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. Paige • KCM 4.4
2. Serrell • KCM 1.8
3. Wilson • BBB 1.8
4. Jessup • CAG 1.6
5. Jefferson • CBE 1.5
6. Mathis • MRS 1.4
7. Bremer • CBE 1.2
8. Woods • CBE 1.1
9. Moss • MRS 1.1
10. Sampson • BBB 1.1
WAR Position Players
1. Serrell • KCM 1.8
2. Wilson • BBB 1.8
3. Woods • CBE 1.1
4. Sampson • BBB 1.1
5. Steele • BBB 1.0
6. Jethroe • CBE 1.0
Douglas • CAG 1.0
8. Britton • BBB 0.9
9. Xiqués • CC 0.7
Souell • KCM 0.7
Offensive WAR
1. Serrell • KCM 1.7
Wilson • BBB 1.7
3. Woods • CBE 1.1
4. Sampson • BBB 1.0
5. Steele • BBB 1.0
6. Jethroe • CBE 1.0
Douglas • CAG 1.0
8. Britton • BBB 0.9
9. Xiqués • CC 0.7
10. Souell • KCM 0.6
Defensive WAR
1. Williams • KCM 0.3
2. Wilson • BBB 0.2
3. Serrell • KCM 0.2
4. Sampson • BBB 0.2
5. Bankhead • MRS 0.1
Horne • CBE 0.1
7. Brown • 2TM 0.1
8. Douglas • CAG 0.1
Smith • CC 0.1
10. Young • KCM 0.1
Batting Average
1. Douglas • CAG .400
2. Wilson • BBB .379
3. Woods • CBE .377
4. Steele • BBB .357
5. Jethroe • CBE .353
6. Harper • 2TM .351
7. Sampson • BBB .339
8. Britton • BBB .323
9. Serrell • KCM .320
10. Radcliff • 2TM .319
On-Base%
1. Douglas • CAG .464
2. Steele • BBB .442
3. Jethroe • CBE .415
4. Wilson • BBB .410
5. Harper • 2TM .405
6. Sampson • BBB .393
7. Woods • CBE .392
8. Radcliff • 2TM .390
Armour • CBE .390
10. Pennington • 2TM .375
Slugging %
1. Douglas • CAG .573
2. Steele • BBB .563
3. Harper • 2TM .545
4. Wilson • BBB .508
5. Woods • CBE .506
6. Serrell • KCM .486
7. Jethroe • CBE .459
8. Radcliff • 2TM .449
9. Pennington • 2TM .431
10. Bissant • CAG .425
On-Base Plus Slugging
1. Douglas • CAG 1.038
2. Steele • BBB 1.004
3. Harper • 2TM .950
4. Wilson • BBB .918
5. Woods • CBE .899
6. Jethroe • CBE .874
7. Serrell • KCM .859
8. Radcliff • 2TM .839
9. Pennington • 2TM .806
10. Sampson • BBB .804
Games Played
1. Souell • KCM 50
2. Moody • KCM 47
Serrell • KCM 47
4. Allen • KCM 43
5. Williams • KCM 40
6. Smith • KCM 35
7. Britton • BBB 33
Haynes • KCM 33
9. Davis • BBB 32
Steele • BBB 32
At Bats
1. Souell • KCM 188
2. Moody • KCM 178
3. Serrell • KCM 175
4. Allen • KCM 154
5. Williams • KCM 147
6. Wilson • BBB 132
7. Britton • BBB 130
8. Davis • BBB 123
9. Smith • KCM 113
10. Sampson • BBB 112
Steele • BBB 112
Plate Appearances
1. Souell • KCM 206
2. Serrell • KCM 192
3. Moody • KCM 186
4. Allen • KCM 165
5. Williams • KCM 163
6. Britton • BBB 142
7. Wilson • BBB 140
8. Steele • BBB 131
9. Davis • BBB 130
10. Sampson • BBB 124
Runs Scored
1. Serrell • KCM 38
2. Souell • KCM 31
3. Steele • BBB 25
4. Wilson • BBB 22
5. Moody • KCM 21
6. Williams • KCM 20
7. Jethroe • CBE 19
