John Stearns

Born: 8/21/1951 in Denver, CO, USA

Died: 9/15/2022 in Denver, CO, USA

MLB Debut: 1974-09-22 | Final Game: 1984-09-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: John Hardin Stearns

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Biography

John Stearns, born in 1951, was a prominent Major League Baseball player who made his mark primarily as a catcher during his career from 1974 to 1984. Known for his athleticism and versatility, Stearns played in 810 games, amassing 696 hits, 46 home runs, and 312 RBIs with a batting average of .260. His ability to contribute not only with the bat but also on the basepaths was evident in his 91 stolen bases, a notable achievement for a player at his position during that era. Stearns was selected as an All-Star four times, a testament to his skills and impact on the game. Playing in a period characterized by the evolution of the catcher position, he combined speed and power, setting himself apart from his contemporaries. His contributions to the teams he played for, particularly the New York Mets, solidified his legacy as a key figure in baseball during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Stearns remains a significant part of baseball history for his achievements and the influence he had as a player during a transformative time in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
810	2681	334	696	152	10	46	312	91	323	294	0.260	0.341	0.375	0.717	922.2

Career AVG .260 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .341 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .375 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.717 vs. league average 0.708 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
1974	PHI	NL	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.500	—	—	—	—	0.0
1975	NYN	NL	59	169	25	32	5	1	3	10	4	17	15	0.189	.257 (-26%)	.327 (-18%)	.374 (-24%)	.701 (-21%)	-630.9
1976	NYN	NL	32	103	13	27	6	0	2	10	1	16	11	0.262	.255 (+3%)	.320 (+14%)	.360 (+5%)	.681 (+9%)	195.8
1977	NYN	NL	139	431	52	108	25	1	12	55	9	77	76	0.251	.264 (-5%)	.329 (+12%)	.401 (-1%)	.730 (+5%)	725.1
1978	NYN	NL	143	477	65	126	24	1	15	73	25	70	57	0.264	.257 (+2%)	.323 (+12%)	.378 (+9%)	.702 (+11%)	1208.8
1979	NYN	NL	155	538	58	131	29	2	9	66	15	52	57	0.243	.265 (-8%)	.329 (-5%)	.397 (-11%)	.727 (-8%)	-903.5
1980	NYN	NL	91	319	42	91	25	1	0	45	7	33	24	0.285	.264 (+8%)	.326 (+6%)	.387 (-5%)	.714 (avg)	15.1
1981	NYN	NL	80	273	25	74	12	1	1	24	12	24	17	0.271	.255 (+6%)	.320 (+3%)	.368 (-10%)	.688 (-4%)	-144.2
1982	NYN	NL	98	352	46	103	25	3	4	28	17	30	35	0.293	.261 (+12%)	.324 (+8%)	.388 (+7%)	.712 (+7%)	455.8
1983	NYN	NL	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1984	NYN	NL	8	17	6	3	1	0	0	1	1	4	2	0.176	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	49	42	330	38	3	36
3B	29	20	10	36	7	3
C	699	651	3712	446	63	64
OF	6	6	7	0	2	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1974	PHI	C	1	0	1	0	0	0
1975	NYN	C	54	46	297	40	2	9
1976	NYN	C	30	28	200	20	3	2
1977	NYN	1B	6	5	30	3	2	3
1977	NYN	C	127	116	742	76	15	12
1978	NYN	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1978	NYN	C	141	134	711	84	12	7
1979	NYN	1B	16	14	114	8	0	16
1979	NYN	3B	11	7	5	14	2	2
1979	NYN	C	121	113	628	85	12	11
1979	NYN	OF	6	6	7	0	2	0
1980	NYN	1B	16	15	120	18	1	10
1980	NYN	3B	1	0	0	3	0	1
1980	NYN	C	74	70	432	41	7	6
1981	NYN	1B	9	7	58	8	0	4
1981	NYN	3B	4	3	0	6	1	0
1981	NYN	C	66	63	302	38	6	7
1982	NYN	3B	12	10	5	13	4	0
1982	NYN	C	81	79	379	61	6	9
1984	NYN	1B	2	1	8	1	0	3
1984	NYN	C	4	2	20	1	0	1