1968–1988 · C

Ted Simmons

5' 11", 193 lbs·Lived to 77·Bats B / Throws R

Hall of Fame · 2020Silver SluggerAll-Star

The Almanac's Take

Before Johnny Bench revolutionized the position, Simmons was already proving catchers could hit like middle infielders. His .285 career average ranks among the highest for any backstop in history, and those 248 home runs made him the most prolific power-hitting catcher of the 1970s.

The numbers tell the story of sustained excellence rather than peak dominance. That 108 career OPS+ doesn't leap off the page, but it represents two decades of above-average production from baseball's most demanding position. His 1978 campaign showcased his ceiling — an .889 OPS that ranked him among the game's elite hitters regardless of position.

Simmons waited until 2020 for his Hall of Fame call, a delay that says more about positional bias than his actual value. Eight All-Star selections don't happen by accident, and neither do 21-year careers behind the plate.

Career Highs

.908

Best OPS · 1977

Most HR · 1979

108

Most RBI · 1983

.332

Best AVG · 1975

Career Arc · OPS

21 seasons

Statistical Comps

Vladimir Guerrero

96%

2024 season

ISO .221 · K% 13.8 · BB% 10.3 · HR% 4.3

Carlos Correa

94%

2024 season

ISO .207 · K% 16.7 · BB% 10.9 · HR% 3.8

Will Smith

94%

2025 season

ISO .202 · K% 20.4 · BB% 14.7 · HR% 3.9

Career · Batting

21 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1968	STL	2	3	0	0	.333	.833	—
1969	STL	5	14	0	3	.214	.607	—
1970	STL	82	284	3	24	.243	.650	91
1971	STL	133	510	7	77	.304	.771	113
1972	STL	152	594	16	96	.303	.801	121
1973	STL	161	619	13	91	.310	.808	115
1974	STL	152	599	20	103	.272	.774	112
1975	STL	157	581	18	100	.332	.887	126
1976	STL	150	546	5	75	.291	.765	112
1977	STL	150	516	21	95	.318	.908	124
1978	STL	152	516	22	80	.287	.889	127
1979	STL	123	448	26	87	.283	.875	120
1980	STL	145	495	21	98	.303	.880	123
1981	ML4	100	380	14	61	.216	.638	93
1982	ML4	137	539	23	97	.269	.759	106
1983	ML4	153	600	13	108	.308	.799	112
1984	ML4	132	497	4	52	.221	.569	80
1985	ML4	143	528	12	76	.273	.743	104
1986	ATL	76	127	4	25	.252	.698	97
1987	ATL	73	177	4	30	.277	.740	99
1988	ATL	78	107	2	11	.196	.601	86
Career		2456	8680	248	1389	.285	—	—

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