Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. Research is still ongoing and we’ll continue to publish updates as more information becomes available. Negro Leagues Data: Frequently Asked Questions

Major League Batting Leaders

Wins Above Replacement--all

<strong>Wins Above Replacement</strong><br>A single number that presents the number of wins the player added<br>to the team above what a replacement player (think AAA or AAAA) would add.<br>Scale for a single-season: 8+ MVP Quality, 5+ All-Star Quality, 2+ Starter,<br>0-2 Reserve, < 0 Replacement Level <br>Developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com

1. Ruth • NYY 11.4
2. Uhle • CLE 9.2
3. Carlson • PHI 8.7
4. Foster • CAG 8.5
5. Gehrig • NYY 6.9
6. Goslin • WSH 6.9
7. Grove • PHA 6.6
8. Kremer • PIT 6.5
9. Mostil • CHW 6.4
10. Suttles • SLS 6.3

WAR Position Players

<strong>Wins Above Replacement for position players</strong><br>A single number that presents the number of wins the player added<br>to the team above what a replacement player (think AAA or AAAA) would add.<br>Scale: 8+ MVP Quality, 5+ All-Star Quality, 2+ Starter,<br>0-2 Reserve, < 0 Replacement Level <br> Developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com

1. Ruth • NYY 11.4
2. Gehrig • NYY 6.9
3. Goslin • WSH 6.9
4. Mostil • CHW 6.4
5. Suttles • SLS 6.3
6. Sewell • CLE 6.0
7. Stearnes • DS 5.8
8. Falk • CHW 5.7
9. Speaker • CLE 5.5
10. Waner • PIT 5.4

Offensive WAR

<strong>Offensive Wins Above Replacement (everything but Fielding)</strong><br>The same statistic as Wins Above Replacement for Position<br>Players (WAR), but with the fielding value excluded.<br>oWAR + dWAR does not equal WAR.<br>Adding would count positions twice.<br>Contains the factor for batting stats, baserunning, a positional adjustment, and the replacement player adjustment.<br> Factors developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com

1. Ruth • NYY 10.9
2. Suttles • SLS 6.7
3. Gehrig • NYY 6.4
4. Goslin • WSH 6.3
5. Manush • DET 5.8
6. Heilmann • DET 5.7
7. Sewell • CLE 5.5
8. Bell • STL 5.5
9. Simmons • PHA 5.5
10. Mostil • CHW 5.4

Defensive WAR

<strong>Defensive Wins Above Replacement for position players</strong><br>A defensive measure of wins above replacement, but given<br>only the defensive stats of the player and his position adjustment. For this calculation, we use a<br>replacement level on defense is the league average.<br>Based on Baseball Info Solutions defensive runs saved from 2003 on<br>and total zone rating developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com previously

1. Thevenow • STL 3.9
2. Cooney • CHC 3.2
3. Critz • CIN 2.8
4. Frisch • NYG 2.2
5. Adams • CHC 2.1
6. DeMoss • ABC 2.0
7. Kamm • CHW 1.9
8. Allen • KCM 1.8
9. Jackson • NYG 1.7
10. Sewell • CLE 1.5

Batting Average

<strong>Hits/At Bats</strong><br>For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA<br>per team game played<br>Bold indicates either highest BA using current stats<br>or awarded title at end of year.

1. Suttles • SLS .425
2. Stearnes • DS .383
3. Harding • ABC .378
4. Manush • DET .378
5. Dihigo • CSE .375
6. Wells • SLS .373
7. Wilson • BBS .373
8. Ruth • NYY .372
9. Hudspeth • NLG .372
10. Fothergill • DET .367

On-Base%

<strong>(H + BB + HBP)/(At Bats + BB + HBP + SF)</strong><br>For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA<br>per team game played

