Bump Wills
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1982)
Bump Wills was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1982 for the Texas Rangers and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 6 seasons. In 831 career games, he hit .266 with 807 hits, 36 home runs, and 302 RBI.
- 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 172 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-04-07
- Last Game
- 1982-10-03
Full name: Elliott Taylor Wills
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 831 | 3,030 | 472 | 807 | 128 | 24 | 36 | 302 | 196 | 310 | 441 | .266 | .335 | .360 | .695 | -684 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .335 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .360 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 7.2% below league average.
Career OPS .695 vs. league average .714 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | TEX | AL | 152 | 541 | 87 | 155 | 28 | 6 | 9 | 62 | 28 | 65 | 96 | .287 | .264 (+8%) | .329 (+10%) | .401 (+2%) | .730 (+6%) | 729.9 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 157 | 539 | 78 | 135 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 57 | 52 | 63 | 91 | .250 | .257 (-3%) | .323 (+2%) | .378 (-8%) | .702 (-3%) | -173.9 |
| 1979 | TEX | AL | 146 | 543 | 90 | 148 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 46 | 35 | 53 | 58 | .273 | .265 (+3%) | .329 (+3%) | .397 (-12%) | .727 (-5%) | -333.2 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 146 | 578 | 102 | 152 | 31 | 5 | 5 | 58 | 34 | 51 | 71 | .263 | .264 (-1%) | .326 (-1%) | .387 (-7%) | .714 (-5%) | -432.4 |
| 1981 | TEX | AL | 102 | 410 | 51 | 103 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 12 | 32 | 49 | .251 | .255 (-2%) | .320 (-5%) | .368 (-17%) | .688 (-11%) | -700.5 |
| 1982 | CHN | NL | 128 | 419 | 64 | 114 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 38 | 35 | 46 | 76 | .272 | .261 (+4%) | .324 (+7%) | .388 (-3%) | .712 (+2%) | 226.6 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 831 | 3,030 | 472 | 807 | 128 | 24 | 36 | 302 | 196 | 310 | 441 | .266 | — | — | — | — | -684 | ||
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 (831 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 428 | 1532 | 254 | 425 | 17 | 152 | .277 |
| Away | 403 | 1498 | 218 | 382 | 19 | 150 | .255 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-10-03 | CHC | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1982-09-29 | CHC | NYN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982-09-27 | CHC | PHI | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982-09-26 | CHC | STL | W | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1982-09-25 | CHC | STL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982-09-23 | CHC | NYN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982-09-22 | CHC | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982-09-19 | CHC | WSN | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982-09-18 | CHC | WSN | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982-09-17 | CHC | WSN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 800 | 781 | 1815 | 2582 | 94 | 495 |
| SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | TEX | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | TEX | 2B | 150 | 145 | 321 | 492 | 15 | 89 |
| 1977 | TEX | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | TEX | 2B | 156 | 148 | 350 | 526 | 17 | 84 |
| 1979 | TEX | 2B | 146 | 143 | 337 | 468 | 20 | 95 |
| 1980 | TEX | 2B | 144 | 144 | 340 | 473 | 13 | 112 |
| 1981 | TEX | 2B | 101 | 101 | 268 | 326 | 10 | 70 |
| 1982 | CHN | 2B | 103 | 100 | 199 | 297 | 19 | 45 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 800 |
| Designated Hitter | 4 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | Tempe | AZ | 1972, 1973, 1974 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 3rd | 4.0 | 28 | 4 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bump Wills (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Bump Wills: the record in brief
According to the bio, Bump Wills debuted on April 7, 1977 and played a final game on October 3, 1982. The team column moves through the Texas Rangers (1977 through 1981) and the Chicago Cubs (1982). At 5-foot-9 and 172 pounds, Wills is listed as a second baseman. The bio says Wills batted from both sides and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is July 27, 1952, in Washington, DC, USA. Wills's full given name, per the bio, is Elliott Taylor Wills.
The batting record for Wills: 831 games, 807 hits in 3,030 at bats, and a .266 average, along with 36 home runs, 302 runs batted in, and 196 stolen bases. Wills got on base at a .335 rate and slugged .360 (.695 OPS). The .266 career average is close to the .262 the league hit across the same seasons. No season topped the 155 hits of 1977. Wills stole 52 bases in 1978, the most of any season listed. In 1977, a season of regular play, Wills hit .287 while the league hit .264.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bump Wills
- What years did Bump Wills play?
- Bump Wills played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1982.
- Was Bump Wills a pitcher?
- No. Bump Wills was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Bump Wills hit?
- Bump Wills hit 36 career home runs with 807 hits.
- What teams did Bump Wills play for?
- Bump Wills played for 2 teams: the Texas Rangers (1977–1981) and the Chicago Cubs (1982).
- What were Bump Wills's career stats?
- In 831 games, Bump Wills had 807 hits, 36 home runs, 302 RBI, 472 runs, and 196 stolen bases, with a .266 batting average.
- What position did Bump Wills play?
- Bump Wills played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bump Wills and how much did he weigh?
- Bump Wills was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 172 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bump Wills hit each season?
- Bump Wills's home runs by season: 9 in 1977, 9 in 1978, 5 in 1979, 5 in 1980, 2 in 1981, and 6 in 1982. His most in one season was 9, in 1977 and 1978.
- What was Bump Wills's career batting average?
- Bump Wills batted .266 over his career, with 807 hits in 3,030 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bump Wills have?
- Bump Wills drove in 302 runs in his career.
- Is Bump Wills in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bump Wills has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.