Jesse Williams
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Jesse Williams was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs and the New York Black Yankees. In 288 career games, he hit .267 with 270 hits, 5 home runs, and 101 RBI. Jesse Williams was a 3-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 282.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 160 lb
- Died
- 2/27/1990 in Kansas City, MO, USA
- Awards
- 3× All-Star
Full name: Jesse Horace Williams
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 21.0 | 20.0 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | .400 | .429 | .650 | 1.079 |
| 1947 | 38.0 | 34.0 | 3.0 | 10.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 1.0 | .294 | .368 | .441 | .809 |
| 1948 | 26.0 | 24.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1.0 | .208 | .240 | .333 | .573 |
| 1949 | 144.0 | 128.0 | 22.0 | 32.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 13.0 | 15.0 | 1.0 | 8.0 | .250 | .329 | .320 | .649 |
| Listed seasons · 4 | 229 | 206 | 32 | 55 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 21 | 1 | 10 | .267 | — | — | — |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 288 | 1,012 | 169 | 270 | 40 | 18 | 5 | 101 | 32 | 100 | 2 | .267 | .339 | .357 | .696 | 282 |
Career AVG .267 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .339 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .357 vs. league average .366 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .696 vs. league average .696 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | KCM | NAL | 26 | 70 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | .214 | .274 (-22%) | .342 (-26%) | .393 (-35%) | .735 (-31%) | -361.2 |
| 1940 | KCM | NAL | 40 | 136 | 24 | 50 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 5 | 11 | 1 | .368 | .267 (+38%) | .335 (+26%) | .387 (+23%) | .722 (+25%) | 592.7 |
| 1941 | KCM | NAL | 40 | 134 | 21 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 13 | 0 | .261 | .262 (avg) | .332 (+2%) | .373 (-10%) | .705 (-4%) | -69.4 |
| 1941 | NBY | NN2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | -69.4 |
| 1942 | KCM | NAL | 46 | 159 | 21 | 37 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 19 | 0 | .233 | .253 (-8%) | .323 (-3%) | .349 (+4%) | .672 (+1%) | 5.0 |
| 1943 | KCM | NAL | 42 | 156 | 24 | 39 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 17 | 0 | .250 | .255 (-2%) | .324 (+2%) | .346 (-13%) | .671 (-6%) | -101.1 |
| 1944 | KCM | NAL | 43 | 157 | 21 | 36 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 0 | .229 | .261 (-12%) | .325 (-8%) | .357 (-11%) | .683 (-9%) | -236.1 |
| 1945 | KCM | NAL | 50 | 196 | 50 | 58 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 22 | 0 | .296 | .260 (+13%) | .328 (+13%) | .354 (+12%) | .683 (+13%) | 451.8 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 288 | 1,012 | 169 | 270 | 40 | 18 | 5 | 101 | 32 | 100 | 2 | .267 | — | — | — | — | 212 | ||
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 (234 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 137 | 445 | 76 | 124 | 1 | 42 | .279 |
| Away | 97 | 333 | 49 | 96 | 2 | 14 | .288 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-08-11 | IN9 | NY6 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-09 | IN9 | BLG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-08-08 | IN9 | NY6 | L | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-08-07 | IN9 | NY6 | L | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-07 | IN9 | NY6 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-06 | IN9 | PH5 | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-20 | IN9 | BIR | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1949-06-19 | IN9 | BIR | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-06-19 | IN9 | BIR | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-18 | IN9 | BIR | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2B | 33 | 33 | 83 | 96 | 10 | 17 |
| 3B | 21 | 17 | 15 | 28 | 6 | 2 |
| OF | 8 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 227 | 222 | 402 | 671 | 70 | 80 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | KCM | 3B | 14 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| 1939 | KCM | OF | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | KCM | SS | 7 | 7 | 10 | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| 1940 | KCM | 3B | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 1940 | KCM | SS | 38 | 37 | 59 | 98 | 12 | 17 |
| 1941 | KCM | 3B | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1941 | KCM | SS | 37 | 35 | 67 | 107 | 10 | 10 |
| 1941 | NBY | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | KCM | SS | 46 | 46 | 84 | 152 | 14 | 15 |
| 1943 | KCM | SS | 42 | 42 | 85 | 118 | 7 | 16 |
| 1944 | KCM | 1B | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1944 | KCM | OF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | KCM | SS | 40 | 40 | 70 | 125 | 19 | 14 |
| 1945 | KCM | 2B | 33 | 33 | 83 | 96 | 10 | 17 |
| 1945 | KCM | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945 | KCM | OF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | KCM | SS | 17 | 15 | 27 | 53 | 5 | 6 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 33 |
| Third Base | 21 |
| Shortstop | 227 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jesse Williams: the record in brief
The season rows for Jesse Williams begin in 1939. Williams played for the Kansas City Monarchs (1939 to 1945) and the New York Black Yankees (1941). Williams is listed as a shortstop at 160 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The bio says Williams both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is June 22, 1913, in Henderson, TX, USA. Williams's death is recorded on February 27, 1990, in Kansas City, MO, USA. Williams's full given name, per the bio, is Jesse Horace Williams.
Williams finished with 270 hits from 1,012 at bats in 288 games, which works out to .267, along with 5 home runs, 101 runs batted in, and 32 stolen bases. Williams got on base at a .339 rate and slugged .357 (.696 OPS). Against a .262 league average for those years, Williams's .267 average was near the norm. Williams collected a career-high 58 hits in 1945. 1940 brought the most runs batted in, 28.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jesse Williams
- Was Jesse Williams a pitcher?
- No. Jesse Williams was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Jesse Williams hit?
- Jesse Williams hit 5 career home runs with 270 hits.
- What teams did Jesse Williams play for?
- Jesse Williams played for 2 teams: the Kansas City Monarchs (1939–1945) and the New York Black Yankees (1941).
- Did Jesse Williams win an MVP award?
- No. Jesse Williams did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Jesse Williams win?
- Jesse Williams was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
- What were Jesse Williams's career stats?
- In 288 games, Jesse Williams had 270 hits, 5 home runs, 101 RBI, 169 runs, and 32 stolen bases, with a .267 batting average.
- What position did Jesse Williams play?
- Jesse Williams played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jesse Williams and how much did he weigh?
- Jesse Williams was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jesse Williams hit each season?
- Jesse Williams's home runs by season: 0 in 1939, 1 in 1940, 0 in 1941, 2 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 0 in 1944, and 2 in 1945. His most in one season was 2, in 1942 and 1945.
- What was Jesse Williams's career batting average?
- Jesse Williams batted .267 over his career, with 270 hits in 1,012 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jesse Williams have?
- Jesse Williams drove in 101 runs in his career.
- Is Jesse Williams in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jesse Williams has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Jesse Williams make?
- Jesse Williams was selected to 3 All-Star Games.