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Negro Leagues Stat Leaders, 1920-1948

Seven leagues, 1920 to 1948. MLB recognised them as major leagues in 2020, and their records count in its record book. On this site they rank alongside the American and National Leagues: every season below opens that league's full leaderboards.

Negro National League 1920-1931 Eastern Colored League 1923-1928 American Negro League 1929 East-West League 1932 Negro Southern League 1932 Negro National League 1933-1948 Negro American League 1937-1948

Career leaders

Negro League games only. Seasons ran 25 to 70 games, so the rate boards use their own minimums rather than the site's MLB career line of 3,000 plate appearances.

Hits

H
  1. 1 Cool Papa Bell 1,567
  2. 2 Turkey Stearnes 1,334
  3. 3 Willie Wells 1,304
  4. 4 Oscar Charleston 1,157
  5. 5 Mule Suttles 1,111
  6. 6 Jud Wilson 1,105
  7. 7 Newt Allen 1,063
  8. 8 Dewey Creacy 1,025
  9. 9 Biz Mackey 961
  10. 10 Jerry Benjamin 891

Runs Batted In

RBI
  1. 1 Turkey Stearnes 998
  2. 2 Mule Suttles 899
  3. 3 Willie Wells 863
  4. 4 Oscar Charleston 815
  5. 5 Josh Gibson 746
  6. 6 Jud Wilson 731
  7. 7 Dewey Creacy 616
  8. 8 Cool Papa Bell 594
  9. 9 Biz Mackey 577
  10. 10 Buck Leonard 561

Batting Average

AVG
  1. 1 Josh Gibson .372
  2. 2 Heavy Johnson .370
  3. 3 Oscar Charleston .363
  4. 4 Willard Brown .353
  5. 5 Jud Wilson .352
  6. 6 Dobie Moore .349
  7. 7 John Beckwith .349
  8. 8 Turkey Stearnes .348
  9. 9 John Henry Lloyd .348
  10. 10 Buck Leonard .344

Minimum 1,500 plate appearances

Strikeouts

SO
  1. 1 Satchel Paige 1,232
  2. 2 Willie Foster 928
  3. 3 Bullet Rogan 900
  4. 4 Bill Byrd 741
  5. 5 Ted Trent 718
  6. 6 Bill Holland 711
  7. 7 Ray Brown 711
  8. 8 Roosevelt Davis 689
  9. 9 Andy Cooper 626
  10. 10 Hilton Smith 626

Earned Run Average

ERA
  1. 1 Dave Brown 2.36
  2. 2 Satchel Paige 2.66
  3. 3 Willie Foster 2.72
  4. 4 Bullet Rogan 2.74
  5. 5 Hilton Smith 2.92
  6. 6 Juan Padrón 3.15
  7. 7 Ray Brown 3.18
  8. 8 Johnny Wright 3.24
  9. 9 Red Ryan 3.24
  10. 10 Dave Barnhill 3.30