1. Ruth • NYY .516
2. Wilson • BBS .487
3. Dihigo • CSE .475
4. Suttles • SLS .472
5. Wells • SLS .470
6. Stearnes • DS .458
7. Harding • ABC .449
8. Torriente • KCM .446
9. Heilmann • DET .445
10. Collins • CHW .441

Slugging %

Total Bases/At Bats or
(1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR)/AB
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played

1. Suttles • SLS .877
2. Ruth • NYY .737
3. Dihigo • CSE .737
4. Stearnes • DS .716
5. Creacy • SLS .632
6. Beckwith • 2TM .593
7. Wells • SLS .584
8. Hudspeth • NLG .574
9. Williams • PHI .568
10. Charleston • HBG .568

On-Base Plus Slugging

<strong>On-Base + Slugging Percentages </strong><br>For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA<br>per team game played

1. Suttles • SLS 1.349
2. Ruth • NYY 1.253
3. Dihigo • CSE 1.212
4. Stearnes • DS 1.174
5. Wells • SLS 1.054
6. Wilson • BBS 1.046
7. Creacy • SLS 1.020
8. Charleston • HBG 1.006
9. Hudspeth • NLG .990
10. Williams • PHI .986

Games Played

Games Played or Pitched

1. Cuyler • PIT 157
2. Tavener • DET 156
Thevenow • STL 156
4. Falk • CHW 155
Critz • CIN 155
Pipp • CIN 155
Walker • CIN 155
Gehrig • NYY 155
Lazzeri • NYY 155
Bell • STL 155

At Bats

At Bats

1. Rice • WSH 641
2. Adams • CHC 624
3. Koenig • NYY 617
4. Spurgeon • CLE 614
Cuyler • PIT 614
6. Sisler • SLB 613
7. Brown • BSN 612
8. Critz • CIN 607
9. Combs • NYY 606
10. Burns • CLE 603
Bottomley • STL 603

Plate Appearances

<strong>Plate Appearances</strong><br>When available, we use actual plate appearances from play-by-play game accounts<br>Otherwise estimated using AB + BB + HBP + SF + SH,<br>which excludes catcher interferences.<br>When <span class=tooltip>this color</span> click for a summary of each PA.

1. Rice • WSH 704
2. Mostil • CHW 702
3. Adams • CHC 701
4. Gehrig • NYY 697
5. Cuyler • PIT 694
6. Bottomley • STL 684
7. Koenig • NYY 679
8. Spurgeon • CLE 678
9. Critz • CIN 672
Sewell • CLE 672

Runs Scored

Runs Scored/Allowed

1. Ruth • NYY 139
2. Gehrig • NYY 135
3. Mostil • CHW 120
4. Combs • NYY 113
Cuyler • PIT 113
6. Bell • SLS 107
7. Goslin • WSH 105
8. McManus • SLB 102
9. Spurgeon • CLE 101
Waner • PIT 101

Hits

Hits/Hits Allowed

1. Burns • CLE 216
Rice • WSH 216
3. Brown • BSN 201
Goslin • WSH 201
5. Simmons • PHA 199
6. Mostil • CHW 197
Cuyler • PIT 197
8. Falk • CHW 195
9. Adams • CHC 193
10. Bell • STL 189

Total Bases

<strong>Total Bases</strong><br>Singles + 2 x Doubles + 3 x Triples + 4 x Home Runs.

1. Ruth • NYY 365
2. Simmons • PHA 329
3. Gehrig • NYY 314
Suttles • SLS 314
5. Goslin • WSH 308
6. Bottomley • STL 305
7. Bell • STL 301
8. Burns • CLE 298
9. Wilson • CHC 285
Rice • WSH 285

Doubles

Doubles Hit/Allowed

1. Burns • CLE 64
2. Simmons • PHA 53
3. Speaker • CLE 52
4. Jacobson • 2TM 51
5. Gehrig • NYY 47
6. Falk • CHW 43
7. Mostil • CHW 41
Sewell • CLE 41
Heilmann • DET 41
10. Sheely • CHW 40
Bottomley • STL 40

