Jim Devlin

Born: 6/6/1849 in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Died: 10/10/1883 in Philadelphia, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1873-04-21 | Final Game: 1877-10-06

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: James Alexander Devlin

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Biography

Jim Devlin was a prominent pitcher in the early days of professional baseball, playing from 1873 until 1877. Born in 1849, he showcased his talent during a transformative period in the sport, just as it began to gain popularity and structure following the establishment of the National League in 1876. Devlin's career statistics reflect a competitive spirit, as he finished with a record of 72 wins and 76 losses, complemented by an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 1.9. His ability to strike out batters shone through, as he recorded 286 strikeouts during his time on the mound, making him one of the more formidable pitchers of his era. Devlin’s playing style was characterized by his skillful pitching and the strategic use of the limited resources available to players at the time. While the game was still evolving, his performance contributed to a growing appreciation for pitching as a key component of team success. Although he did not record any saves, his ERA and strikeout totals indicate his effectiveness in controlling games. Jim Devlin’s contributions to baseball in the 19th century helped lay the groundwork for future generations of pitchers, and his legacy remains a testament to the sport's early development.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
72	76	157	153	151	9	0	1405.0	1437	296	7	90	286	1.90	0

Career ERA 1.90 vs. league average 2.39 across their career seasons — 20.5% better 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
1875	CH2		7	16	28	24	24	0	224.0	254	48	12	23	1.93	2.23 (+13%)	184.2
1876	LS1	NL	30	35	68	68	66	5	622.0	566	108	37	122	1.56	2.31 (+32%)	3967.5
1877	LS1	NL	35	25	61	61	61	4	559.0	617	140	41	141	2.25	2.81 (+20%)	2532.7

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
266	1186	180	340	46	14	1	131	8	16	55	0.287	0.296	0.352	0.648	1226.5

Career AVG .287 vs. league average .269 across their career seasons — +6.6% above league average.

Career OBP .296 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — +5.7% above league average.

Career SLG .352 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — +6.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.648 vs. league average 0.609 across their career seasons — +6.3% above league average.

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
1873	PH2		23	99	18	24	4	4	0	10	0	2	4	0.242	.290 (-17%)	.304 (-15%)	.357 (+2%)	.661 (-6%)	-124.5
1874	CH2		45	203	26	58	5	0	0	26	2	2	9	0.286	.273 (+4%)	.282 (+4%)	.333 (-7%)	.615 (-2%)	-31.2
1875	CH2		69	318	60	92	17	6	0	40	6	4	4	0.289	.253 (+14%)	.260 (+14%)	.309 (+23%)	.570 (+19%)	816.9
1876	LS1	NL	68	298	38	94	14	1	0	28	0	1	11	0.315	.265 (+19%)	.277 (+15%)	.320 (+15%)	.598 (+15%)	644.6
1877	LS1	NL	61	268	38	72	6	3	1	27	0	7	27	0.269	.271 (-1%)	.289 (-1%)	.337 (-4%)	.626 (-2%)	-79.4

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	79	23	846	19	62	26
3B	11	3	13	17	20	1
OF	23	16	22	3	7	2
P	157	0	89	262	30	7
SS	4	0	4	6	6	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1873	PH2	1B	12	0	118	4	8	9
1873	PH2	3B	6	0	8	11	11	1
1873	PH2	OF	2	0	1	1	0	0
1873	PH2	SS	4	0	4	6	6	0
1874	CH2	1B	24	23	248	3	19	5
1874	CH2	3B	5	3	5	6	9	0
1874	CH2	OF	17	16	20	2	7	2
1875	CH2	1B	42	0	472	11	34	11
1875	CH2	OF	4	0	1	0	0	0
1875	CH2	P	28	0	15	52	11	1
1876	LS1	1B	1	0	8	1	1	1
1876	LS1	P	68	0	44	100	9	4
1877	LS1	P	61	0	30	110	10	2