Bankhead • MRS 19
9. Sampson • BBB 18
10. Allen • KCM 17
Hits
1. Serrell • KCM 56
2. Souell • KCM 55
3. Wilson • BBB 50
4. Moody • KCM 45
5. Britton • BBB 42
6. Steele • BBB 40
Allen • KCM 40
8. Sampson • BBB 38
9. Williams • KCM 33
10. Douglas • CAG 30
Jethroe • CBE 30
Total Bases
1. Serrell • KCM 85
2. Wilson • BBB 67
Souell • KCM 67
4. Steele • BBB 63
5. Moody • KCM 57
6. Britton • BBB 52
7. Allen • KCM 47
8. Sampson • BBB 46
Williams • KCM 46
10. Douglas • CAG 43
Doubles
1. Serrell • KCM 9
2. Allen • KCM 7
Wilson • BBB 7
4. Steele • BBB 6
5. Williams • KCM 5
Britton • BBB 5
Smith • CC 5
Hyde • MRS 5
Moody • KCM 5
Harper • 2TM 5
Douglas • CAG 5
Triples
1. Harper • 2TM 5
Wilson • BBB 5
3. Williams • KCM 4
Serrell • KCM 4
Douglas • CAG 4
Steele • BBB 4
7. Bissant • CAG 3
Woods • CBE 3
Scott • 2TM 3
10. Sampson • BBB 2
Davis • BBB 2
Hyde • MRS 2
Moody • KCM 2
Home Runs
1. Serrell • KCM 4
2. Steele • BBB 3
3. Davis • BBB 2
Jethroe • CBE 2
Souell • KCM 2
Pennington • 2TM 2
7. Britton • BBB 1
McLaurin • BBB 1
Hairston • CC 1
Vázquez • CC 1
LaMarque • KCM 1
Moody • KCM 1
Smith • KCM 1
Ford • MRS 1
Robinson • MRS 1
Radcliff • 2TM 1
Runs Batted In
1. Moody • KCM 26
2. Steele • BBB 23
Serrell • KCM 23
4. Britton • BBB 18
5. Allen • KCM 16
6. Souell • KCM 15
7. Wilson • BBB 14
Armour • CBE 14
Harper • 2TM 14
10. Davis • BBB 13
Sampson • BBB 13
Jethroe • CBE 13
Woods • CBE 13
Ford • MRS 13
Bases on Balls
1. Souell • KCM 17
2. Serrell • KCM 15
3. Steele • BBB 14
4. Williams • KCM 13
Ware • CBE 13
6. Ray • CC 12
7. Vázquez • CC 10
Longley • MRS 10
9. Duncan • KCM 9
Douglas • CAG 9
Robinson • MRS 9
Armour • CBE 9
Stolen Bases
1. Robinson • MRS 6
Xiqués • CC 6
Serrell • KCM 6
4. Bankhead • MRS 5
5. Woods • CBE 4
Souell • KCM 4
Minor • CAG 4
Hyde • MRS 4
9. Felder • 2TM 3
Steele • BBB 3
McLaurin • BBB 3
Singles
1. Souell • KCM 48
2. Serrell • KCM 39
3. Wilson • BBB 38
4. Moody • KCM 37
5. Britton • BBB 35
6. Allen • KCM 33
7. Sampson • BBB 32
8. Steele • BBB 27
9. Jethroe • CBE 25
10. Xiqués • CC 24
Williams • KCM 24
Bankhead • MRS 24
Adjusted OPS+
1. Douglas • CAG 221
2. Steele • BBB 211
3. Harper • 2TM 194
4. Wilson • BBB 184
5. Woods • CBE 178
6. Jethroe • CBE 171
7. Serrell • KCM 166
8. Radcliff • 2TM 160
9. Pennington • 2TM 149
10. Sampson • BBB 149
Runs Created
1. Serrell • KCM 32
2. Steele • BBB 27
Wilson • BBB 27
4. Souell • KCM 24
5. Douglas • CAG 20
6. Britton • BBB 19
7. Sampson • BBB 17
Harper • 2TM 17
9. Jethroe • CBE 16
Moody • KCM 16
Adj. Batting Runs
1. Steele • BBB 15
2. Serrell • KCM 13
3. Wilson • BBB 12
4. Douglas • CAG 11
5. Harper • 2TM 8