Triples

Triples Hit/Allowed

1. Waner • PIT 22
2. Walker • CIN 20
Gehrig • NYY 20
4. Suttles • SLS 19
5. Gehringer • DET 17
Traynor • PIT 17
7. Mostil • CHW 15
Pipp • CIN 15
Cuyler • PIT 15
Wright • PIT 15
Goslin • WSH 15

Home Runs

Home Runs Hit/Allowed

1. Ruth • NYY 47
2. Suttles • SLS 32
3. Creacy • SLS 23
4. Wilson • CHC 21
Stearnes • DS 21
6. Simmons • PHA 19
Bottomley • STL 19
8. Lazzeri • NYY 18
Williams • PHI 18
10. Williams • SLB 17
Bell • STL 17
Goslin • WSH 17

Runs Batted In

Runs Batted In

1. Ruth • NYY 153
2. Suttles • SLS 130
3. Bottomley • STL 120
4. Lazzeri • NYY 117
5. Burns • CLE 115
6. Simmons • PHA 110
7. Wilson • CHC 109
Gehrig • NYY 109
Goslin • WSH 109
10. Falk • CHW 108

Bases on Balls

Bases on Balls/Walks

1. Ruth • NYY 144
2. Bishop • PHA 116
3. Rigney • BOS 108
4. Gehrig • NYY 105
5. Speaker • CLE 94
6. Blue • DET 90
7. Mostil • CHW 79
8. Kamm • CHW 77
9. Sheely • CHW 75
10. Haney • BOS 74

Strikeouts

Strikeouts

1. Lazzeri • NYY 96
2. Friberg • PHI 77
3. Ruth • NYY 76
4. Gehrig • NYY 73
5. Cuyler • PIT 66
6. McManus • SLB 62
Bell • STL 62
8. Wilson • CHC 61
9. Collins • NYY 57
Blades • STL 57

Stolen Bases

Stolen Bases

1. Bell • SLS 36
2. Mostil • CHW 35
Cuyler • PIT 35
4. Adams • CHC 27
5. Riggins • DS 25
Russell • SLS 25
7. DeMoss • ABC 24
Wilson • BBS 24
Hunnefield • CHW 24
Charleston • HBG 24
Thomas • HIL 24
Rice • WSH 24

Singles

Singles Hit/Allowed

1. Rice • WSH 167
2. Brown • BSN 160
3. Adams • CHC 155
4. Spurgeon • CLE 147
5. Burns • CLE 145
6. Cuyler • PIT 143
Goslin • WSH 143
8. Falk • CHW 140
9. Summa • CLE 138
Sisler • SLB 138

Adjusted OPS+

<strong>OPS+</strong><br>100*[OBP/lg OBP + SLG/lg SLG - 1]<br>Adjusted to the player&#x2019;s ballpark(s)

1. Suttles • SLS 241
2. Dihigo • CSE 229
3. Ruth • NYY 226
4. Stearnes • DS 199
5. Wilson • BBS 186
6. Charleston • HBG 174
7. Wells • SLS 170
8. Hudspeth • NLG 169
9. Beckwith • 2TM 167
10. Johnson • BBS 161

Runs Created

<strong>Runs Created</strong><br>A set of formulas developed by Bill James and others<br>that estimates a player&#x2019;s total contributions<br>to a team&#x2019;s runs total.<br>This is computed with the "technical" formula when possible.<br>If SB or CS data is missing, the "basic" formula is used.<br>If HBP, IBB, SH, SF, or GIDP data is missing, the "stolen base" version of the formula is used. <br>Team Runs Created is the sum of player Runs Created.

