John Williams
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
John Williams was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Dayton Marcos and the St. Louis Stars. Across 111 career appearances, he went 44-30 with a 4.37 ERA and 293 strikeouts. He also batted .259 with 9 home runs. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 2021.4.
- 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
Full name: John Wesley Williams
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | DM | NNL | 1 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 78.2 | 110 | 55 | 39 | 40 | 6.29 | 4.11 (-53%) | -984.3 |
| 1927 | SLS | NNL | 7 | 4 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 106.1 | 111 | 44 | 39 | 63 | 3.72 | 4.08 (+9%) | 38.9 |
| 1928 | SLS | NNL | 8 | 5 | 22 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 119.0 | 137 | 68 | 33 | 60 | 5.14 | 4.13 (-24%) | 1660.0 |
| 1929 | SLS | NNL | 19 | 6 | 34 | 24 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 210.0 | 204 | 72 | 48 | 72 | 3.09 | 4.60 (+33%) | 2346.6 |
| 1930 | SLS | NNL | 9 | 5 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 107.2 | 124 | 63 | 48 | 58 | 5.27 | 4.80 (-10%) | -1039.8 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 44 | 30 | 111 | 73 | 42 | 4 | 6 | 621.2 | 686 | 302 | 207 | 293 | 4.37 | — | 2,021 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196 | 502 | 75 | 130 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 67 | 5 | 24 | 3 | .259 | .297 | .396 | .693 | -1,038 |
Career AVG .259 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.
Career OBP .297 vs. league average .348 across their career seasons — 14.7% below league average.
Career SLG .396 vs. league average .404 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .693 vs. league average .752 across their career seasons — 7.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | DM | NNL | 25 | 46 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .065 | — | — | — | — | -419.7 |
| 1927 | SLS | NNL | 23 | 46 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .283 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1928 | SLS | NNL | 30 | 57 | 12 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .263 | .280 (-6%) | .342 (-16%) | .395 (-11%) | .737 (-13%) | -139.0 |
| 1929 | SLS | NNL | 59 | 161 | 20 | 39 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .242 | .289 (-16%) | .353 (-21%) | .415 (-12%) | .769 (-16%) | -495.2 |
| 1930 | SLS | NNL | 59 | 192 | 29 | 60 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 35 | 3 | 10 | 2 | .312 | .293 (+6%) | .354 (-1%) | .429 (+3%) | .784 (+1%) | 15.7 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 196 | 502 | 75 | 130 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 67 | 5 | 24 | 3 | .259 | — | — | — | — | -1,038 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Last 2 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-06-09 | SSN | CAG | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-07-13 | DAY | CAG | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 1 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-06-09 | SSN | CAG | — | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 5 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 3B | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| OF | 69 | 54 | 85 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| P | 111 | 73 | 20 | 222 | 16 | 13 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | DM | 1B | 5 | 5 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1926 | DM | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | DM | P | 16 | 10 | 6 | 32 | 6 | 1 |
| 1927 | SLS | OF | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | SLS | P | 20 | 11 | 0 | 41 | 4 | 1 |
| 1928 | SLS | OF | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1928 | SLS | P | 22 | 15 | 1 | 38 | 1 | 1 |
| 1929 | SLS | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929 | SLS | OF | 25 | 16 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929 | SLS | P | 34 | 24 | 10 | 76 | 3 | 8 |
| 1930 | SLS | 3B | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | SLS | OF | 35 | 33 | 56 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1930 | SLS | P | 19 | 13 | 3 | 35 | 2 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 111 |
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 50 |
| Center Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 7 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
John Williams: the record in brief
John Williams's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1926 to 1930. By club, Williams's seasons break down as the Dayton Marcos (1926) and the St. Louis Stars (1927 through 1930). Williams, born on December 3, 1904, in South Bend, IN, USA, is listed as a pitcher. John Williams was the playing name; the full given name is John Wesley.
Across 111 games (73 starts), Williams recorded 44 wins against 30 losses with a 4.37 ERA. The same table counts 293 strikeouts and 42 complete games. Williams's 4.37 ERA was close to the 4.34 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 19 wins of 1929. 1929 was Williams's sharpest full season, a 3.09 ERA against the league's 4.60. Pitcher PIV, the site's era-adjusted run-prevention measure, totals 2,021.4 for Williams's career.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Williams
- Was John Williams a pitcher?
- Yes. John Williams pitched in the major leagues, recording 44 wins and 293 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did John Williams hit?
- John Williams hit 9 career home runs with 130 hits.
- What teams did John Williams play for?
- John Williams played for 2 teams: the Dayton Marcos (1926) and the St. Louis Stars (1927–1930).
- What were John Williams's career stats?
- In 111 games, John Williams went 44-30 with a 4.37 ERA, 293 strikeouts, 621.2 innings pitched, and 6 saves. At the plate he had 130 hits and 9 home runs.
- What position did John Williams play?
- John Williams played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- What was John Williams's career ERA?
- John Williams finished with a 4.37 career ERA, going 44-30 with 293 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did John Williams have?
- John Williams recorded 293 career strikeouts.
- Is John Williams in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Williams has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.