Wally Judnich, baseball player, 1940-1949

Wally Judnich

Born: 1/24/1916 in San Francisco, CA, USA

Died: 7/10/1971 in Glendale, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1940-04-16 | Final Game: 1949-05-12

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Walter Franklin Judnich

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Biography

Wally Judnich was a notable American baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1940 to 1949. Born in 1916, Judnich played primarily as a position player, showcasing his talents across a solid career that spanned 790 games. He recorded a total of 782 hits, demonstrating a keen ability to make contact and maintain a solid batting average of .281. His offensive contributions included 90 home runs and 420 runs batted in (RBIs), highlighting his capability as a power hitter during an era marked by the transition from the deadball period to a more offensively charged game. Judnich was also known for his speed on the bases, accumulating 20 stolen bases throughout his career. His ability to combine hitting prowess with base-running agility made him a valuable asset to his teams. As baseball evolved in the post-war years, Judnich's contributions to the sport were a reflection of the changing dynamics within the game, as players began to embrace a more aggressive style of play. His legacy continues to be remembered by baseball historians and fans alike, as he played a significant role during a transformative time in Major League Baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
790 2786 424 782 150 29 90 420 20 385 298 0.281 0.369 0.452 0.822 9805.0

Career AVG .281 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +7.5% above league average.

Career OBP .369 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — +10.6% above league average.

Career SLG .452 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — +21.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.822 vs. league average 0.706 across their career seasons — +16.3% 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
1940 SLA AL 137 519 97 157 27 7 24 89 8 54 71 0.303 .267 (+13%) .335 (+10%) .387 (+34%) .722 (+23%) 2298.7
1941 SLA AL 146 546 90 155 40 6 14 83 5 80 45 0.284 .262 (+8%) .332 (+13%) .373 (+22%) .705 (+18%) 2080.1
1942 SLA AL 132 457 78 143 22 6 17 82 3 74 41 0.313 .253 (+23%) .323 (+28%) .349 (+43%) .672 (+36%) 3275.2
1946 SLA AL 142 511 60 134 23 4 15 72 0 60 54 0.262 .256 (+2%) .328 (+3%) .358 (+15%) .687 (+9%) 892.5
1947 SLA AL 144 500 58 129 24 3 18 64 2 60 62 0.258 .262 (-2%) .336 (avg) .376 (+13%) .712 (+7%) 670.3
1948 CLE AL 79 218 36 56 13 3 2 29 2 56 23 0.257 .263 (-3%) .340 (+21%) .379 (-2%) .719 (+9%) 588.1
1949 PIT NL 10 35 5 8 1 0 0 1 0 1 2 0.229 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 13 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 4 0.077

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1948 WS CLE 4 13 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 4 0.077

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 149 0 1214 83 14 137
OF 604 0 1636 33 20 9

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1940 SLA OF 133 0 356 7 4 4
1941 SLA OF 140 0 383 11 8 3
1942 SLA OF 122 0 330 4 3 0
1946 SLA OF 137 0 409 6 2 2
1947 SLA 1B 129 0 1067 76 13 118
1947 SLA OF 15 0 38 1 0 0
1948 CLE 1B 20 0 147 7 1 19
1948 CLE OF 49 0 93 4 3 0
1949 PIT OF 8 0 27 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 149
Left Field 6
Center Field 583
Right Field 16

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 14.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 6.0 336 0