George Zettlein

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1871-1876)

George Zettlein was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1876 for 6 teams, including the Chicago White Stockings, a span of 6 seasons. Across 250 career appearances, he went 129-112 with a 2.55 ERA and 143 strikeouts. He also batted .210 with 0 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 1556.6.

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

W–L 129–112
ERA 2.55
WHIP 1.30
SO 143
Pitcher PIV 1556.6
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
5'9" / 162 lb
Born
7/12/1844 in Williamsburg, NY, USA
Died
5/22/1905 in Patchogue, NY, USA
MLB Debut
1871-05-08
Last Game
1876-09-16
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Career Pitching Statistics

George Zettlein — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
129 112 250 244 228 13 3 2176.2 2,678 616 17 145 143 2.55 1556.6

Career ERA 2.55 vs. league average 2.79 across their career seasons — 8.7% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

George Zettlein Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1871 CH1 18 9 28 28 25 0 0 240.2 298 73 25 22 2.73 4.22 (+35%) 1190.2
1872 TRO 14 8 25 22 17 2 1 187.2 207 45 8 17 2.16 3.66 (+41%) 685.9
1872 BR1 1 8 9 9 8 0 0 75.1 106 30 6 8 3.58 3.66 (+2%) 50.0
1873 PH2 36 15 51 51 49 0 0 460.0 594 146 41 29 2.86 3.40 (+16%) 888.3
1874 CH2 27 30 57 57 57 3 0 515.2 640 139 43 26 2.43 2.19 (-11%) -1292.3
1875 CH2 17 14 31 31 29 6 0 282.0 266 40 6 18 1.28 2.23 (+43%) 379.3
1875 PH2 12 8 21 21 20 1 0 181.1 209 42 10 13 2.08 2.23 (+6%) -160.8
1876 PHN NL 4 20 28 25 23 1 2 234.0 358 101 6 10 3.88 2.31 (-68%) -184.0
Career · 8 seasons 129 112 250 244 228 13 3 2,176.2 2,678 616 145 143 2.55 — 1,557

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

George Zettlein — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
255 1,105 142 232 23 1 0 105 9 4 34 .210 .213 .233 .445 -3,984

Career AVG .210 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — 23.0% below league average.

Career OBP .213 vs. league average .285 across their career seasons — 25.2% below league average.

Career SLG .233 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 30.8% below league average.

Career OPS .445 vs. league average .621 across their career seasons — 28.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

George Zettlein — 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
1871 CH1 28 128 23 32 3 0 0 18 4 2 4 .250 .286 (-13%) .311 (-16%) .383 (-29%) .695 (-23%) -425.2
1872 TRO 25 114 25 29 9 0 0 21 0 0 2 .254 .285 (-11%) .296 (-14%) .347 (-4%) .644 (-9%) -159.7
1872 BR1 9 34 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 .088 — — — — -159.7
1873 PH2 51 241 39 50 2 0 0 21 4 1 4 .207 .290 (-29%) .304 (-31%) .357 (-40%) .661 (-36%) -1207.6
1874 CH2 57 244 26 47 7 0 0 18 0 1 5 .193 .273 (-30%) .282 (-31%) .333 (-34%) .615 (-32%) -1045.5
1875 CH2 32 133 7 29 0 0 0 9 0 0 5 .218 .253 (-14%) .260 (-16%) .309 (-30%) .570 (-24%) -369.7
1875 PH2 21 83 10 15 0 0 0 6 1 0 7 .181 .253 (-29%) .260 (-31%) .309 (-42%) .570 (-37%) -369.7
1876 PHN NL 32 128 11 27 2 1 0 11 0 0 5 .211 .265 (-20%) .277 (-24%) .320 (-24%) .598 (-24%) -408.9
Career · 8 seasons 255 1,105 142 232 23 1 0 105 9 4 34 .210 — — — — -4,146

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.

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

George Zettlein — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 11 0 84 2 11 4
2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
OF 13 3 8 2 3 1
P 250 116 111 411 88 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

George Zettlein — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1871 CH1 OF 3 0 1 0 1 0
1871 CH1 P 28 28 8 41 10 2
1872 TRO OF 8 3 5 0 1 0
1872 TRO P 25 22 8 34 10 0
1872 BR1 OF 1 0 1 1 0 1
1872 BR1 P 9 9 4 18 6 0
1873 PH2 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1873 PH2 P 51 0 22 93 18 4
1874 CH2 P 57 57 27 99 31 1
1875 CH2 1B 3 0 21 0 6 0
1875 CH2 P 31 0 21 62 7 0
1875 PH2 P 21 0 14 28 1 3
1876 PHN 1B 7 0 62 2 5 4
1876 PHN 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1876 PHN OF 1 0 1 1 1 0
1876 PHN P 28 0 7 36 5 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

George Zettlein — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 250
First Base 11
Second Base 1
Center Field 1
Right Field 12

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

George Zettlein (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Candy Cummings HOF
    145-94, 2.42 ERA
  2. 97
    Dick McBride
    149-78, 2.71 ERA
  3. 60
    Cherokee Fisher
    56-84, 2.61 ERA
  4. 43
    Ed Siever
    83-82, 2.60 ERA
  5. 35
    Bill Duggleby
    93-102, 3.18 ERA
  6. 34
    Nick Altrock
    83-75, 2.65 ERA

George Zettlein: the record in brief

According to the bio, George Zettlein debuted on May 8, 1871 and played a final game on September 16, 1876. By club, Zettlein's seasons break down as the Chicago White Stockings (1871 to 1875), the Troy Haymakers (1872), the Brooklyn Eckfords (1872), the Philadelphia Whites (1873 to 1875), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1876). Zettlein, born on July 12, 1844, in Williamsburg, NY, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. Size on record: 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds. Zettlein's death is recorded on May 22, 1905, in Patchogue, NY, USA.

Zettlein pitched in 250 games, starting 244, and finished with a 129-112 record and 2.55 ERA. The same table counts 143 strikeouts, 228 complete games, and 13 shutouts. That 2.55 ERA compares with a 2.79 league average across the same seasons, 8.7% better. No season topped the 36 wins of 1873. In 1874, one of the busiest seasons, Zettlein posted a 2.43 ERA; the league figure that year was 2.19.

Frequently Asked Questions about George Zettlein

What years did George Zettlein play?
George Zettlein played in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1876.
Was George Zettlein a pitcher?
Yes. George Zettlein pitched in the major leagues, recording 129 wins and 143 strikeouts.
How many home runs did George Zettlein hit?
George Zettlein hit 0 career home runs with 232 hits.
What teams did George Zettlein play for?
George Zettlein played for 5 teams: the Chicago White Stockings (1871, 1874–1875), the Troy Haymakers (1872), the Brooklyn Eckfords (1872), the Philadelphia Whites (1873, 1875), and the Philadelphia Athletics (1876).
What were George Zettlein's career stats?
In 250 games, George Zettlein went 129-112 with a 2.55 ERA, 143 strikeouts, 2,176.2 innings pitched, and 3 saves. At the plate he had 232 hits and 0 home runs.
What position did George Zettlein play?
George Zettlein played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was George Zettlein and how much did he weigh?
George Zettlein was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 162 pounds.
What was George Zettlein's career ERA?
George Zettlein finished with a 2.55 career ERA, going 129-112 with 143 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did George Zettlein have?
George Zettlein recorded 143 career strikeouts.
Is George Zettlein in the Hall of Fame?
No. George Zettlein has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.