The tradition of Negro League stars has actually long been acknowledged, yet numerous exceptional gamers are lastly being acknowledged for their contributions to baseball. This acknowledgment raises an interesting concern: how would these professional athletes rank on all-time leaderboards if provided equivalent factor to consider?

The main acknowledgment of Negro League stats by Major League Baseball ahead of the 2024 season has actually sparked considerable discussions relating to the history, gamers, and long lasting effect of these leagues. This combination permits a more detailed understanding of the skill that grew in the Negro Leagues.

While renowned names like Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Satchel Paige have actually taken pleasure in enduring popularity as previous Negro League gamers who transitioned to MLB fame, others such as Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, and Jud Wilson are now lastly getting the acknowledgment they appropriately are worthy of for their remarkable abilities and contributions to the sport.

It’s necessary to assess Negro League efficiencies together with those in the American League and National League, as historic accounts recommend that the quality of pitchers dealt with in the Negro Leagues was equivalent to those in the big leagues. Had these gamers been managed the exact same chances, it’s thought that numerous would have accomplished considerable success in the AL or NL.

The exceptional truth that 10 of the very first 14 National League MVPs were granted to previous Negro League gamers after the combination of expert baseball in 1947—starting with Jackie Robinson‘s groundbreaking launching—shows the unbelievable skill that existed in these leagues. Since 2004, MLB has actually commemorated Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, where every gamer and coach uses his retired consistent number 42 to honor his contributions and tradition.

The addition of Negro League stats has actually exceptionally improved secret baseball stats, consisting of batting average, punching portion, and AGE. With these modifications, Josh Gibson has actually become the all-time leader in both single-season and profession batting average. Additionally, gamers such as Mule Suttles, Norman “Turkey” Stearns, and Oscar Charleston have actually protected their locations in the top ten for profession punching portion. Notably, Charlie “Chino” Smith accomplished an OPS of 1.421 in 1929, connecting for 3rd all-time with Barry Bonds’ famous 2004 season.

Despite these amazing advancements, the leaderboards for cumulative stats, such as crowning achievement and taken bases, have actually stayed mostly the same. This stagnancy can be credited to the much shorter seasons in the Negro Leagues compared to the AL and NL, which restricted the chances for gamers to generate excellent overalls. To make sure a reasonable contrast, the leaderboards listed below have actually been recalibrated to show a 162-game season, thus developing an equal opportunity in between Negro League gamers and their AL and NL equivalents.

This modification procedure likewise uses to the top ten gamers in each analytical classification from the AL and NL, enabling a more fair analysis. For circumstances, Babe Ruth’s historical 60 crowning achievement season in 1927, accomplished in simply 151 video games, has actually been gotten used to show a forecasted overall of 64 crowning achievement over a complete 162-game season.

It’s crucial to acknowledge that smaller sized sample sizes can present higher irregularity in information, implying that forecasts based upon reduced Negro League seasons might yield extremely high or low numbers. The lengths of seasons throughout different Negro Leagues and various periods differed considerably, normally varying from around 30 to 90 video games, which is significantly less than a basic AL or NL season.

Consequently, the scaled all-time leaderboards provided listed below might not be perfect, yet they successfully highlight how the finest skills from the Negro Leagues step versus the best from the AL and NL. Most significantly, they highlight the need for the Negro Leagues to get the acknowledgment they have actually long been owed.

All analytical information referenced is sourced from the contemporary period of baseball (1901-present) and is stemmed from Major League Baseball’s released all-time single-season analytical leaderboards. Abbreviations for the Negro Leagues consist of: Negro National League (NNL), 2nd Negro National League (NN2), Negro American League (NAL), Eastern Colored League (ECL), and Negro Southern League (NSL).

(Note: Player overalls are rounded to the nearby entire number, which might lead to incorporate the leaderboard that do not show the real rankings when thinking about decimal points.)

Top Home Run Hitters in Baseball History

1. 83 – Josh Gibson, 1937 Homestead Grays (20 HRs in 39 NN2 video games)

Josh Gibson is unquestionably among the most amazing gamers in the history of baseball. Despite the restricted sample size of simply 39 video games, his power-hitting expertise was not a one-off incident; he regularly showed exceptional crowning achievement ability, typically striking in excess of a 3rd of his video games, even while playing in locations with outfield fences considerably even more from home base than what contemporary gamers deal with today.