1. Ruth • NYY 185
2. Suttles • SLS 148
3. Gehrig • NYY 131
4. Simmons • PHA 130
5. Goslin • WSH 127
6. Heilmann • DET 116
Manush • DET 116
8. Mostil • CHW 115
Burns • CLE 115
10. Waner • PIT 114

Adj. Batting Runs

<strong>Adjusted Batting Runs</strong><br>A set of formulas developed by Gary Gillette, Pete Palmer and others<br>that estimates a player&#x2019;s total contributions<br>to a team&#x2019;s runs total via linear weights.<br>0.0 is an avg performance, <0 is worse than avg and >0 is better than avg

1. Ruth • NYY 101
2. Suttles • SLS 71
3. Stearnes • DS 51
4. Gehrig • NYY 46
5. Goslin • WSH 44
6. Heilmann • DET 43
7. Wilson • CHC 40
8. Manush • DET 38
9. Waner • PIT 37
10. Simmons • PHA 35

Adj. Batting Wins

<strong>Adjusted Batting Wins</strong><br>A set of formulas developed by Gary Gillette, Pete Palmer and others<br>that estimates a player&#x2019;s total contributions<br>to a team&#x2019;s wins with his bat.<br>0.0 is an avg performance, <0 is worse than avg and >0 is better than avg

1. Ruth • NYY 9.5
2. Suttles • SLS 6.4
3. Stearnes • DS 4.6
4. Gehrig • NYY 4.5
5. Goslin • WSH 4.2
6. Heilmann • DET 4.1
7. Wilson • CHC 3.9
8. Manush • DET 3.7
9. Waner • PIT 3.6
10. Simmons • PHA 3.3

Extra Base Hits

<strong>Extra Base Hits</strong><br>Doubles + Triples + Home Runs

1. Gehrig • NYY 83
2. Ruth • NYY 82
Simmons • PHA 82
4. Suttles • SLS 79
5. Bottomley • STL 73
6. Burns • CLE 71
7. Speaker • CLE 67
8. Wilson • CHC 65
Waner • PIT 65
10. Bell • STL 64

Times On Base

<strong>Times on Base</strong><br>Hits + Bases on Balls + Hit By Pitch<br>Does not include Reached on Error or Catcher Interference.

1. Ruth • NYY 331
2. Mostil • CHW 286
3. Gehrig • NYY 285
4. Goslin • WSH 271
5. Falk • CHW 263
6. Sewell • CLE 260
Rice • WSH 260
8. Speaker • CLE 258
9. Cuyler • PIT 256
10. Heilmann • DET 255

Offensive Win %

<strong>Offensive Winning Percentage</strong><br>The percentage of games a team with nine of this player<br>batting would win. Assumes average pitching and defense.<br>This uses the Pythagorean win pct formula with the player's RC/G for runs scored and the league's R/9 as runs allowed.

1. Suttles • SLS .919
2. Dihigo • CSE .900
3. Ruth • NYY .893
4. Stearnes • DS .864
5. Wilson • BBS .841
6. Wells • SLS .819
7. Hudspeth • NLG .813
8. Charleston • HBG .794
9. Beckwith • 2TM .790
10. Williams • PHI .788

Hit By Pitch

Times Hit by a Pitch.

1. Murray • SLS 15
2. Blades • STL 11
3. Mostil • CHW 10
Torriente • KCM 10
5. Pérez • HBG 9
Cuyler • PIT 9
Harris • WSH 9
8. Welsh • BSN 8
Burns • CLE 8
Sewell • CLE 8
Summa • CLE 8
Blackwell • DS 8
Briggs • HIL 8
Mothell • KCM 8
Dykes • PHA 8
Mueller • 2TM 8

Sacrifice Hits

Sacrifice Hits (Sacrifice Bunts)

1. Douthit • STL 37
2. Spurgeon • CLE 35
3. Welsh • BSN 32
4. Hunnefield • CHW 31
Bell • STL 31
6. Roush • CIN 30
Walker • CIN 30
8. Haney • BOS 28
Speaker • CLE 28
Manush • DET 28
Tavener • DET 28
Lindstrom • NYG 28

Intentional Bases on Balls

<strong>Intentional Bases on Balls</strong><br>First tracked in 1955.

