Bill Yancey
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Bill Yancey was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for 7 teams, including the Hilldale Club. In 346 career games, he hit .259 with 300 hits, 14 home runs, and 155 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 165 lb
- Died
- 4/13/1971 in Marlton, NJ, USA
Full name: William James Yancey
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 346 | 1,157 | 156 | 300 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 155 | 17 | 104 | 6 | .259 | .320 | .360 | .681 | -2,005 |
Career AVG .259 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.
Career OBP .320 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 6.7% below league average.
Career SLG .360 vs. league average .399 across their career seasons — 9.7% below league average.
Career OPS .681 vs. league average .743 across their career seasons — 8.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | HIL | ECL | 31 | 80 | 11 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 0 | .300 | .282 (+6%) | .344 (+8%) | .392 (+2%) | .736 (+5%) | 67.0 |
| 1928 | PTG | ECL | 8 | 29 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .379 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1929 | NLG | ANL | 66 | 240 | 34 | 60 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 5 | 26 | 0 | .250 | .289 (-14%) | .353 (-9%) | .415 (-21%) | .769 (-15%) | -596.5 |
| 1930 | NLG | IND | 51 | 178 | 35 | 49 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 13 | 1 | .275 | .293 (-6%) | .354 (-8%) | .429 (-3%) | .784 (-6%) | -199.4 |
| 1931 | HIL | IND | 49 | 163 | 20 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 3 | .245 | .276 (-11%) | .338 (-15%) | .388 (-12%) | .726 (-13%) | -362.5 |
| 1932 | NBY | IND | 28 | 108 | 13 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 1 | .269 | .275 (-2%) | .335 (-5%) | .391 (-10%) | .726 (-8%) | -137.6 |
| 1933 | NBY | IND | 15 | 62 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .226 | .270 (-16%) | .329 (-21%) | .377 (-32%) | .707 (-27%) | -256.0 |
| 1934 | NBY | IND | 22 | 67 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 0 | .239 | .278 (-14%) | .340 (-3%) | .392 (-5%) | .733 (-4%) | -36.1 |
| 1935 | BE | NN2 | 35 | 111 | 11 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 1 | .207 | .279 (-26%) | .342 (-17%) | .399 (-37%) | .742 (-28%) | -487.2 |
| 1935 | NYC | NN2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | -487.2 |
| 1936 | PS | NN2 | 39 | 114 | 11 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 11 | 0 | .263 | .283 (-7%) | .349 (-6%) | .404 (+6%) | .753 (+1%) | 2.9 |
| 1936 | NYC | NN2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .750 | — | — | — | — | 2.9 |
| Career · 12 seasons | 346 | 1,157 | 156 | 300 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 155 | 17 | 104 | 6 | .259 | — | — | — | — | -2,490 | ||
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 (78 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 38 | 107 | 16 | 29 | 2 | 9 | .271 |
| Away | 40 | 128 | 10 | 29 | 3 | 11 | .227 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936-09-12 | PH5 | NY5 | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-09-12 | PH5 | NY5 | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-09-07 | PH5 | NY6 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-09-05 | PH5 | WEG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-08-31 | PH5 | HOM | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1936-08-29 | PH5 | PTC | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-08-29 | PH5 | PTC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-08-26 | PH5 | NY5 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-08-18 | PH5 | HOM | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936-08-16 | PH5 | NW2 | W | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 6 | 6 | 42 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 2B | 21 | 20 | 54 | 75 | 8 | 13 |
| 3B | 11 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| SS | 300 | 291 | 606 | 768 | 132 | 111 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | HIL | 1B | 4 | 4 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1927 | HIL | 3B | 10 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | HIL | OF | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1927 | HIL | SS | 13 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| 1928 | PTG | SS | 8 | 8 | 14 | 27 | 7 | 3 |
| 1929 | NLG | SS | 66 | 66 | 135 | 196 | 35 | 33 |
| 1930 | NLG | SS | 51 | 51 | 113 | 139 | 26 | 13 |
| 1931 | HIL | SS | 49 | 49 | 103 | 115 | 15 | 20 |
| 1932 | NBY | SS | 28 | 28 | 58 | 76 | 11 | 10 |
| 1933 | NBY | SS | 15 | 15 | 27 | 52 | 6 | 3 |
| 1934 | NBY | SS | 22 | 22 | 38 | 48 | 11 | 9 |
| 1935 | BE | 2B | 4 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
| 1935 | BE | SS | 31 | 29 | 75 | 66 | 9 | 13 |
| 1935 | NYC | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1936 | PS | 1B | 2 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1936 | PS | 2B | 17 | 16 | 44 | 57 | 6 | 10 |
| 1936 | PS | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1936 | PS | SS | 15 | 15 | 29 | 34 | 8 | 6 |
| 1936 | NYC | SS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 6 |
| Second Base | 21 |
| Third Base | 11 |
| Shortstop | 300 |
| Right Field | 3 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Bill Yancey: the record in brief
Bill Yancey's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1927 to 1936. Club by club, the record runs the Hilldale Club (1927 to 1931), the Philadelphia Tigers (1928), the New York Lincoln Giants (1929 to 1930), the New York Black Yankees (1932 through 1934), the Brooklyn Eagles (1935), the New York Cubans (1935 to 1936), and the Philadelphia Stars (1936). Born on April 2, 1902, in Philadelphia, PA, USA, Yancey is listed as a shortstop and threw and hit right-handed. The bio gives 165 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. The bio records the death on April 13, 1971, in Marlton, NJ, USA. The given name on file is William James Yancey.
In 346 games and 1,157 at bats, Yancey batted .259 with 300 hits; the totals also include 14 homers and 155 RBI. Reaching base at a .320 clip and slugging .360, Yancey finished with a .681 OPS. Over the seasons Yancey played, league hitters batted .281; the .259 career figure is 7.8% below that. 1929 produced Yancey's most hits, 60 of them for the New York Lincoln Giants.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Yancey
- Was Bill Yancey a pitcher?
- No. Bill Yancey was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Bill Yancey hit?
- Bill Yancey hit 14 career home runs with 300 hits.
- What teams did Bill Yancey play for?
- Bill Yancey played for 7 teams: the Hilldale Club (1927, 1931), the Philadelphia Tigers (1928), the New York Lincoln Giants (1929–1930), the New York Black Yankees (1932–1934), the Brooklyn Eagles (1935), the New York Cubans (1935–1936), and the Philadelphia Stars (1936).
- What were Bill Yancey's career stats?
- In 346 games, Bill Yancey had 300 hits, 14 home runs, 155 RBI, 156 runs, and 17 stolen bases, with a .259 batting average.
- What position did Bill Yancey play?
- Bill Yancey played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Bill Yancey and how much did he weigh?
- Bill Yancey was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Bill Yancey hit each season?
- Bill Yancey's home runs by season: 0 in 1927, 1 in 1928, 1 in 1929, 3 in 1930, 2 in 1931, 0 in 1932, 0 in 1933, 2 in 1934, 0 in 1935, and 5 in 1936. His most in one season was 5, in 1936.
- What was Bill Yancey's career batting average?
- Bill Yancey batted .259 over his career, with 300 hits in 1,157 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Yancey have?
- Bill Yancey drove in 155 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Yancey in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Yancey has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.