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. More about data coverage

Negro American League Pitching Leaders

Wins Above Replacement--all
1. Walker • KCM 2.8
2. Owens • CBR 2.6
3. Smith • KCM 2.5
4. Bradley • KCM 2.2
5. Brown • KCM 2.1
6. Stearnes • KCM 2.0
7. Henry • CBR 1.9
8. Strong • KCM 1.9
9. Radcliffe • MRS 1.5
10. Turner • CBR 1.2
WAR for Pitchers
1. Walker • KCM 2.9
2. Owens • CBR 2.5
3. Smith • KCM 2.5
4. Bradley • KCM 2.1
5. Henry • CBR 1.7
6. Radcliffe • MRS 1.5
7. Trent • CAG 1.1
8. Bowe • CAG 1.0
9. Cooper • KCM 0.6
Evans • IAB 0.6
Earned Run Average
1. Evans • IAB 1.86
2. Walker • KCM 1.99
3. Owens • CBR 2.04
4. Smith • KCM 2.43
5. Trent • CAG 2.56
6. Bradley • KCM 2.75
7. Bowe • CAG 2.81
8. McAllister • SL3 2.94
9. Radcliffe • MRS 3.13
10. Henry • CBR 3.33
Wins
1. Owens • CBR 8
Walker • KCM 8
3. Bradley • KCM 7
4. Radcliffe • MRS 6
Smith • KCM 6
6. Henry • CBR 5
7. Cornelius • CAG 4
McAllister • SL3 4
9. Smith • SL3 3
Moses • KCM 3
Win-Loss %
1. Walker • KCM .889
Owens • CBR .889
3. Radcliffe • MRS .857
4. McAllister • SL3 .800
5. Henry • CBR .714
6. Dean • SL3 .667
Evans • IAB .667
8. Bradley • KCM .636
9. Moses • KCM .600
10. Smith • KCM .545
Walks & Hits per IP
1. Smith • KCM 0.970
2. Walker • KCM 1.004
3. Radcliffe • MRS 1.011
4. Davis • MRS 1.061
5. Owens • CBR 1.070
6. Bradley • KCM 1.106
7. Trent • CAG 1.190
8. McAllister • SL3 1.204
9. Bremer • MRS 1.235
10. Evans • IAB 1.241
Hits per 9 IP
1. Evans • IAB 6.517
2. Smith • KCM 7.033
3. Bowe • CAG 7.128
4. Walker • KCM 7.147
5. Henry • CBR 7.239
6. Owens • CBR 7.327
7. Bradley • KCM 7.624
8. McAllister • SL3 7.714
9. Radcliffe • MRS 7.757
10. Bremer • MRS 8.259
Bases On Balls per 9 IP
1. Davis • MRS 1.091
2. Radcliffe • MRS 1.343
3. Trent • CAG 1.397
4. Smith • KCM 1.698
5. Walker • KCM 1.886
6. Owens • CBR 2.307
7. Bradley • KCM 2.329
8. Cornelius • CAG 2.528
9. Smith • SL3 2.729
10. Dixon • IAB 2.813
Strikeouts per 9 IP
1. Bowe • CAG 9.504
2. Smith • KCM 6.871
3. Hutchinson • KCM 6.480
4. Radcliffe • MRS 6.265
5. Walker • KCM 6.254
6. Bradley • KCM 6.247
7. Evans • IAB 6.207
8. Jackson • KCM 6.039
9. Trent • CAG 5.121
10. Smith • SL3 4.883
Games Played
1. Smith • KCM 20
2. Walker • KCM 19
3. Bradley • KCM 15
4. Cornelius • CAG 14
5. Johnson • CAG 13
Henry • CBR 13
7. Radcliffe • MRS 10
Owens • CBR 10
Kranson • KCM 10
10. Smith • SL3 9
Trent • CAG 9
Houston • CAG 9
Bowe • CAG 9
Saves
1. Johnson • CAG 2
Smith • KCM 2
3. Hutchinson • KCM 1
Walker • KCM 1
Innings Pitched
1. Smith • KCM 111.1
2. Henry • CBR 92.0
3. Walker • KCM 90.2
4. Cornelius • CAG 89.0
5. Bradley • KCM 85.0
6. Owens • CBR 66.1
7. Smith • SL3 62.2
8. Radcliffe • MRS 60.1
9. Houston • CAG 51.2
10. McAllister • SL3 49.0
Strikeouts
1. Smith • KCM 85
2. Walker • KCM 63
3. Bradley • KCM 59
4. Cornelius • CAG 45
5. Bowe • CAG 44
6. Radcliffe • MRS 42
Henry • CBR 42
8. Smith • SL3 34
9. McAllister • SL3 25
Houston • CAG 25
Games Started
1. Smith • KCM 13
2. Henry • CBR 11
3. Smith • SL3 9
Cornelius • CAG 9
5. Bradley • KCM 8
Walker • KCM 8
Owens • CBR 8
8. Houston • CAG 7
9. Johnson • CAG 6
Kranson • KCM 6
McAllister • SL3 6
Complete Games
1. Smith • KCM 7
