhelm.
Wilhelm went 56-105 with a 3.44 ERA in 216 games, 158 of them starts. Also on Wilhelm's record: 444 strikeouts, 118 complete games, and 12 shutouts. Against a 2.93 league ERA for the same seasons, the 3.44 mark was 17.3% worse. The best win total was 16, in 1908. The strikeout high was 113 in 1914.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kaiser Wilhelm
- What years did Kaiser Wilhelm play?
- Kaiser Wilhelm played in Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1921.
- Was Kaiser Wilhelm a pitcher?
- Yes. Kaiser Wilhelm pitched in the major leagues, recording 56 wins and 444 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Kaiser Wilhelm hit?
- Kaiser Wilhelm hit 0 career home runs with 78 hits.
- What was Kaiser Wilhelm's career batting average?
- Kaiser Wilhelm batted .154 over his career, with 78 hits in 507 at bats.
- How many RBI did Kaiser Wilhelm have?
- Kaiser Wilhelm drove in 24 runs in his career.
- What was Kaiser Wilhelm's career ERA?
- Kaiser Wilhelm finished with a 3.44 career ERA, going 56-105 with 444 strikeouts.