RetiredOF1885–1906T-770 all-time

Sam Thompson

“Big Sam” · Detroit Wolverines, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers

Bats / ThrowsLeft / Left
AgeDied Nov 7, 1922
Height / Weight6' 2" / 207 lb
BornMar 5, 1860 · Danville, IN, USA
MLB debutJul 2, 1885
Last gameSep 10, 1906
TeamsDetroit Wolverines 1885–1888Philadelphia Phillies 1889–1898Detroit Tigers 1906
Career home runs
126
1407 games · 15 seasons
Best season
20
1889 · Philadelphia Phillies
All-time HR rank
T-770
Tied with 10 others · Next: Wally Westlake (127), 2 to pass
0 HR
Tap a landing spot to see the homer.

Season

Player’s Vault

2 badges earned
1Unicorn
1Rare Air
  • UnicornCareerHall of FameInducted 1974
  • ×2Rare AirSeasonHome run title1889, 1895

Distance and exit-velocity badges count from 2015, when tracking began. Grand slams, walk-offs, inside-the-park, leadoff, pinch-hit, first-pitch, back-to-back, switch-hitting and ballpark badges count games from 2008 on. Game-by-game data isn’t available yet for 14 of his seasons, so single-game badges may be missing for those years.

Career arc

Home runs by season · tap a bar
Home runsSelected season

Personal records

Career

Longest of his career

Hardest hit of his career

Year by year

Regular season · MLB
SeasonTeamGPAHRRBIAVGOBPSLGOPSAB/HR
1906Detroit Tigers83203.226.250.290.540—
1898Philadelphia Phillies1467115.349.388.571.95963.0
1897Philadelphia Phillies31403.231.286.385.671—
1896Philadelphia Phillies11955412100.298.341.449.79043.1
1895Philadelphia Phillies11957618165.392.430.6541.08429.9
1894Philadelphia Phillies9948613141.407.458.6861.14433.6
1893Philadelphia Phillies13165611126.370.424.530.95454.5
1892Philadelphia Phillies1536799104.305.377.432.80967.7
1891Philadelphia Phillies133614790.294.363.410.77379.1
1890Philadelphia Phillies1325994102.313.371.443.814137.3
1889Philadelphia Phillies12857520111.296.348.492.84026.6
1888Detroit Wolverines56264640.282.352.466.81839.7
1887Detroit Wolverines12758610166.372.416.565.98154.5
1886Detroit Wolverines122538889.310—.445—62.9
1885Detroit Wolverines63270744.303—.500—36.3
Career140765101261299.331.384.504.88847.5

Splits

How he hits them

Every home run

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Quick answers

Sam Thompson home run facts
How many career home runs does Sam Thompson have?

Sam Thompson hit 126 career MLB home runs in 15 seasons (1885–1906), tied for 770th all-time.

Where does Sam Thompson rank on the all-time home run list?

Tied for 770th in MLB history with 126. Next: Wally Westlake (127), 2 to pass.

What was Sam Thompson’s best home run season?

His most home runs in a season is 20, in 1889 with the Philadelphia Phillies, when he posted a .840 OPS.

Is Sam Thompson in the Hall of Fame?

Yes. Sam Thompson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

What teams has Sam Thompson played for?

Detroit Wolverines (1885–1888); Philadelphia Phillies (1889–1898); Detroit Tigers (1906).

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