Jay Hankins, baseball player, 1961-1963

Jay Hankins

Born: 11/7/1935 in St. Louis County, MO, USA

Died: 1/20/2020 in Kansas City, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1961-04-15 | Final Game: 1963-06-16

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Jay Nelson Hankins

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Jay Hankins, born in 1935, was a professional baseball player who made his mark in the Major Leagues from 1961 to 1963. Primarily serving as a position player, Hankins played in a total of 86 games during his brief career. He was known for his versatility on the field and contributed to his teams with a blend of speed and power, hitting 4 home runs and driving in 10 runs, despite finishing with a batting average of .184. Hankins’ career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, as the game was transitioning from the post-war years into a new era characterized by increased athleticism and the emergence of dynamic players. While his offensive numbers may not have placed him among the game's elite, Hankins’ role as a reliable team player and his ability to steal bases—totaling 2 in his career—demonstrated his understanding of the game and his contributions to team strategy. His time in Major League Baseball, though brief, reflected the challenges and competition of his era and left an indelible mark on the teams he played for.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
86 207 25 38 0 4 4 10 2 8 20 0.184 0.218 0.280 0.498 -1026.1

Career AVG .184 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 27.1% below league average.

Career OBP .218 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 31.6% below league average.

Career SLG .280 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — 27.2% below league average.

Career OPS 0.498 vs. league average 0.703 across their career seasons — 29.2% below 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
1961 KC1 AL 76 173 23 32 0 3 3 6 2 8 17 0.185 .258 (-28%) .328 (-31%) .399 (-32%) .727 (-32%) -1026.1
1963 KC1 AL 10 34 2 6 0 1 1 4 0 0 3 0.176 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 74 50 116 2 4 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1961 KC1 OF 65 42 97 1 3 0
1963 KC1 OF 9 8 19 1 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 21
Center Field 41
Right Field 15

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Missouri Columbia Columbia MO 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957