John Wathan

Born: 10/4/1949 in Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

MLB Debut: 1976-05-26 | Final Game: 1985-10-06

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: John David Wathan

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Biography

John Wathan, born in 1949, was a versatile position player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1976 until his retirement in 1985. Throughout his career, Wathan played in 860 games, amassing a total of 656 hits, which included 21 home runs and 261 runs batted in. He demonstrated notable speed on the basepaths, finishing his career with 105 stolen bases. Wathan concluded his playing days with a batting average of .262, showcasing his ability to contribute offensively in a competitive era that emphasized both power and contact hitting. Wathan's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the increasing importance of speed and versatility. Primarily associated with the Kansas City Royals, he exemplified the role of a reliable utility player, capable of adapting to various positions on the field. His contributions were particularly significant during the Royals' rise in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as the team emerged as a perennial contender in the American League. After his playing days, Wathan continued to influence the game through coaching and management, further solidifying his legacy within baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
860	2505	305	656	90	25	21	261	105	199	265	0.262	0.318	0.343	0.661	-3147.3

Career AVG .262 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .318 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .343 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.661 vs. league average 0.710 across their career seasons — 7.0% below 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
1976	KCR	AL	27	42	5	12	1	0	0	5	0	2	5	0.286	—	—	—	—	0.0
1977	KCR	AL	55	119	18	39	5	3	2	21	2	5	8	0.328	.264 (+24%)	.329 (+5%)	.401 (+17%)	.730 (+12%)	190.0
1978	KCR	AL	67	190	19	57	10	1	2	28	2	3	12	0.300	.257 (+16%)	.323 (-1%)	.378 (+4%)	.702 (+2%)	3.5
1979	KCR	AL	90	199	26	41	7	3	2	28	2	7	24	0.206	.265 (-22%)	.329 (-31%)	.397 (-24%)	.727 (-27%)	-1125.7
1980	KCR	AL	126	453	57	138	14	7	6	58	17	50	42	0.305	.264 (+15%)	.326 (+15%)	.387 (+5%)	.714 (+10%)	1012.0
1981	KCR	AL	89	301	24	76	9	3	1	19	11	19	23	0.252	.255 (-1%)	.320 (-7%)	.368 (-15%)	.688 (-11%)	-621.5
1982	KCR	AL	121	448	79	121	11	3	3	51	36	48	46	0.270	.261 (+3%)	.324 (+6%)	.388 (-16%)	.712 (-6%)	-321.6
1983	KCR	AL	128	437	49	107	18	3	2	32	28	27	56	0.245	.260 (-6%)	.324 (-11%)	.389 (-19%)	.714 (-16%)	-1346.1
1984	KCR	AL	97	171	17	31	7	1	2	10	6	21	34	0.181	.259 (-30%)	.322 (-16%)	.384 (-30%)	.707 (-24%)	-721.0
1985	KCR	AL	60	145	11	34	8	1	1	9	1	17	15	0.234	.257 (-9%)	.323 (-1%)	.390 (-17%)	.714 (-10%)	-217.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
18	34	3	5	0	0	0	1	6	7	0.147

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1985	WS	KCA	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	0.000
1984	ALCS	KCA	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
1981	AWDIV	KCA	3	10	1	3	0	1	1	0.300
1980	ALCS	KCA	3	6	1	0	0	3	1	0.000
1980	WS	KCA	3	7	1	2	1	2	1	0.286
1978	ALCS	KCA	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
1977	ALCS	KCA	4	6	0	0	0	0	3	0.000
1976	ALCS	KCA	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	196	103	1082	87	7	100
C	572	495	2224	194	44	23
OF	64	48	82	3	1	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1976	KCA	1B	3	1	6	0	0	0
1976	KCA	C	23	8	57	4	1	1
1977	KCA	1B	5	4	26	0	1	2
1977	KCA	C	35	19	130	9	1	0
1978	KCA	1B	47	31	307	22	0	20
1978	KCA	C	21	16	78	6	2	0
1979	KCA	1B	49	25	264	19	2	30
1979	KCA	C	23	18	70	5	1	0
1979	KCA	OF	3	0	2	0	0	0
1980	KCA	1B	12	11	112	7	1	14
1980	KCA	C	77	72	306	25	6	5
1980	KCA	OF	35	31	54	1	1	0
1981	KCA	1B	1	0	1	0	0	0
1981	KCA	C	73	68	300	26	7	1
1981	KCA	OF	16	13	15	2	0	0
1982	KCA	1B	3	2	19	2	0	2
1982	KCA	C	120	116	463	38	10	3
1983	KCA	1B	37	27	244	26	3	24
1983	KCA	C	92	89	360	32	6	5
1983	KCA	OF	9	3	11	0	0	0
1984	KCA	1B	33	1	91	10	0	8
1984	KCA	C	59	49	213	21	6	2
1984	KCA	OF	1	1	0	0	0	0
1985	KCA	1B	6	1	12	1	0	0
1985	KCA	C	49	40	247	28	4	6