Minimum 500 innings

Season by season

Season League HR leader AVG leader W leader
1920 Negro National League Edgar Wesley 8 Cristóbal Torriente .393 Sam Crawford 14
1921 Negro National League George Carr 14 Oscar Charleston .434 Bill Drake, Bullet Rogan 16
1922 Negro National League Oscar Charleston 17 Heavy Johnson .408 Jim Jeffries 18
1923 Eastern Colored League George Johnson 8 Biz Mackey .428 Nip Winters, Rats Henderson 10
1923 Negro National League Candy Jim Taylor, Heavy Johnson 20 Heavy Johnson .406 Rube Curry 16
1924 Eastern Colored League Oscar Charleston 15 Oscar Charleston .410 Nip Winters 20
1924 Negro National League Bill Pierce, Turkey Stearnes 9 Valentín Dreke .389 Bullet Rogan 16
1925 Eastern Colored League Oscar Charleston 20 Oscar Charleston .427 Nip Winters 17
1925 Negro National League Turkey Stearnes 19 Wilson Redus .372 Roosevelt Davis 16
1926 Eastern Colored League Martín Dihigo 14 Martín Dihigo .375 Nip Winters 17
1926 Negro National League Mule Suttles 32 Mule Suttles .425 Eggie Hensley 18
1927 Eastern Colored League Martín Dihigo, Oscar Charleston 13 Charlie Smith .457 Luther Farrell 16
1927 Negro National League Willie Wells 29 Roy Parnell .423 Willie Foster 20
1928 Eastern Colored League Rap Dixon 13 Ángel Alfonso .489 Laymon Yokely 12
1928 Negro National League Turkey Stearnes 24 Mule Suttles .359 Ted Trent 19
1929 American Negro League Charlie Smith 22 Charlie Smith .449 Connie Rector 18
1929 Negro National League Willie Wells 27 Turkey Stearnes .391 John Williams 19
1930 Negro National League Willie Wells 18 Willie Wells .399 Eggie Hensley 16
1931 Negro National League Turkey Stearnes 8 Nat Rogers .419 George Mitchell 8
1932 East-West League Tom Finley 7 Bill Perkins .411 Bert Hunter 10
1932 Negro Southern League Zollie Wright 5 Leroy Morney .388 Dick Matthews 11
1933 Negro National League Josh Gibson 18 Josh Gibson .395 Bert Hunter 11
1934 Negro National League Josh Gibson 15 Buddy Burbage .438 Slim Jones 20
1935 Negro National League Josh Gibson 10 Turkey Stearnes .386 Leroy Matlock, Ray Brown, Webster McDonald 8
1936 Negro National League Josh Gibson 18 Jim Williams .382 Leroy Matlock 10
1937 Negro American League Willard Brown 10 Willard Brown .379 Hilton Smith 11
1937 Negro National League Josh Gibson 20 Josh Gibson .417 Ray Brown 11
1938 Negro American League Willard Brown 7 Henry Milton .335 Hilton Smith, Willie Cornelius 9
1938 Negro National League Josh Gibson 13 Buck Leonard .418 Ray Brown 14
1939 Negro American League Turkey Stearnes 7 Willard Brown .358 George Walker 9
1939 Negro National League Buck Leonard, Josh Gibson 11 Buck Leonard .373 Henry McHenry 10
1940 Negro American League Turkey Stearnes 5 Jesse Williams .368 Jack Matchett 7
1940 Negro National League Bus Clarkson 9 Buck Leonard .378 Ray Brown 17
1941 Negro American League Ted Strong, Willard Brown 6 Willard Brown .340 Hilton Smith 10
1941 Negro National League Buck Leonard 13 Jud Wilson .387 Terris McDuffie 11
1942 Negro American League Ted Strong 7 Willard Brown .379 Connie Johnson 10
1942 Negro National League Josh Gibson 14 Willie Wells .342 Ray Brown 13
1943 Negro American League Willard Brown 7 Willard Brown .333 Booker McDaniel, Satchel Paige 9
1943 Negro National League Josh Gibson 20 Tetelo Vargas .472 Johnny Wright 18
1944 Negro American League Bonnie Serrell 4 – Verdell Mathis 8
1944 Negro National League Josh Gibson 10 Roy Campanella .385 Bill Ricks, Ray Brown 10
1945 Negro American League Jackie Robinson, Neil Robinson 4 Lee Moody .328 Booker McDaniel 9
1945 Negro National League Josh Gibson 8 Frank Austin .375 Roy Welmaker 12
1946 Negro American League Ted Strong, Willard Brown 3 – Connie Johnson, Steve Wylie 5
1946 Negro National League Josh Gibson 13 Monte Irvin .369 Leon Day 13
1947 Negro American League Hank Thompson 8 Herb Souell .331 Jim LaMarque 10
1947 Negro National League Monte Irvin 11 Henry Kimbro .385 Max Manning 12
1948 Negro American League Willard Brown 7 – Jim LaMarque 9
1948 Negro National League Lester Lockett, Luke Easter 6 Lester Lockett .362 Bill Byrd 10