6. Jethroe • CBE 7
7. Sampson • BBB 7
8. Woods • CBE 6
9. Britton • BBB 6
10. Radcliff • 2TM 5
Adj. Batting Wins
1. Steele • BBB 1.6
2. Serrell • KCM 1.4
3. Wilson • BBB 1.3
4. Douglas • CAG 1.1
5. Harper • 2TM 0.9
6. Jethroe • CBE 0.8
7. Sampson • BBB 0.7
8. Woods • CBE 0.7
9. Britton • BBB 0.6
10. Radcliff • 2TM 0.5
Extra Base Hits
1. Serrell • KCM 17
2. Steele • BBB 13
3. Wilson • BBB 12
4. Harper • 2TM 10
5. Williams • KCM 9
Douglas • CAG 9
7. Moody • KCM 8
8. Britton • BBB 7
Woods • CBE 7
Allen • KCM 7
Bissant • CAG 7
Hyde • MRS 7
Souell • KCM 7
Davis • BBB 7
Times On Base
1. Souell • KCM 72
2. Serrell • KCM 71
3. Steele • BBB 57
Wilson • BBB 57
5. Britton • BBB 51
6. Moody • KCM 50
7. Sampson • BBB 48
Williams • KCM 48
9. Allen • KCM 47
10. Douglas • CAG 39
Jethroe • CBE 39
Offensive Win %
1. Douglas • CAG .892
2. Steele • BBB .856
3. Harper • 2TM .841
4. Wilson • BBB .828
5. Woods • CBE .807
6. Jethroe • CBE .793
7. Radcliff • 2TM .783
8. Serrell • KCM .768
9. Pennington • 2TM .741
10. Sampson • BBB .709
Hit By Pitch
1. Steele • BBB 3
Sampson • BBB 3
3. McDaniel • MRS 2
Williams • KCM 2
Ray • CC 2
Duncan • KCM 2
7. McLaurin • BBB 1
Wilson • BBB 1
Armour • CBE 1
Bremer • CBE 1
Grace • CBE 1
Jethroe • CBE 1
King • CBE 1
Ware • CBE 1
Merchant • CC 1
Britton • BBB 1
Haynes • KCM 1
Smith • KCM 1
Thomas • KCM 1
Young • KCM 1
Bankhead • MRS 1
Ford • MRS 1
Longley • MRS 1
Robinson • MRS 1
Brown • 2TM 1
Walker • CC 1
Sacrifice Hits
1. Smith • CC 6
2. Bankhead • MRS 5
3. Allen • KCM 4
Duncan • KCM 4
Radcliffe • BBB 4
6. Britton • BBB 3
Horne • CBE 3
Moody • KCM 3
Brown • MRS 3
Canada • MRS 3
Davenport • 2TM 3
Intentional Bases on Balls
1. Longley • MRS 1
Mathis • MRS 1
Rogers • 2TM 1
Double Plays Grounded Into
1. Bissant • CAG 1
Smith • CAG 1
Ford • MRS 1
Power-Speed #
1. Serrell • KCM 4.8
2. Steele • BBB 3.0
3. Souell • KCM 2.7
4. Jethroe • CBE 2.0
Pennington • 2TM 2.0
6. Robinson • MRS 1.7
7. McLaurin • BBB 1.5
8. Davis • BBB 1.3
Vázquez • CC 1.3
Moody • KCM 1.3
Ford • MRS 1.3
AB per HR
1. Pennington • 2TM 32.5
2. Steele • BBB 37.3
3. Jethroe • CBE 42.5
4. Serrell • KCM 43.8
5. Davis • BBB 61.5
6. Radcliff • 2TM 69.0
7. Vázquez • CC 86.0
8. Ford • MRS 90.0
9. Robinson • MRS 93.0
10. Souell • KCM 94.0
Outs Made
1. Moody • KCM 136
2. Souell • KCM 134
3. Serrell • KCM 121
4. Allen • KCM 118
5. Williams • KCM 115
6. Davis • BBB 97
7. Smith • KCM 92
8. Britton • BBB 91
9. Wilson • BBB 83
10. McLaurin • BBB 79
Ray • CC 79
Hyde • MRS 79

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 1944 Negro American League Pages

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