Riggs Stephenson, baseball player, 1921-1934

Riggs Stephenson

Born: 1/5/1898 in Akron, AL, USA

Died: 11/15/1985 in Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1921-04-13 | Final Game: 1934-09-24

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Jackson Riggs Stephenson

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Biography

Riggs Stephenson was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball during the early 20th century, playing from 1921 to 1934. Born in 1898, he made a significant impact on the game with his exceptional hitting skills, finishing his career with a remarkable batting average of .336 over 1,310 games. Stephenson accumulated 1,515 hits, 63 home runs, and 773 RBIs, showcasing his ability to consistently produce at the plate. His offensive contributions were complemented by his speed, as he successfully stole 53 bases throughout his career, adding a dynamic element to his playing style. Stephenson's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball history, which saw the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively charged game. His prowess as a hitter placed him among the elite players of his time, and he was known for his ability to drive in runs and maintain a high batting average. Riggs Stephenson's legacy as a skilled offensive player remains a notable chapter in the annals of baseball history, reflecting the evolution of the game in the early 20th century.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1310 4508 714 1515 321 54 63 773 53 494 247 0.336 0.407 0.473 0.880 18001.4

Career AVG .336 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — +19.0% above league average.

Career OBP .407 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — +18.1% above league average.

Career SLG .473 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — +19.2% above league average.

Career OPS 0.880 vs. league average 0.741 across their career seasons — +18.7% 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
1921 CLE AL 65 206 45 68 17 2 2 34 4 23 15 0.330 .286 (+15%) .344 (+18%) .395 (+17%) .739 (+17%) 725.1
1922 CLE AL 86 233 47 79 24 5 2 32 3 27 18 0.339 .285 (+19%) .345 (+22%) .397 (+29%) .743 (+25%) 1175.3
1923 CLE AL 91 301 48 96 20 6 5 65 5 15 25 0.319 .282 (+13%) .344 (+4%) .390 (+22%) .734 (+13%) 658.7
1924 CLE AL 71 240 33 89 20 0 4 44 1 27 10 0.371 .283 (+31%) .345 (+27%) .389 (+29%) .734 (+28%) 1334.0
1925 CLE AL 19 54 8 16 3 1 1 9 1 7 3 0.296 .288 (+3%) .349 (+11%) .407 (+9%) .756 (+10%) 105.4
1926 CHC NL 82 281 40 95 18 3 3 44 2 31 16 0.338 .279 (+21%) .345 (+17%) .390 (+17%) .735 (+17%) 931.5
1927 CHC NL 152 579 101 199 46 9 7 82 8 65 28 0.344 .282 (+22%) .344 (+21%) .392 (+25%) .736 (+23%) 2906.2
1928 CHC NL 137 512 75 166 36 9 8 90 8 68 29 0.324 .280 (+15%) .342 (+19%) .395 (+21%) .737 (+20%) 2217.8
1929 CHC NL 136 495 91 179 36 6 17 110 10 67 21 0.362 .289 (+25%) .353 (+26%) .415 (+35%) .769 (+31%) 3458.0
1930 CHC NL 109 341 56 125 21 1 5 68 2 32 20 0.367 .293 (+25%) .354 (+19%) .429 (+11%) .784 (+15%) 1142.1
1931 CHC NL 80 263 34 84 14 4 1 52 1 37 14 0.319 .276 (+16%) .338 (+20%) .388 (+7%) .726 (+13%) 753.4
1932 CHC NL 147 583 86 189 49 4 4 85 3 54 27 0.324 .275 (+18%) .335 (+14%) .391 (+13%) .726 (+14%) 1698.5
1933 CHC NL 97 346 45 114 17 4 4 51 5 34 16 0.329 .270 (+22%) .329 (+20%) .377 (+16%) .707 (+18%) 1260.4
1934 CHC NL 38 74 5 16 0 0 0 7 0 7 5 0.216 .278 (-22%) .340 (-14%) .392 (-45%) .733 (-31%) -364.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
9 37 5 14 2 0 0 7 2 2 0.378

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1932 WS CHN 4 18 2 8 1 0 0 4 0 0 0.444
1929 WS CHN 5 19 3 6 1 0 0 3 2 2 0.316

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 203 0 485 613 48 105
3B 44 0 45 80 7 9
OF 913 0 1759 68 42 18

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1921 CLE 2B 54 0 122 153 17 30
1921 CLE 3B 2 0 0 2 0 2
1922 CLE 2B 25 0 44 67 6 6
1922 CLE 3B 34 0 31 69 5 5
1922 CLE OF 3 0 1 0 0 0
1923 CLE 2B 66 0 205 214 13 49
1923 CLE 3B 2 0 2 2 0 0
1923 CLE OF 3 0 0 0 0 0
1924 CLE 2B 58 0 114 179 12 20
1924 CLE OF 7 0 12 1 0 0
1925 CLE OF 16 0 33 2 2 1
1926 CHN OF 74 0 126 7 7 0
1927 CHN 3B 6 0 12 7 2 2
1927 CHN OF 146 0 297 18 8 5
1928 CHN OF 135 0 268 10 5 1
1929 CHN OF 130 0 245 9 4 4
1930 CHN OF 80 0 132 5 6 1
1931 CHN OF 66 0 134 1 2 1
1932 CHN OF 147 0 298 7 5 2
1933 CHN OF 91 0 187 5 3 2
1934 CHN OF 15 0 26 3 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 203
Third Base 47
Left Field 885
Right Field 26

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL 1918, 1919, 1920

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1932 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 32.0 80 0
1929 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 1.0 80 0
1927 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 3.0 80 0