Career and season MLB records that changed following the addition of Negro Leagues statistics
Minnie Minoso, Chicago White Sox outfielder, practices running the bases at Comiskey Park in Chicago, June 1, 1955. Minosa will be posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Major League Baseball said Tuesday, May 28, 2024, that it has incorporated records for more than 2,300 Negro Leagues players following a three-year research project. Miñoso was credited with 150 hits with the New York Cubans of the second Negro National League from 1946-1948, raising his total to 2,113. Credit: AP
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball said Tuesday that it has incorporated records for more than 2,300 Negro Leagues players following a three-year research project. Players like Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige now hold significant standing on MLB's career and season leaderboards. Here's a look at some of the stats most affected.
(asterisk)signifies newly incorporated Negro Leagues stats
Career Batting Average
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, .372
Ty Cobb, .367
(asterisk)Oscar Charleston, .363
Rogers Hornsby, .359
The grave stone for baseball player Josh Gibson is shown at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh on March 17, 2017. Gibson became Major League Baseball’s career batting leader with a .372 average, surpassing Ty Cobb’s .367 when records of the Negro Leagues for more than 2,300 players were incorporated Tuesday, May 28, 2024, after a three-year research project. Credit: AP/Keith Srakocic
(asterisk)Jud Wilson, .350
(asterisk)Turkey Stearnes, .348
Career Slugging Percentage
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, .718
Baseball catcher Josh Gibson in an undated photo. Josh Gibson became Major League Baseball's career leader with a .372 batting average, surpassing Ty Cobb's .367, when records of the Negro Leagues for more than 2,300 players were incorporated after a three-year research project. Credit: AP
Babe Ruth, .690
Ted Williams, .634
Lou Gehrig, .632
(asterisk)Mule Suttles, .620
Career On-Base Percentage
Ted Williams, .482
Babe Ruth, .474
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, .459
Career OPS
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, 1.177
Babe Ruth, 1.164
Ted Williams, 1.116
Season Batting Average
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, .466 in 1943
(asterisk)Charlie “Chino” Smith, .451 in 1929
Hugh Duffy, .440 in 1894
(asterisk)Oscar Charleston, .434 in 1921
(asterisk)Charlie Blackwell, .432 in 1921
(asterisk)Oscar Charleston, .427 in 1925
(asterisk)Mule Suttles, .425 in 1926
Season Slugging Percentage
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, .974 in 1937
(asterisk)Mule Suttles, .877 in 1926
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, .871 in 1943
(asterisk)Charlie “Chino” Smith, .870 in 1929
Barry Bonds, .863 in 2001
Season On-Base Percentage
Barry Bonds, .609 in 2004
Barry Bonds, .582 in 2002
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, .564 in 1943
(asterisk)Charlie “Chino” Smith, .551 in 1929
Season OPS
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, 1.474 in 1937
(asterisk)Josh Gibson, 1.435 in 1943
Barry Bonds, 1.4217 in 2004
(asterisk)Charlie “Chino” Smith, 1.4214 in 1921
Other changes of note
Satchel Paige’s 1.01 ERA for the 1944 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League ranks third since ERA became an official stat in the National League in 1912 and American League in 1913. Paige was also credited with 28 Negro Leagues wins, raising his career total to 125. ... Minnie Miñoso was credited with 150 hits with the New York Cubans of the second Negro National League from 1946-1948, raising his total to 2,113. ... Jackie Robinson was credited with 49 hits for the 1945 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League, raising his total to 1,567. ... Willie Mays was credited with 10 hits for the 1948 Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League, raising his total to 3,293. He remains in 13th place.
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