Joe Cowley

Born: 8/15/1958 in Lexington, KY, USA

MLB Debut: 1982-04-13 | Final Game: 1987-05-03

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: Joseph Alan Cowley

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Joe Cowley, born in 1958, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1982 until 1987. Throughout his career, Cowley made a name for himself with a record of 33 wins and 25 losses, showcasing his ability to compete at the highest level. He concluded his playing days with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.2 and accumulated a total of 332 strikeouts, reflecting his capacity to miss bats and contribute to his team's pitching staff. Cowley's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded game. Despite not recording any saves, Cowley's role as a starting pitcher allowed him to influence games directly, often taking the mound in critical situations. His contributions to the teams he played for, including the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees, left a lasting mark, particularly as he navigated the challenges and pressures of pitching in the Major Leagues during the mid-1980s.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
33	25	95	76	8	1	0	469.3	414	219	69	232	332	4.20	0

Career ERA 4.20 vs. league average 3.97 across their career seasons — 5.9% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1982	ATL	NL	1	2	17	8	0	0	52.3	53	26	16	27	4.47	3.86 (-16%)	-379.2
1984	NYY	AL	9	2	16	11	3	1	83.3	75	33	31	71	3.56	3.81 (+6%)	-
1985	NYY	AL	12	6	30	26	1	0	159.7	132	70	85	97	3.95	3.89 (-1%)	-
1986	CHW	AL	11	11	27	27	4	0	162.3	133	70	83	132	3.88	3.97 (+2%)	-
1987	PHI	NL	0	4	5	4	0	0	11.7	21	20	17	5	15.43	4.29 (-259%)	-1413.5

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
96	18	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	0.222	0.222	0.278	0.500	0.0

Career AVG .222 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 14.5% below league average.

Career OBP .222 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 31.7% below league average.

Career SLG .278 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 29.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.500 vs. league average 0.720 across their career seasons — 30.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	H	2B	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS
1982	ATL	NL	17	15	3	0	4	0.200	—	—	—	—
1984	NYY	AL	16	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1985	NYY	AL	30	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1986	CHW	AL	28	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1987	PHI	NL	5	3	1	1	0	0.333	—	—	—	—