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 Batting Leaders

Wins Above Replacement--all
1. McDaniel • KCM 3.4
2. Bremer • CBE 2.6
3. Robinson • KCM 2.1
4. Williams • KCM 1.8
5. Jessup • CAG 1.8
6. Steele • BBB 1.6
7. LaMarque • KCM 1.5
8. Pennington • CAG 1.3
9. Cañizares • CBE 1.3
10. Jethroe • CBE 1.3
Smith • KCM 1.3
WAR Position Players
1. Robinson • KCM 2.1
2. Williams • KCM 1.8
3. Steele • BBB 1.6
4. Pennington • CAG 1.3
5. Cañizares • CBE 1.3
6. Jethroe • CBE 1.3
7. Wilson • BBB 1.1
8. Souell • KCM 1.1
9. Davis • BBB 1.0
Robinson • MRS 1.0
Offensive WAR
1. Robinson • KCM 2.0
2. Steele • BBB 1.6
3. Williams • KCM 1.5
4. Pennington • CAG 1.3
5. Souell • KCM 1.1
6. Jethroe • CBE 1.1
7. Davis • BBB 1.0
8. Cañizares • CBE 1.0
9. Smith • CAG 1.0
10. Wilson • BBB 0.9
Defensive WAR
1. Williams • KCM 0.5
2. Cañizares • CBE 0.4
3. Wilson • BBB 0.4
4. Drake • CC 0.3
Robinson • KCM 0.3
6. Armour • CBE 0.3
7. Renfroe • KCM 0.2
Radcliff • CC 0.2
Douglas • CAG 0.2
10. Jethroe • CBE 0.2
Batting Average
1. Steele • BBB .394
2. Robinson • KCM .375
Cañizares • CBE .375
4. Davis • BBB .374
5. Wilson • BBB .345
6. Smith • CAG .338
7. Jethroe • CBE .333
Robinson • MRS .333
9. Moody • KCM .331
10. Pennington • CAG .331
On-Base%
1. Steele • BBB .450
2. Robinson • KCM .449
3. Davis • BBB .430
4. Pennington • CAG .430
5. Cañizares • CBE .419
6. Jethroe • CBE .407
7. Robinson • MRS .400
8. Wilson • BBB .395
9. Smith • CAG .377
10. Williams • KCM .368
Slugging %
1. Steele • BBB .667
2. Robinson • KCM .600
3. Jethroe • CBE .556
Robinson • MRS .556
5. Davis • BBB .516
6. Cañizares • CBE .500
7. Smith • CAG .465
8. Pennington • CAG .463
9. Souell • KCM .432
10. Williams • KCM .411
On-Base Plus Slugging
1. Steele • BBB 1.116
2. Robinson • KCM 1.049
3. Jethroe • CBE .962
4. Robinson • MRS .956
5. Davis • BBB .946
6. Cañizares • CBE .919
7. Pennington • CAG .892
8. Smith • CAG .842
9. Souell • KCM .799
10. Wilson • BBB .795
Games Played
1. Scott • KCM 49
Williams • KCM 49
3. Thomas • KCM 48
4. Moody • KCM 45
Souell • KCM 45
6. Renfroe • KCM 39
7. Crutchfield • CAG 36
Smith • CAG 36
9. Robinson • KCM 34
10. Pennington • CAG 33
Wyatt • CAG 33
At Bats
1. Scott • KCM 194
2. Williams • KCM 190
3. Thomas • KCM 178
4. Souell • KCM 176
5. Moody • KCM 175
6. Smith • CAG 142
7. Crutchfield • CAG 139
8. Renfroe • KCM 133
9. Wyatt • CAG 125
10. Douglas • CAG 124
Plate Appearances
1. Williams • KCM 213
2. Scott • KCM 206
3. Thomas • KCM 196
4. Souell • KCM 194
5. Moody • KCM 186
6. Smith • CAG 152
7. Renfroe • KCM 151
8. Crutchfield • CAG 150
9. Pennington • CAG 142
10. Wyatt • CAG 137
Robinson • KCM 137
Runs Scored
