Jackie Robinson Day: 5 Stats To Know About MLB’s First Black Player

Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson Day Friday, commemorating the 75th anniversary of Robinson breaking MLB’s color barrier. Robinson wasn’t simply the first Black player in league history—he was one of the greatest baseball players of his generation.

Robinson’s MLB career lasted from 1947-1956, all of it spent with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Despite not making his debut until he was 28 years old, Robinson was a perennial All-Star and a Hall-of-Fame player, based on his on-field performance alone.

Here’s a look at five of Robinson’s most impressive stats for his MLB career with the Dodgers.

197 Stolen Bases

Robinson led the league in two of his first three MLB seasons, swiping a career-high 37 bags in 1949. He managed to steal home 19 times, an unthinkable feat in today’s game. Robinson stole home in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series, which the Dodgers won in seven games.

.311 Batting Average

A .311 career average is impressive enough, but it would’ve been much higher had Robinson been given the chance to play in the majors at an earlier age when he was in his prime. Robinson hit .345 in the Negro leagues in 1945 and led the International League with a .349 average in 1946. Robinson won the 1949 batting title with a .342 average. In his first eight seasons with the Dodgers, Robison hit .319.

.409 On-Base Percentage

Robinson might be considered an even better player if he debuted 60 years later because of the way MLB now values on-base percentage. Only 38 players in history reached base at a higher rate than Robinson. Robinson led the league with a .440 on-base percentage in 1952 and posted an OBP north of .412 every year from 1949-1954.

Eight MVP Ballot appearances

Perhaps nothing showcases just how great Robsinson was compared to his peers. In all but two of his MLB seasons, he finished 16th or better in the MVP race. Robinson had a top-seven MVP finish in four of his first six seasons. The 1949 NL MVP award went to Robinson, who hit .342/.432/.528 with 16 home runs, 124 RBI and 37 steals.

Six World Series appearances

Baseball is the ultimate team sport, but Robinson played a significant role in leading the Dodgers to the World Series six times. The New York Yankees got the better of Brooklyn on five occasions. Robinson finally got a championship ring when the Dodgers outlasted their rivals over seven games in 1955. In the 1953 Fall Classic, Robinson hit a personal-best .320.