1. Heilmann • DET 14
2. Ruth • NYY 13
3. Hartnett • CHC 9
4. Wilson • CHC 7
5. Simmons • PHA 6
6. Taylor • BSN 5
7. Waner • PIT 4
Wrightstone • PHI 4
Wheat • BRO 4
Snyder • NYG 4
Smith • PIT 4
Hornsby • STL 4

Caught Stealing

Caught Stealing

1. Rice • WSH 23
2. Cuyler • PIT 20
3. Frisch • NYG 17
Meusel • NYY 17
5. High • BSN 15
6. Adams • CHC 14
Mostil • CHW 14
8. Lindstrom • NYG 13
9. Christensen • CIN 12
Critz • CIN 12
Fothergill • DET 12
Grantham • PIT 12

Power-Speed #

<strong>Power/Speed Number</strong><br>2 x (Home Runs x Stolen Bases)/(Stolen Bases + Home Runs)<br>The harmonic mean of HR and SB.<br>To do well you need a lot of both.<br>Developed by Bill James.

1. Stearnes • DS 21.0
2. Suttles • SLS 20.4
3. Bell • SLS 18.0
4. Ruth • NYY 17.8
5. Lazzeri • NYY 16.9
6. Southworth • 2TM 14.9
7. Wells • SLS 14.3
8. Charleston • HBG 14.1
9. Simmons • PHA 13.9
10. Meusel • NYY 13.7

AB per SO

<strong>At Bats Per Strikeout</strong><br>For career marks this only includes AB&#x2019;s for seasons where SO&#x2019;s were tracked.

1. Sewell • CLE 96.3
2. Summa • CLE 64.6
3. High • BSN 52.9
4. Cooney • CHC 51.3
5. Southworth • 2TM 50.7
6. Collins • CHW 46.9
7. Smith • PIT 41.7
8. Traynor • PIT 41.0
9. Sheely • CHW 40.4
10. Speaker • CLE 35.9

AB per HR

<strong>At Bats Per Home Run</strong>

1. Ruth • NYY 10.5
2. Dihigo • CSE 10.9
3. Suttles • SLS 11.2
4. Stearnes • DS 16.3
5. Charleston • HBG 16.9
6. Creacy • SLS 17.0
7. Williams • PHI 18.7
8. Wesley • DS 18.8
9. Williams • SLB 20.4
10. Wells • SLS 21.5

Outs Made

<strong>Outs Made</strong><br>(At Bats - Hits) + Double Plays Grounded Into <br>+ Sac. Flies + Sac. Hits + Caught Stealing.

1. Critz • CIN 479
2. Spurgeon • CLE 470
Koenig • NYY 470
4. Todt • BOS 467
5. Rice • WSH 466
6. Adams • CHC 464
7. Sisler • SLB 459
8. Cuyler • PIT 458
9. Lazzeri • NYY 454
10. Bottomley • STL 449

Base-Out Runs Added (RE24)

<strong>Base-Out Runs Added</strong><br>Given the bases occupied/out situation, how many runs did the batter<br> or baserunner add in the resulting play.<br>Compared to average, so 0 is average, and above 0 is better than average

1. Ruth • NYY 110.36
2. Gehrig • NYY 69.37
3. Waner • PIT 48.08
4. Wilson • CHC 48.02
5. Simmons • PHA 45.03
6. Burns • CLE 44.01
7. Speaker • CLE 43.74
8. Falk • CHW 42.28
9. Goslin • WSH 42.08
10. Heilmann • DET 41.43

Win Probability Added (WPA)

<strong>Win Probability Added for Offensive Player</strong><br>Given average teams, this is the change in probability<br>caused by this batter during the game.<br>See <a href='https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/wpa.shtml'>Win Expectancy explainer</a> for details.

