Don Wilson
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1966-1974)
Don Wilson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1974 for the Houston Astros, a span of 9 seasons. Across 266 career appearances, he went 104-92 with a 3.15 ERA and 1,283 strikeouts. He also batted .146 with 1 home runs. Don Wilson was an All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 17656.2.
- 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 / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 195 lb
- Died
- 1/5/1975 in Houston, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1966-09-29
- Last Game
- 1974-09-28
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Donald Edward Wilson
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | HOU | NL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3.00 | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | HOU | NL | 10 | 9 | 31 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 184.0 | 141 | 57 | 69 | 159 | 2.79 | 3.30 (+16%) | 2611.6 |
| 1968 | HOU | NL | 13 | 16 | 33 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 208.2 | 187 | 76 | 70 | 175 | 3.28 | 2.98 (-10%) | 3534.5 |
| 1969 | HOU | NL | 16 | 12 | 34 | 34 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 225.0 | 210 | 100 | 97 | 235 | 4.00 | 3.61 (-11%) | 5034.1 |
| 1970 | HOU | NL | 11 | 6 | 29 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 184.1 | 188 | 80 | 66 | 94 | 3.91 | 3.89 (-1%) | 102.5 |
| 1971 | HOU | NL | 16 | 10 | 35 | 34 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 268.0 | 195 | 73 | 79 | 180 | 2.45 | 3.47 (+29%) | 4740.5 |
| 1972 | HOU | NL | 15 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 228.1 | 196 | 68 | 66 | 172 | 2.68 | 3.26 (+18%) | 3389.7 |
| 1973 | HOU | NL | 11 | 16 | 37 | 32 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 239.1 | 187 | 85 | 92 | 149 | 3.20 | 3.75 (+15%) | 275.3 |
| 1974 | HOU | NL | 11 | 13 | 33 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 204.2 | 170 | 70 | 100 | 112 | 3.08 | 3.63 (+15%) | -2032.1 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 104 | 92 | 266 | 245 | 78 | 20 | 2 | 1,748.1 | 1,479 | 611 | 640 | 1,283 | 3.15 | — | 17,656 | ||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 268 | 597 | 36 | 87 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 9 | 230 | .146 | .175 | .184 | .359 | -4,361 |
Career AVG .146 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — 41.5% below league average.
Career OBP .175 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 44.5% below league average.
Career SLG .184 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 49.8% below league average.
Career OPS .359 vs. league average .683 across their career seasons — 47.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | HOU | NL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1967 | HOU | NL | 31 | 66 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 | .091 | .242 (-62%) | .306 (-53%) | .357 (-70%) | .663 (-63%) | -601.0 |
| 1968 | HOU | NL | 34 | 70 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .214 | .236 (-9%) | .298 (-21%) | .340 (-16%) | .638 (-18%) | -192.3 |
| 1969 | HOU | NL | 34 | 81 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 36 | .099 | .248 (-60%) | .320 (-48%) | .369 (-67%) | .689 (-58%) | -735.4 |
| 1970 | HOU | NL | 30 | 69 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 28 | .116 | .253 (-54%) | .325 (-61%) | .385 (-62%) | .711 (-62%) | -671.5 |
| 1971 | HOU | NL | 35 | 91 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 37 | .154 | .249 (-38%) | .316 (-43%) | .365 (-55%) | .682 (-49%) | -675.2 |
| 1972 | HOU | NL | 33 | 76 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 35 | .105 | .243 (-57%) | .310 (-59%) | .353 (-63%) | .664 (-61%) | -691.9 |
| 1973 | HOU | NL | 37 | 79 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 32 | .177 | .256 (-31%) | .325 (-42%) | .378 (-40%) | .703 (-41%) | -517.8 |
| 1974 | HOU | NL | 33 | 63 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 19 | .206 | .256 (-20%) | .324 (-30%) | .369 (-23%) | .693 (-26%) | -276.1 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 268 | 597 | 36 | 87 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 9 | 230 | .146 | — | — | — | — | -4,361 | ||
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 (534 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 136 | 306 | 17 | 39 | 0 | 17 | .127 |
| Away | 132 | 291 | 19 | 48 | 1 | 18 | .165 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 135 | 951.0 | 807 | 317 | 320 | 671 | 3.00 |
| Away | 131 | 797.0 | 672 | 295 | 320 | 612 | 3.33 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-09-28 | HOU | ATL | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-22 | HOU | ATL | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-16 | HOU | LAD | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-11 | HOU | SDP | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1974-09-04 | HOU | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1974-08-30 | HOU | PHI | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1974-08-25 | HOU | PHI | W | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-08-19 | HOU | NYN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1974-08-14 | HOU | CHC | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-08-09 | HOU | WSN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-09-28 | HOU | ATL | W | 9.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974-09-22 | HOU | ATL | — | 8.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1974-09-16 | HOU | LAD | L | 6.0 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1974-09-11 | HOU | SDP | L | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| 1974-09-04 | HOU | CIN | L | 8.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1974-08-30 | HOU | PHI | W | 8.0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 1974-08-25 | HOU | PHI | W | 8.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1974-08-19 | HOU | NYN | — | 8.0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1974-08-14 | HOU | CHC | L | 6.0 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1974-08-09 | HOU | WSN | L | 8.2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | HOU | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967 | HOU | P | 31 | 28 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| 1968 | HOU | P | 33 | 30 | 16 | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 1969 | HOU | P | 34 | 34 | 19 | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| 1970 | HOU | P | 29 | 27 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| 1971 | HOU | P | 35 | 34 | 9 | 26 | 2 | 4 |
| 1972 | HOU | P | 33 | 33 | 8 | 37 | 2 | 1 |
| 1973 | HOU | P | 37 | 32 | 15 | 25 | 4 | 3 |
| 1974 | HOU | P | 33 | 27 | 11 | 21 | 5 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 266 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Player of the Week | Week of 1974-07-05 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compton Community College | Compton | CA | 1964 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Don Wilson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Don Wilson: the record in brief
The profile opens with Don Wilson's first major league game on September 29, 1966; the last one listed came on September 28, 1974. Wilson's only club in the season tables is the Houston Astros. Wilson, a pitcher by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6'2" and 195 pounds. Wilson was born on February 12, 1945, in Monroe, LA, USA. Wilson's death is recorded on January 5, 1975, in Houston, TX, USA. Wilson's full given name, per the bio, is Donald Edward Wilson.
Wilson pitched in 266 games, starting 245, and finished with a 104-92 record and 3.15 ERA. Wilson had 1,283 strikeouts, 78 complete games, and 20 shutouts. That 3.15 ERA compares with a 3.50 league average across the same seasons, 10.2% better. No season topped the 16 wins of 1969. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 2.45 in 1971, when the league's was 3.47.
Frequently Asked Questions about Don Wilson
- What years did Don Wilson play?
- Don Wilson played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1974.
- Was Don Wilson a pitcher?
- Yes. Don Wilson pitched in the major leagues, recording 104 wins and 1283 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Don Wilson hit?
- Don Wilson hit 1 career home runs with 87 hits.
- What was Don Wilson's career batting average?
- Don Wilson batted .146 over his career, with 87 hits in 597 at bats.
- How many RBI did Don Wilson have?
- Don Wilson drove in 35 runs in his career.
- What was Don Wilson's career ERA?
- Don Wilson finished with a 3.15 career ERA, going 104-92 with 1,283 strikeouts.