1. Williams • KCM 49
2. Souell • KCM 38
3. Bissant • CAG 29
Scott • KCM 29
5. Thomas • KCM 27
6. Moody • KCM 26
7. Robinson • KCM 25
8. Douglas • CAG 23
Smith • CAG 23
10. Pennington • CAG 22
Wyatt • CAG 22
Hits
1. Moody • KCM 58
Williams • KCM 58
3. Souell • KCM 57
4. Thomas • KCM 56
5. Smith • CAG 48
6. Scott • KCM 47
7. Robinson • KCM 45
8. Pennington • CAG 40
9. Steele • BBB 39
10. Wilson • BBB 38
Douglas • CAG 38
Total Bases
1. Williams • KCM 78
2. Souell • KCM 76
3. Robinson • KCM 72
Thomas • KCM 72
5. Moody • KCM 71
6. Steele • BBB 66
Smith • CAG 66
8. Scott • KCM 64
9. Pennington • CAG 56
10. Wyatt • CAG 50
Doubles
1. Robinson • KCM 13
2. Williams • KCM 10
Moody • KCM 10
4. Souell • KCM 8
5. Cañizares • CBE 7
Bissant • CAG 7
7. Pennington • CAG 6
Robinson • MRS 6
Scott • KCM 6
Wilson • BBB 6
Triples
1. Steele • BBB 8
2. Jethroe • CBE 5
3. Scott • KCM 4
Souell • KCM 4
King • CAG 4
Thomas • KCM 4
Smith • CAG 4
Hyde • MRS 4
9. Wyatt • CAG 3
Vázquez • CC 3
Home Runs
1. Robinson • KCM 4
Robinson • MRS 4
3. Jones • MRS 3
4. Williams • KCM 2
Wyatt • CAG 2
Smith • CAG 2
Pennington • CAG 2
Steele • BBB 2
Davis • BBB 2
10. Douglas • CAG 1
Nelson • CAG 1
Cañizares • CBE 1
Jethroe • CBE 1
Trouppe • CBE 1
Drake • CC 1
Navarro • CC 1
Radcliff • CC 1
Vázquez • CC 1
Moody • KCM 1
Scott • KCM 1
Souell • KCM 1
Thomas • KCM 1
Ford • MRS 1
Bassett • BBB 1
Felder • 2TM 1
Runs Batted In
1. Souell • KCM 33
2. Smith • CAG 31
Scott • KCM 31
4. Robinson • KCM 27
5. Moody • KCM 26
6. Pennington • CAG 22
Wyatt • CAG 22
Thomas • KCM 22
9. Jethroe • CBE 20
10. Steele • BBB 18
Nelson • CAG 18
Bases on Balls
1. Pennington • CAG 21
2. Williams • KCM 17
3. Robinson • KCM 16
4. Bissant • CAG 13
Nelson • CAG 13
6. Renfroe • KCM 11
Scott • KCM 11
Thomas • KCM 11
9. Crutchfield • CAG 10
Douglas • CAG 10
Wyatt • CAG 10
Souell • KCM 10
Stolen Bases
1. Williams • KCM 11
2. Scott • KCM 6
Pennington • CAG 6
4. Woods • CBE 5
Jethroe • CBE 5
6. Souell • KCM 4
Douglas • CAG 4
Thomas • KCM 4
Cañizares • CBE 4
10. Robinson • KCM 3
Singles
1. Moody • KCM 47
2. Thomas • KCM 46
3. Souell • KCM 44
Williams • KCM 44
5. Smith • CAG 38
6. Scott • KCM 36
7. Douglas • CAG 34
8. Wilson • BBB 32
9. Wyatt • CAG 31
10. Pennington • CAG 30
Adjusted OPS+
1. Steele • BBB 224
2. Robinson • KCM 205
3. Jethroe • CBE 180
4. Robinson • MRS 178
5. Davis • BBB 176
6. Cañizares • CBE 168
7. Pennington • CAG 161
8. Smith • CAG 146
9. Souell • KCM 133
10. Wilson • BBB 133
Runs Created
1. Robinson • KCM 32
2. Steele • BBB 29
3. Williams • KCM 28
4. Souell • KCM 27
5. Thomas • KCM 26
6. Smith • CAG 25
Moody • KCM 25
8. Pennington • CAG 24
9. Davis • BBB 20