1. Ruth • NYY 9.3
2. Gehrig • NYY 5.9
3. Burns • CLE 5.9
4. Simmons • PHA 5.5
5. Wilson • CHC 5.1
6. Speaker • CLE 5.1
7. Southworth • 2TM 4.3
8. Mostil • CHW 3.9
9. Heilmann • DET 3.6
10. Collins • CHW 3.5

Situ. Wins Added (WPA/LI)

<strong>Situational Wins (WPA/LI)</strong><br>It is the sum of WPA divided by the leverage index for each play.<br>WPA depends greatly on the context of the at bats.<br>This stat does not.

1. Ruth • NYY 9.6
2. Gehrig • NYY 5.2
3. Simmons • PHA 3.9
4. Wilson • CHC 3.9
5. Goslin • WSH 3.6
6. Burns • CLE 3.6
7. Waner • PIT 3.4
8. Heilmann • DET 3.3
9. Manush • DET 3.1
10. Speaker • CLE 3.0

Championship WPA (cWPA)

<strong>Championship Win Probability Added for Offensive Player</strong><br>Given average teams, this is the change in probability of winning the World Series, displayed in percentage points.<br>See <a href='https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/wpa.shtml'>Win Expectancy explainer</a> for details.

1. Ruth • NYY 25.9
2. Gehrig • NYY 17.3
3. Christensen • CIN 10.4
4. Southworth • 2TM 9.4
5. Burns • CLE 7.7
6. Grantham • PIT 7.3
7. Bottomley • STL 6.9
8. Waner • PIT 6.7
9. Wilson • CHC 6.5
10. Speaker • CLE 6.4

Base-Out Wins Added (REW)

<strong>Base-Out Wins Added (REW)</strong><br>This is the number of wins above average the player was worth by their performance measured by the 24 <br>base-out situations across every play in the game.

1. Ruth • NYY 10.4
2. Gehrig • NYY 6.6
3. Wilson • CHC 4.7
4. Waner • PIT 4.6
5. Simmons • PHA 4.2
6. Burns • CLE 4.2
7. Speaker • CLE 4.2
8. Falk • CHW 4.1
9. Goslin • WSH 4.1
10. Heilmann • DET 4.0

rOBA

rOBA
A measure of a player's offensive contributions, weighted in proportion to each event's actual run value

1. Suttles • SLS .571
2. Ruth • NYY .544
3. Dihigo • CSE .536
4. Stearnes • DS .512
5. Wilson • BBS .498
6. Wells • SLS .475
7. Charleston • HBG .471
8. Manush • DET .454
9. Hudspeth • NLG .451
10. Heilmann • DET .448

Rbat+

Rbat+
Batting runs as computed for WAR, but indexed to the environment the player played in, where 100 is league average.

1. Ruth • NYY 234
2. Suttles • SLS 234
3. Dihigo • CSE 217
4. Stearnes • DS 196
5. Wilson • BBS 188
6. Wells • SLS 175
7. Charleston • HBG 172
8. Manush • DET 169
9. Heilmann • DET 167
10. Hudspeth • NLG 166

A ** by the stat's value indicates the player had fewer than the required number of at bats or plate appearances for the BA, OBP, SLG or OPS title that year. In order to rank the player, the necessary number of hitless at bats were added to the player's season total. The value printed here is their actual value and not the value used to rank them, therefore some numbers may appear out of order.

For rate stats, generally a minimum of 3.1 Plate Appearances/Team Game (batting), 1.0 IP/Team Game (pitching), 0.67 Gm and Chances/Team Game (fielding), 0.2 SB att/Team Game (catchers), 0.1 SB att/Team Game (baserunners only since 1951), and 0.1 decision/Team Game (W-L%) is needed for single-season leaderboards. For pitcher fielding the minimums are reduced by a third. For LF, CF, RF fielding stats, we only have reliable data since 1898, so all leaders are since 1898. Explanation of min. requirements