2. 77 – Barry Bonds, 2001 San Francisco Giants (73 HRs in 153 video games)

3. 73 – Mark McGwire, 1998 St. Louis Cardinals (70 HRs in 155 video games)

4. 69 – Mule Suttles, 1936 Newark Eagles (12 HRs in 28 NN2 video games)

5. 69 – Mark McGwire, 1999 St. Louis Cardinals (65 HRs in 153 video games)

6. 67 – Sammy Sosa, 1998 Chicago Cubs (66 HRs in 159 video games)

7. 65 – Sammy Sosa, 2001 Chicago Cubs (64 HRs in 160 video games)

8. 64 – Babe Ruth, 1927 New York Yankees (60 HRs in 151 video games)

9. 64 – Aaron Judge, 2022 New York Yankees (62 HRs in 157 video games)

10. 63 – Sammy Sosa, 1999 Chicago Cubs (63 HRs in 162 video games)

Top RBI Producers in Baseball History

1. 303 – Josh Gibson, 1937 Homestead Grays (73 in 39 NN2 video games)

Gibson’s status as a powerful crowning achievement player is reputable, and his position at the top of this RBI list even more strengthens his tradition. However, he was not simply a slugger; he was likewise an exceptional contact player, boasting a remarkable batting average of .466 in 1943—the greatest ever taped in a season with more than 125 at-bats.

2. 259 – Josh Gibson, 1943 Homestead Grays (112 in 70 NN2 video games)

3. 237 – Mule Suttles, 1926 St. Louis Stars (130 in 89 NNL video games)

4. 226 – Esteban Montalvo, 1925 Cuban Stars West (60 in 43 NNL video games)

5. 221 – Larry Doby, 1947 Newark Eagles (41 in 30 NN2 video games)

6. 221 – Oscar Charleston, 1925 Harrisburg Giants (97 in 71 ECL video games)

Oscar Charleston was a dominant force in both the very first and 2nd Negro National Leagues, along with the Eastern Colored League, where his awards consisted of 2 batting titles. In 1925, he incredibly drove in 97 runs in simply 71 video games. Legendary baseball historian Bill James notoriously mentioned that Charleston was a mix of Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. Moreover, Charleston showed unbelievable speed and protective expertise in center field, regularly taking bases with ease.

7. 221 – Mule Suttles, 1930 St. Louis Stars (64 in 47 NNL video games)

8. 217 – Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, 1925 Detroit Stars (126 in 94 NNL video games)

9. 217 – Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, 1929 Detroit Stars (91 in 68 NNL video games)

10. 216 – Willard Brown, 1947 Kansas City Monarchs (64 in 48 NAL video games)

Leading Stolen Base Champions in Baseball

1. 141 – Rickey Henderson, 1982 Oakland Athletics (130 in 149 video games)

Rickey Henderson is unquestionably the best base thief in baseball history, holding the all-time profession record for taken bases by a remarkable margin of almost 500. With an amazing profession on-base portion of .398, he typically discovered himself in prime scoring position, enabling him to interrupt the rhythm of opposing pitchers with his unequaled speed.

2. 125 – Lou Brock, 1974 St. Louis Cardinals (118 in 153 video games)

3. 121 – Rickey Henderson, 1983 Oakland Athletics (108 in 145 video games)

4. 118 – Vince Coleman, 1985 St. Louis Cardinals (110 in 151 video games)

5. 117 – Vince Coleman, 1987 St. Louis Cardinals (109 in 151 video games)

6. 113 – Ron LeFlore, 1980 Montreal Expos (97 in 139 video games)

7. 113 – Vince Coleman, 1986 St. Louis Cardinals (107 in 154 video games)

8. 103 – Rickey Henderson, 1980 Oakland Athletics (100 in 158 video games)

9. 102 – Maury Wills, 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers (104 in 165 video games)

10. 102 – Eddie Dwight, 1937 Kansas City Monarchs (22 in 35 NAL video games)

Eddie Dwight sticks out as the sole previous Negro League gamer included in this prominent list, understood for his remarkable speed on the bases and in the outfield throughout his time in the Negro American League. Although detailed records from other seasons are sporadic, it appears that Dwight and fellow Negro American League base thief Henry Milton were amongst the fastest gamers to grace the league. Other significant names, such as James Thomas “Cool Papa” Bell and Jud Wilson, are likewise regularly pointed out in conversations about speedsters in the Negro Leagues.

