Alva Williams
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1911-1918)
Alva Williams was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1918 for the Boston Red Sox, the Washington Senators, and the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 8 seasons. In 498 career games, he hit .265 with 314 hits, 2 home runs, and 145 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 357.
- 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" / 187 lb
- Died
- 7/23/1933 in Keokuk, IA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1911-04-12
- Last Game
- 1918-06-09
Full name: Alva Mitchell Williams
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 498 | 1,186 | 111 | 314 | 51 | 23 | 2 | 145 | 27 | 95 | 123 | .265 | .328 | .352 | .680 | 357 |
Career AVG .265 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .328 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .352 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .680 vs. league average .664 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | BOS | AL | 95 | 284 | 36 | 68 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 9 | 24 | 30 | .239 | .266 (-10%) | .336 (-7%) | .356 (-15%) | .693 (-11%) | -458.8 |
| 1912 | WS1 | AL | 61 | 157 | 14 | 50 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 7 | 13 | .318 | .268 (+18%) | .335 (+5%) | .358 (+23%) | .694 (+14%) | 308.9 |
| 1913 | WS1 | AL | 66 | 106 | 9 | 30 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 16 | .283 | .259 (+9%) | .325 (+4%) | .345 (+17%) | .670 (+11%) | 175.3 |
| 1914 | WS1 | AL | 81 | 169 | 17 | 47 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 13 | 19 | .278 | .255 (+9%) | .322 (+6%) | .339 (+12%) | .661 (+9%) | 241.4 |
| 1915 | WS1 | AL | 91 | 197 | 14 | 48 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 18 | 20 | .244 | .250 (-3%) | .318 (avg) | .332 (-2%) | .651 (-1%) | -20.8 |
| 1916 | WS1 | AL | 76 | 202 | 16 | 54 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 19 | .267 | .248 (+8%) | .314 (+3%) | .326 (+3%) | .640 (+3%) | 99.0 |
| 1918 | CLE | AL | 28 | 71 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 6 | .239 | .255 (-6%) | .318 (+2%) | .326 (-1%) | .645 (+1%) | 11.6 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 498 | 1,186 | 111 | 314 | 51 | 23 | 2 | 145 | 27 | 95 | 123 | .265 | — | — | — | — | 357 | ||
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 (499 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 235 | 534 | 51 | 138 | 1 | 70 | .258 |
| Away | 264 | 659 | 60 | 177 | 1 | 89 | .269 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918-06-09 | CLE | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-06-07 | CLE | BOS | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-05-30 | CLE | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-05-30 | CLE | CHW | L | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-05-27 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-05-26 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-05-25 | CLE | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-05-21 | CLE | BOS | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918-05-20 | CLE | BOS | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1918-05-19 | CLE | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 144 | 0 | 1288 | 78 | 26 | 68 |
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 212 | 0 | 980 | 254 | 29 | 14 |
| OF | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | BOS | 1B | 57 | 0 | 545 | 31 | 15 | 28 |
| 1911 | BOS | C | 38 | 0 | 182 | 42 | 5 | 0 |
| 1912 | WS1 | C | 48 | 0 | 234 | 74 | 7 | 6 |
| 1913 | WS1 | 1B | 9 | 0 | 64 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| 1913 | WS1 | C | 18 | 0 | 51 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 1913 | WS1 | OF | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914 | WS1 | 1B | 8 | 0 | 71 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1914 | WS1 | C | 44 | 0 | 181 | 54 | 6 | 0 |
| 1914 | WS1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | WS1 | 1B | 15 | 0 | 149 | 16 | 1 | 6 |
| 1915 | WS1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1915 | WS1 | C | 40 | 0 | 213 | 51 | 9 | 4 |
| 1916 | WS1 | 1B | 34 | 0 | 269 | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 1916 | WS1 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1916 | WS1 | C | 23 | 0 | 119 | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| 1918 | CLE | 1B | 21 | 0 | 190 | 10 | 4 | 11 |
| 1918 | CLE | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 208 |
| First Base | 151 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Left Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 6 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Alva Williams (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Alva Williams: the record in brief
The profile opens with Alva Williams's first major league game on April 12, 1911; the last one listed came on June 9, 1918. Williams played for the Boston Red Sox (1911), the Washington Senators (1912 to 1916), and the Cleveland Indians (1918). Williams, born on January 31, 1882, in Carthage, IL, USA, is listed as a catcher and batted and threw right-handed. Williams's listed size is 187 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Williams died on July 23, 1933, in Keokuk, IA, USA. The given name on file is Alva Mitchell Williams.
Across 498 games at the plate, Williams's career line reads 314 hits in 1,186 at bats for a .265 average, plus 2 home runs, 145 runs batted in, and 27 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .328 and the slugging percentage .352, for an OPS of .680. Williams hit .265 while the league hit .257 over the same span, a figure close to average. 1911 produced Williams's most hits, 68 of them for the Boston Red Sox.
Frequently Asked Questions about Alva Williams
- What years did Alva Williams play?
- Alva Williams played in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1918.
- Was Alva Williams a pitcher?
- No. Alva Williams was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Alva Williams hit?
- Alva Williams hit 2 career home runs with 314 hits.
- What was Alva Williams's career batting average?
- Alva Williams batted .265 over his career, with 314 hits in 1,186 at bats.
- How many RBI did Alva Williams have?
- Alva Williams drove in 145 runs in his career.
- Is Alva Williams in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Alva Williams has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.