Bill Wilson

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1890-1898)

Bill Wilson was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1898 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Louisville Colonels, a span of 9 seasons. In 219 career games, he hit .208 with 165 hits, 2 home runs, and 75 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

AVG .208
HR 2
RBI 75
H 165
OPS .525
PIV -3,433
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
— / R
Height / Weight
5'9" / 190 lb
Born
10/28/1867 in Hannibal, MO, USA
Died
5/9/1924 in St. Paul, MN, USA
MLB Debut
1890-04-30
Last Game
1898-06-07

Full name: William G. Wilson

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Career Batting Statistics

Bill Wilson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
219 795 79 165 24 9 2 75 17 45 102 .208 .257 .268 .525 -3,433

Career AVG .208 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — 23.4% below league average.

Career OBP .257 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 24.4% below league average.

Career SLG .268 vs. league average .359 across their career seasons — 25.3% below league average.

Career OPS .525 vs. league average .699 across their career seasons — 24.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Bill Wilson — Season-by-Season Batting
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1890 PIT NL 83 304 30 65 11 3 0 21 5 22 50 .214 .260 (-18%) .336 (-19%) .351 (-23%) .687 (-21%) -1035.5
1897 LS3 NL 107 389 44 83 12 4 1 41 9 18 39 .213 .291 (-27%) .354 (-27%) .387 (-30%) .741 (-29%) -1865.4
1898 LS3 NL 29 102 5 17 1 2 1 13 3 5 13 .167 .270 (-38%) .333 (-36%) .347 (-29%) .680 (-33%) -532.6
Career · 3 seasons 219 795 79 165 24 9 2 75 17 45 102 .208 — — — — -3,433

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 (29 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Bill Wilson — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1242410111.238
Away17601702.117

Last 10 Games — Batting

Bill Wilson — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1898-06-07 LS3BLNL 400000000
1898-06-02 LS3WSNL 401000000
1898-06-01 LS3PHIL 300000000
1898-05-30 LS3PHIL 402100000
1898-05-28 LS3BSNW 400000000
1898-05-26 LS3BSNL 402010200
1898-05-24 LS3NY1L 301000000
1898-05-22 LS3BROW 401010300
1898-05-15 LS3CINL 300000010
1898-05-14 LS3CINL 300000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Bill Wilson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 19 0 178 9 10 16
3B 1 0 1 1 1 0
C 171 0 602 218 78 11
OF 25 0 54 8 15 3
SS 1 0 2 5 2 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Bill Wilson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1890 PIT 1B 18 0 167 8 8 15
1890 PIT C 38 0 175 69 35 3
1890 PIT OF 25 0 54 8 15 3
1890 PIT SS 1 0 2 5 2 1
1897 LS3 3B 1 0 1 1 1 0
1897 LS3 C 105 0 341 116 29 7
1898 LS3 1B 1 0 11 1 2 1
1898 LS3 C 28 0 86 33 14 1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Bill Wilson — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 171
First Base 19
Third Base 1
Shortstop 1
Left Field 4
Center Field 8
Right Field 13

Bill Wilson: the record in brief

According to the bio, Bill Wilson debuted on April 30, 1890 and played a final game on June 7, 1898. The season rows list, in order, the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1890) and the Louisville Colonels (1897 through 1898). At 5'9" and 190 pounds, Wilson is listed as a catcher. Wilson was born on October 28, 1867, in Hannibal, MO, USA. Wilson's death is recorded on May 9, 1924, in St. Paul, MN, USA. Bill Wilson was the playing name; the full given name is William G.

In 219 games and 795 at bats, Wilson batted .208 with 165 hits; the totals also include 2 homers and 75 RBI. Reaching base at a .257 clip and slugging .268, Wilson finished with a .525 OPS. The league as a whole hit .271 across Wilson's seasons, which puts the .208 career mark 23.4% below average. By OPS the gap is 24.9% below league average (.525 against .699). The hits column peaks at 83, in 1897. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .214 in 1890, did not top the league's .260.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Wilson

What years did Bill Wilson play?
Bill Wilson played in Major League Baseball from 1890 to 1898.
Was Bill Wilson a pitcher?
No. Bill Wilson was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Bill Wilson hit?
Bill Wilson hit 2 career home runs with 165 hits.
What teams did Bill Wilson play for?
Bill Wilson played for 2 teams: the Pittsburg Alleghenys (1890) and the Louisville Colonels (1897–1898).
What were Bill Wilson's career stats?
In 219 games, Bill Wilson had 165 hits, 2 home runs, 75 RBI, 79 runs, and 17 stolen bases, with a .208 batting average.
What position did Bill Wilson play?
Bill Wilson played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Bill Wilson and how much did he weigh?
Bill Wilson was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 190 pounds.
How many home runs did Bill Wilson hit each season?
Bill Wilson's home runs by season: 0 in 1890, 1 in 1897, and 1 in 1898. His most in one season was 1, in 1897 and 1898.
What was Bill Wilson's career batting average?
Bill Wilson batted .208 over his career, with 165 hits in 795 at bats.
How many RBI did Bill Wilson have?
Bill Wilson drove in 75 runs in his career.
Is Bill Wilson in the Hall of Fame?
No. Bill Wilson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.