Top Doubles Hitters in Baseball History

1. 81 – Willard Brown, 1948 Kansas City Monarchs (23 in 46 NAL video games)

Willard Brown, a Hall of Famer, played a critical function in leading the Monarchs to 5 successive NAL pennants from 1937 to 1943. After serving in the U.S. Army and taking part in the D-Day intrusion of France, he went back to baseball and ended up being the 3rd African American gamer in the AL, making history as the very first to strike a crowning achievement. Upon his go back to the NAL in 1948, he provided among the finest seasons in the league’s history.

2. 75 – Ted Strong, 1937 Chicago Giants/Indianapolis Athletics/Kansas City Monarchs (12 in 26 NAL video games)

3. 74 – Willard Brown, 1947 Kansas City Monarchs (22 in 48 NAL video games)

4. 73 – Walter Fenner “Buck” Leonard, 1935 Homestead Grays (18 in 40 NN2 video games)

Buck Leonard, commemorated for his contributions to the Negro National League, took part in a record 11 All-Star video games. His collaboration with Josh Gibson moved the Grays dynasty throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Known for his capability to drive the ball to all parts of the field, he made the label “the Black Lou Gehrig.”

5. 73 – Jud Wilson, 1927 Baltimore Black Sox (30 in 67 ECL video games)

6. 71 – Earl Webb, 1931 Boston Red Sox (67 in 151 video games)

7. 71 – Charlie “Chino” Smith, 1929 New York Lincoln Giants (29 in 66 ANL video games)

8. 71 – Jud Wilson, 1928 Baltimore Black Sox (18 in 41 ECL video games)

9. 69 – George Burns, 1926 Cleveland (64 in 151 video games)

10. 68 – Jim Williams, 1935 Newark Dodgers (15 in 36 NN2 video games)

Top Triples Hitters in Baseball History

1. 48 – Burnis “Wild Bill” Wright, 1937 Washington Elite Giants (11 in 37 NN2 video games)

Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds, Burnis “Wild Bill” Wright defies the common picture of a triples leader. Originally beginning his profession as a pitcher, he made the label “Wild Bill” due to his absence of control. Following an injury, he transitioned to focus field, where his remarkable arm and speed enabled him to stand out throughout several leagues. Notably, throughout his stint in Mexico, Wright heroically saved pitcher Rufus Lewis, possibly conserving his life after Lewis suffered a head injury throughout a video game.

2. 48 – Ed Steele, 1945 Birmingham Black Barons (8 in 27 NAL video games)

3. 42 – David Whatley, 1937 Birmingham Black Barons (7 in 27 NAL video games)

4. 41 – Matt Carlisle, 1935 Homestead Grays (11 in 44 NN2 video games)

5. 38 – Chief Wilson, 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates (36 in 152 video games)

6. 37 – Sanford Jackson, 1932 Indianapolis ABCs (6 in 26 NSL video games)

7. 37 – Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, 1930 Detroit Stars (8 in 35 NNL video games)

8. 37 – Babe Melton, 1928 Cleveland Tigers (13 in 57 NNL video games)

9. 36 – Roy Parnell, 1932 Monroe Monarchs (11 in 49 NSL video games)

10. 35 – Mule Suttles, 1926 St. Louis Stars (19 in 89 NNL video games)

Most Walks by a Batter in Baseball History

1. 256 – Barry Bonds, 2004 San Francisco Giants (232 in 147 video games)

The analytical forecasts for the majority of Negro League gamers put their accomplishments amongst the elite in baseball history, however none of their walk overalls can compare to that of Barry Bonds. Widely acknowledged as the supreme walk king of both the American League and National League, Bonds likewise maintains this title over any gamer from the Negro Leagues, additional strengthening his track record as one of the most feared players in the sport’s history.

2. 224 – Barry Bonds, 2002 San Francisco Giants (198 in 143 video games)

3. 187 – Barry Bonds, 2001 San Francisco Giants (177 in 153 video games)

4. 181 – Babe Ruth, 1923 New York Yankees (170 in 152 video games)

T-5. 169 – Mark McGwire, 1998 St. Louis Cardinals (162 in 155 video games)

T-5. 169 – Ted Williams, 1949 Boston Red Sox (162 in 155 video games)

7. 168 – Ted Williams, 1946 Boston Red Sox (156 in 150 video games)

8. 168 – Ted Williams, 1947 Boston Red Sox (162 in 156 video games)

9. 162 – Henry Kimbro, 1948 Baltimore Elite Giants (59 in 59 NN2 video games)

10. 161 – Eddie Yost, 1956 Washington Nationals (151 in 152 video games)

For more info, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum supplied insights for this post. Stay upgraded with our protection by following us on social networks platforms like Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, and X.