Abner Powell, baseball player, 1884-1886

Abner Powell

Born: 12/15/1860 in Shenandoah, PA, USA

Died: 8/7/1953 in New Orleans, LA, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-08-04 | Final Game: 1886-09-13

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Abner Charles Powell

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Biography

Abner Powell, born in 1860, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the Major Leagues from 1884 to 1886. Known for his competitive spirit and determination on the mound, Powell's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball history, as the sport began to evolve from its early formative years into a more structured game. He made his Major League debut on August 4, 1884, and finished his career on September 13, 1886, competing in an era characterized by the transition from the underhand pitching styles of the past to the overhand deliveries that would dominate the sport. Throughout his career, Powell recorded a win-loss record of 8-18 and achieved an earned run average (ERA) of 4.0. He struck out a total of 97 batters, showcasing his ability to challenge hitters despite the limitations of his era. Although he did not record any saves, Powell's contributions to his teams reflected the gritty competitiveness of the late 19th century, where pitchers were often relied upon to pitch complete games in a demanding schedule. His legacy is intertwined with the early days of professional baseball, a time when the foundations of the game were being laid for future generations of players.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
8 18 29 25 22 1 0 209.3 217 93 5 54 97 4.00 0

Career ERA 4.00 vs. league average 3.21 across their career seasons — 24.4% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1884 WSU UA 6 12 18 17 14 1 0 134.0 135 51 19 78 3.43 3.11 (-10%) 975.7
1886 BL2 AA 2 5 7 7 7 0 0 60.0 66 34 26 15 5.10 3.37 (-51%) -1543.4
1886 CN2 AA 0 1 4 1 1 0 0 15.3 16 8 9 4 4.70 3.37 (-39%) -373.3

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
78 304 53 78 13 7 0 15 4 8 0 0.257 0.276 0.345 0.621 116.1

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .245 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .276 vs. league average .289 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .345 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.621 vs. league average 0.618 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
1884 WSU UA 48 191 36 54 10 5 0 0 0 3 0 0.283 .243 (+16%) .278 (+5%) .327 (+18%) .606 (+12%) 279.2
1886 BL2 AA 11 39 4 7 2 1 0 7 4 1 0 0.179 — — — — 0.0
1886 CN2 AA 19 74 13 17 1 1 0 8 0 4 0 0.230 .246 (-7%) .302 (-11%) .331 (-19%) .634 (-15%) 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 1 0 3 0 1 0
3B 2 0 2 4 0 0
OF 47 0 61 6 15 0
P 29 0 15 57 12 2
SS 7 0 4 24 7 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 WSU 2B 1 0 3 0 1 0
1884 WSU 3B 2 0 2 4 0 0
1884 WSU OF 30 0 39 3 6 0
1884 WSU P 18 0 10 38 9 0
1884 WSU SS 1 0 1 1 2 0
1886 BL2 OF 4 0 6 0 3 0
1886 BL2 P 7 0 4 18 2 2
1886 CN2 OF 13 0 16 3 6 0
1886 CN2 P 4 0 1 1 1 0
1886 CN2 SS 6 0 3 23 5 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 29
Second Base 1
Third Base 2
Shortstop 7
Left Field 8
Center Field 18
Right Field 21