Taffy Wright
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1938-1949)
Taffy Wright was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1949 for the Washington Senators, the Chicago White Sox, and the Philadelphia Athletics, a span of 12 seasons. In 1,029 career games, he hit .311 with 1,115 hits, 38 home runs, and 553 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 8,657.
- 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 180 lb
- Died
- 10/22/1981 in Orlando, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1938-04-18
- Last Game
- 1949-09-16
Full name: Taft Shedron Wright
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,029 | 3,583 | 465 | 1,115 | 175 | 55 | 38 | 553 | 32 | 346 | 155 | .311 | .376 | .423 | .799 | 8,657 |
Career AVG .311 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — +17.9% above league average.
Career OBP .376 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +12.0% above league average.
Career SLG .423 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — +12.1% above league average.
Career OPS .799 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — +12.0% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | WS1 | AL | 100 | 263 | 37 | 92 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 36 | 1 | 13 | 17 | .350 | .272 (+28%) | .341 (+14%) | .392 (+32%) | .734 (+23%) | 1073.8 |
| 1939 | WS1 | AL | 129 | 499 | 77 | 154 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 93 | 1 | 38 | 19 | .309 | .274 (+13%) | .342 (+5%) | .393 (+11%) | .735 (+8%) | 696.0 |
| 1940 | CHA | AL | 147 | 581 | 79 | 196 | 31 | 9 | 5 | 88 | 4 | 43 | 25 | .337 | .267 (+26%) | .335 (+15%) | .387 (+15%) | .722 (+15%) | 1774.3 |
| 1941 | CHA | AL | 136 | 513 | 71 | 165 | 35 | 5 | 10 | 97 | 5 | 60 | 27 | .322 | .262 (+23%) | .332 (+20%) | .373 (+25%) | .705 (+23%) | 2420.9 |
| 1942 | CHA | AL | 85 | 300 | 43 | 100 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 1 | 48 | 9 | .333 | .253 (+32%) | .323 (+34%) | .349 (+17%) | .672 (+25%) | 1559.6 |
| 1946 | CHA | AL | 115 | 422 | 46 | 116 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 52 | 10 | 42 | 17 | .275 | .256 (+7%) | .328 (+4%) | .358 (+8%) | .687 (+6%) | 475.3 |
| 1947 | CHA | AL | 124 | 401 | 48 | 130 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 54 | 8 | 48 | 17 | .324 | .262 (+24%) | .336 (+18%) | .376 (+3%) | .712 (+10%) | 974.9 |
| 1948 | CHA | AL | 134 | 455 | 50 | 127 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 61 | 2 | 38 | 18 | .279 | .263 (+6%) | .340 (avg) | .379 (-4%) | .719 (-2%) | -135.7 |
| 1949 | PHA | AL | 59 | 149 | 14 | 35 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 16 | 6 | .235 | .262 (-11%) | .343 (-6%) | .384 (-7%) | .727 (-7%) | -182.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 1,029 | 3,583 | 465 | 1,115 | 175 | 55 | 38 | 553 | 32 | 346 | 155 | .311 | — | — | — | — | 8,657 | ||
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 (1029 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 514 | 1746 | 218 | 548 | 15 | 266 | .314 |
| Away | 515 | 1837 | 247 | 567 | 23 | 287 | .309 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-09-16 | PHA | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-09-03 | PHA | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-09-02 | PHA | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-28 | PHA | DET | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-08-20 | PHA | NYY | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-07-29 | PHA | DET | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-07-21 | PHA | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-07-19 | PHA | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-07-14 | PHA | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-07-10 | PHA | BOS | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | WS1 | OF | 60 | 0 | 107 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 1939 | WS1 | OF | 123 | 0 | 236 | 10 | 13 | 4 |
| 1940 | CHA | OF | 144 | 0 | 278 | 11 | 11 | 2 |
| 1941 | CHA | OF | 134 | 0 | 279 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| 1942 | CHA | OF | 81 | 0 | 176 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| 1946 | CHA | OF | 107 | 0 | 217 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1947 | CHA | OF | 100 | 0 | 198 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| 1948 | CHA | OF | 114 | 0 | 227 | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| 1949 | PHA | OF | 35 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 184 |
| Right Field | 714 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 31th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1941 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 25th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Taffy Wright (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Taffy Wright: the record in brief
According to the bio, Taffy Wright debuted on April 18, 1938 and played a final game on September 16, 1949. Club by club, the record runs the Washington Senators (1938 to 1939), the Chicago White Sox (1940 to 1948), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1949). Born on August 10, 1911, in Tabor City, NC, USA, Wright is listed as an outfielder and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Wright's listed size is 5 feet, 10 inches and 180 pounds. Wright's death is recorded on October 22, 1981, in Orlando, FL, USA. Wright's full given name, per the bio, is Taft Shedron Wright.
Across 1,029 games at the plate, Wright's career line reads 1,115 hits in 3,583 at bats for a .311 average; the totals also include 38 homers, 553 runs batted in, and 32 stolen bases. Wright got on base at a .376 rate and slugged .423 (.799 OPS). Measured against the leagues Wright played in, the .311 career average compares with a .264 league average over the same seasons, 17.9% above the league.
Frequently Asked Questions about Taffy Wright
- What years did Taffy Wright play?
- Taffy Wright played in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1949.
- Was Taffy Wright a pitcher?
- No. Taffy Wright was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Taffy Wright hit?
- Taffy Wright hit 38 career home runs with 1115 hits.
- What was Taffy Wright's career batting average?
- Taffy Wright batted .311 over his career, with 1,115 hits in 3,583 at bats.
- How many RBI did Taffy Wright have?
- Taffy Wright drove in 553 runs in his career.
- Is Taffy Wright in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Taffy Wright has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.