10. Jethroe • CBE 19
Adj. Batting Runs
1. Robinson • KCM 17
2. Steele • BBB 15
3. Pennington • CAG 11
4. Davis • BBB 9
5. Robinson • MRS 8
6. Jethroe • CBE 8
7. Smith • CAG 8
8. Williams • KCM 7
9. Cañizares • CBE 7
10. Souell • KCM 7
Adj. Batting Wins
1. Robinson • KCM 1.7
2. Steele • BBB 1.5
3. Pennington • CAG 1.1
4. Davis • BBB 0.9
5. Robinson • MRS 0.8
6. Jethroe • CBE 0.8
7. Smith • CAG 0.8
8. Williams • KCM 0.7
9. Souell • KCM 0.7
10. Cañizares • CBE 0.7
Extra Base Hits
1. Robinson • KCM 18
2. Steele • BBB 15
3. Williams • KCM 14
4. Souell • KCM 13
5. Jethroe • CBE 11
Moody • KCM 11
Scott • KCM 11
8. Robinson • MRS 10
Thomas • KCM 10
Smith • CAG 10
Pennington • CAG 10
Times On Base
1. Williams • KCM 77
2. Thomas • KCM 70
3. Souell • KCM 69
4. Moody • KCM 65
5. Pennington • CAG 61
Robinson • KCM 61
7. Scott • KCM 58
8. Smith • CAG 57
9. Steele • BBB 49
10. Douglas • CAG 48
Offensive Win %
1. Steele • BBB .872
2. Robinson • KCM .860
3. Jethroe • CBE .816
Cañizares • CBE .816
5. Davis • BBB .800
6. Robinson • MRS .783
7. Pennington • CAG .763
8. Smith • CAG .722
9. Wilson • BBB .670
10. Souell • KCM .644
Hit By Pitch
1. Thomas • KCM 3
2. Steele • BBB 2
Robinson • MRS 2
Bankhead • MRS 2
Jethroe • CBE 2
Woods • CBE 2
Williams • KCM 2
Souell • KCM 2
9. Wilson • BBB 1
Barnhill • CAG 1
Crutchfield • CAG 1
Nelson • CAG 1
Radcliff • CC 1
Haynes • KCM 1
Renfroe • KCM 1
Johnson • MRS 1
Lockett • BBB 1
Wells • MRS 1
Sacrifice Hits
1. Souell • KCM 6
Renfroe • KCM 6
3. Steele • BBB 5
4. Longley • MRS 4
Williams • KCM 4
Thomas • KCM 4
Moody • KCM 4
8. Merchant • CC 3
Ray • 3TM 3
Mathis • MRS 3
Jones • MRS 3
Bell • BBB 3
Woods • CBE 3
Davis • BBB 3
Lockett • BBB 3
Intentional Bases on Balls
1. Merchant • CC 1
Radcliff • CC 1
Robinson • MRS 1
Double Plays Grounded Into
1. Newberry • BBB 1
Power-Speed #
1. Robinson • KCM 3.4
2. Williams • KCM 3.4
3. Pennington • CAG 3.0
4. Steele • BBB 2.0
Davis • BBB 2.0
6. Scott • KCM 1.7
7. Jethroe • CBE 1.7
8. Robinson • MRS 1.6
Thomas • KCM 1.6
Souell • KCM 1.6
Cañizares • CBE 1.6
Douglas • CAG 1.6
AB per HR
1. Robinson • MRS 20.3
2. Robinson • KCM 30.0
3. Davis • BBB 45.5
4. Steele • BBB 49.5
5. Pennington • CAG 60.5
6. Wyatt • CAG 62.5
7. Smith • CAG 71.0
8. Drake • CC 77.0
9. Cañizares • CBE 80.0
10. Jethroe • CBE 81.0
Outs Made
1. Scott • KCM 148
2. Williams • KCM 136
3. Thomas • KCM 126
4. Souell • KCM 125
5. Moody • KCM 121
6. Crutchfield • CAG 108
7. Renfroe • KCM 106
8. Smith • CAG 95
9. Wyatt • CAG 90
10. Bissant • CAG 88

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 1945 Negro American League Pages

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