Smith • SL3 7
3. Henry • CBR 6
4. Owens • CBR 5
Radcliffe • MRS 5
Walker • KCM 5
7. McAllister • SL3 4
Houston • CAG 4
Dixon • IAB 4
10. Mitchell • IAB 3
Evans • IAB 3
Davis • MRS 3
Cornelius • CAG 3
Calhoun • SL3 3
Bremer • MRS 3
Shutouts
1. Henry • CBR 1
Jefferson • MRS 1
Johnson • CAG 1
Owens • CBR 1
Smith • KCM 1
Smith • SL3 1
Bases on Balls
1. Henry • CBR 49
2. Cornelius • CAG 25
3. Houston • CAG 22
Bradley • KCM 22
5. Bowe • CAG 21
Smith • KCM 21
7. Johnson • CAG 20
8. Walker • KCM 19
Smith • SL3 19
10. Calhoun • SL3 18
Hits
1. Smith • KCM 87
2. Cornelius • CAG 86
3. Henry • CBR 74
4. Walker • KCM 72
Bradley • KCM 72
6. Smith • SL3 66
7. Dixon • IAB 58
8. Owens • CBR 54
9. Radcliffe • MRS 52
Houston • CAG 52
Strikeouts / Base On Balls
1. Radcliffe • MRS 4.667
2. Smith • KCM 4.048
3. Davis • MRS 4.000
4. Trent • CAG 3.667
5. Walker • KCM 3.316
6. Bradley • KCM 2.682
7. Bowe • CAG 2.095
8. Cornelius • CAG 1.800
9. Smith • SL3 1.789
10. Hutchinson • KCM 1.636
Losses
1. Cornelius • CAG 8
2. Smith • SL3 6
3. Houston • CAG 5
Smith • KCM 5
5. Bradley • KCM 4
Mitchell • IAB 4
Dixon • IAB 4
8. Johnson • CAG 3
Kranson • KCM 3
Moss • MRS 3
Smith • IAB 3
Davis • MRS 3
Trent • CAG 3
Calhoun • SL3 3
Bremer • MRS 3
Earned Runs
1. Cornelius • CAG 41
2. Henry • CBR 34
3. Smith • KCM 30
4. Smith • SL3 28
5. Houston • CAG 26
Bradley • KCM 26
Dixon • IAB 26
8. Mitchell • IAB 22
9. Radcliffe • MRS 21
10. Walker • KCM 20
Hit By Pitch
1. Smith • KCM 5
Smith • SL3 5
3. Smith • IAB 4
4. Walker • KCM 3
Howard • IAB 3
Kranson • KCM 3
7. Jackson • KCM 2
Evans • IAB 2
Bowe • CAG 2
10. Bradley • KCM 1
Bremer • MRS 1
Calhoun • SL3 1
Dean • SL3 1
Drake • SL3 1
Henry • CBR 1
Houston • CAG 1
Johnson • CAG 1
Kincannon • TC 1
Mitchell • IAB 1
Moses • KCM 1
Moss • MRS 1
Owens • CBR 1
Radcliffe • MRS 1
Richbourg • IAB 1
Armstead • SL3 1
Blackmon • 2TM 1
Adjusted ERA+
1. Evans • IAB 212
2. Walker • KCM 197
3. Owens • CBR 193
4. Smith • KCM 161
5. Trent • CAG 154
6. Bradley • KCM 142
7. Bowe • CAG 140
8. McAllister • SL3 134
9. Radcliffe • MRS 125
10. Henry • CBR 118
Adj. Pitching Runs
1. Walker • KCM 19
2. Smith • KCM 17
3. Owens • CBR 15
4. Bradley • KCM 12
5. Henry • CBR 7
6. Radcliffe • MRS 6
7. Trent • CAG 6
8. Bowe • CAG 5
9. Evans • IAB 5
10. Cooper • KCM 4
Adj. Pitching Wins
1. Walker • KCM 1.9
2. Smith • KCM 1.6
3. Owens • CBR 1.5
4. Bradley • KCM 1.2
5. Henry • CBR 0.7
6. Radcliffe • MRS 0.6
7. Trent • CAG 0.6
8. Evans • IAB 0.5
9. Bowe • CAG 0.5
10. Cooper • KCM 0.4

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 batting rate stats, generally a minimum of 3.1 Plate Appearances/G, 1.0 IP/G, 0.67 Gm and Chances/Team Game (fielding), 0.2 SB att/Team Game (catchers), and 0.1 SB att/Team Game (baserunners only since 1951), and 0.1 decision/G for single-season leaderboards generally needed for rate statistics. For pitcher fielding the minimums are reduced by a third. For LF, CF, RF fielding stats, we only have reliable data since 1901, so all leaders are since 1901. Explanation of min. requirements

More 1939 Negro American League Pages

1939 NAL Season

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