Jay Johnstone

Born: 11/20/1945 in Manchester, CT, USA

Died: 9/26/2020 in Granada Hills, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1966-07-30 | Final Game: 1985-10-06

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: John William Johnstone

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Biography

Jay Johnstone was a versatile position player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1966 until his retirement in 1985. Born in 1945, Johnstone's career spanned nearly two decades, during which he played in 1,748 games. He was known for his solid batting skills, finishing his career with a .267 batting average, 1,254 hits, and 102 home runs. His ability to contribute offensively was complemented by his knack for driving in runs, as evidenced by his 531 RBIs. Additionally, he showcased his speed on the base paths, accumulating 50 stolen bases throughout his career. Johnstone played in an era marked by the transition of baseball into a more power-oriented game, yet he remained effective as a player who could adapt to the changing dynamics of the sport. His contributions were not only limited to his offensive output; he was also admired for his defensive versatility, having played multiple outfield positions and contributing to the teams he played for, including the California Angels, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies. Jay Johnstone's career remains a testament to the importance of adaptability and skill in the ever-evolving landscape of baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1748	4703	578	1254	215	38	102	531	50	429	632	0.267	0.329	0.394	0.722	3731.8

Career AVG .267 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .329 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .394 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.722 vs. league average 0.698 across their career seasons — near 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
1966	LAA	AL	61	254	35	67	12	4	3	17	3	11	36	0.264	.248 (+6%)	.309 (-4%)	.376 (avg)	.685 (-2%)	-122.1
1967	LAA	AL	79	230	18	48	7	1	2	10	3	5	37	0.209	.242 (-14%)	.306 (-26%)	.357 (-23%)	.663 (-25%)	-1006.7
1968	LAA	AL	41	115	11	30	4	1	0	3	2	7	15	0.261	.236 (+10%)	.298 (+2%)	.340 (-8%)	.638 (-4%)	-63.2
1969	LAA	AL	148	540	64	146	20	5	10	59	3	38	75	0.270	.248 (+9%)	.320 (avg)	.369 (+3%)	.689 (+2%)	93.1
1970	LAA	AL	119	320	34	76	10	5	11	39	1	24	53	0.237	.253 (-6%)	.325 (-11%)	.385 (+5%)	.711 (-3%)	-278.4
1971	CHW	AL	124	388	53	101	14	1	16	40	10	38	50	0.260	.249 (+4%)	.316 (+4%)	.365 (+16%)	.682 (+11%)	759.7
1972	CHW	AL	113	261	27	49	9	0	4	17	2	25	42	0.188	.243 (-23%)	.310 (-17%)	.353 (-24%)	.664 (-21%)	-948.9
1973	OAK	AL	23	28	1	3	1	0	0	3	0	2	4	0.107	—	—	—	—	0.0
1974	PHI	NL	64	200	30	59	10	4	6	30	5	24	28	0.295	.256 (+15%)	.324 (+14%)	.369 (+29%)	.693 (+22%)	751.5
1975	PHI	NL	122	350	50	115	19	2	7	54	7	42	39	0.329	.257 (+28%)	.327 (+21%)	.374 (+21%)	.701 (+21%)	1506.0
1976	PHI	NL	129	440	62	140	38	4	5	53	5	41	39	0.318	.255 (+25%)	.320 (+17%)	.360 (+27%)	.681 (+22%)	1734.3
1977	PHI	NL	112	363	64	103	18	4	15	59	3	38	38	0.284	.264 (+7%)	.329 (+6%)	.401 (+20%)	.730 (+13%)	878.8
1978	PHI	NL	35	56	3	10	2	0	0	4	0	6	9	0.179	.257 (-31%)	.323 (-20%)	.378 (-43%)	.702 (-33%)	-291.5
1978	NYY	AL	36	65	6	17	0	0	1	6	0	4	10	0.262	.257 (+1%)	.323 (+2%)	.378 (-19%)	.702 (-9%)	-291.5
1979	NYY	AL	23	48	7	10	1	0	1	7	1	2	7	0.208	—	—	—	—	-217.7
1979	SDP	NL	75	201	10	59	8	2	0	32	1	18	21	0.294	.265 (+11%)	.329 (+6%)	.397 (-11%)	.727 (-4%)	-217.7
1980	LAD	NL	109	251	31	77	15	2	2	20	3	24	29	0.307	.264 (+16%)	.326 (+14%)	.387 (+5%)	.714 (+9%)	494.0
1981	LAD	NL	61	83	8	17	3	0	3	6	0	7	13	0.205	.255 (-20%)	.320 (-17%)	.368 (-5%)	.688 (-11%)	-157.4
1982	LAD	NL	21	13	1	1	1	0	0	2	0	5	2	0.077	—	—	—	—	0.0
1982	CHC	NL	98	269	39	67	13	1	10	43	0	40	41	0.249	.261 (-5%)	.324 (+6%)	.388 (+7%)	.712 (+7%)	0.0
1983	CHC	NL	86	140	16	36	7	0	6	22	1	20	24	0.257	.260 (-1%)	.324 (+11%)	.389 (+12%)	.714 (+12%)	367.1
1984	CHC	NL	52	73	8	21	2	2	0	3	0	7	18	0.288	.259 (+11%)	.322 (+8%)	.384 (-4%)	.707 (+2%)	30.6
1985	LAD	NL	17	15	0	2	1	0	0	2	0	1	2	0.133	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
14	21	2	10	1	1	1	5	1	1	0.476

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1985	NLCS	LAN	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
1981	NLCS	LAN	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
1981	NWDIV	LAN	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
1981	WS	LAN	3	3	1	2	0	0	1	3	0	0	0.667
1978	WS	NYA	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
1977	NLCS	PHI	2	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.200
1976	NLCS	PHI	3	9	1	7	1	1	0	2	1	0	0.778

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	57	45	370	30	8	38
2B	2	2	0	0	0	0
OF	1308	1087	2373	100	53	18

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1966	CAL	OF	61	61	114	2	3	1
1967	CAL	OF	63	49	141	3	4	0
1968	CAL	OF	29	26	58	4	1	1
1969	CAL	OF	144	141	331	12	6	4
1970	CAL	OF	100	78	200	7	4	3
1971	CHA	OF	119	102	232	9	8	1
1972	CHA	OF	97	56	154	5	2	1
1973	OAK	2B	2	2	0	0	0	0
1973	OAK	OF	7	0	7	0	0	0
1974	PHI	OF	59	56	88	4	3	1
1975	PHI	OF	101	91	152	10	4	3
1976	PHI	1B	6	3	27	2	3	1
1976	PHI	OF	122	113	266	8	5	1
1977	PHI	1B	19	17	131	6	1	16
1977	PHI	OF	91	73	163	9	0	1
1978	PHI	1B	8	8	73	7	1	9
1978	PHI	OF	7	3	4	0	0	0
1978	NYA	OF	22	12	31	0	0	0
1979	NYA	OF	19	9	32	0	0	0
1979	SDN	1B	22	17	125	14	3	10
1979	SDN	OF	45	32	60	4	1	0
1980	LAN	OF	61	58	100	9	4	0
1981	LAN	1B	2	0	14	1	0	2
1981	LAN	OF	16	9	19	3	1	0
1982	CHN	OF	86	77	154	8	3	0
1983	CHN	OF	44	32	55	3	4	1
1984	CHN	OF	15	9	12	0	0	0