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. Paige • KCM 4.0
2. Mathis • MRS 2.4
3. Serrell • KCM 2.3
4. Wilson • BBB 2.2
5. Jefferson • CBE 1.9
6. Sampson • BBB 1.7
7. Steele • BBB 1.7
8. Bremer • CBE 1.5
9. Jessup • CAG 1.4
10. Moss • MRS 1.4
WAR for Pitchers
1. Paige • KCM 3.9
2. Jefferson • CBE 2.1
3. Mathis • MRS 1.7
4. Jessup • CAG 1.4
5. Hutchinson • MRS 1.4
6. Moss • MRS 1.3
7. Bremer • CBE 1.3
8. Keyes • MRS 1.1
9. Davis • CC 0.6
10. McDaniel • KCM 0.6
Earned Run Average
1. Keyes • MRS 0.64
2. Paige • KCM 1.10
3. Jefferson • CBE 1.78
4. McDaniel • KCM 1.87
5. Bremer • CBE 2.41
6. Moss • MRS 2.42
7. Ruiz • CC 2.60
8. Hutchinson • MRS 2.66
9. Jessup • CAG 2.68
10. Davis • CC 2.82
Wins
1. Mathis • MRS 7
2. Paige • KCM 6
3. Davis • CC 5
Jessup • CAG 5
Saylor • BBB 5
6. Bremer • CBE 4
McDaniel • KCM 4
Jefferson • CBE 4
9. Matchett • KCM 3
Locke • KCM 3
Win-Loss %
1. Bankhead • BBB 1.000
Alexander • KCM 1.000
McCrary • 2TM 1.000
4. Mathis • MRS .778
5. Locke • KCM .750
6. Davis • CC .714
7. Wylie • 2TM .667
Bumpus • 2TM .667
Bremer • CBE .667
10. Paige • KCM .600
Walks & Hits per IP
1. Paige • KCM 0.905
2. Moss • MRS 0.952
3. Jefferson • CBE 0.956
4. Williams • 2TM 1.055
5. Huber • BBB 1.138
6. McDaniel • KCM 1.145
7. Jessup • CAG 1.170
8. Keyes • MRS 1.179
9. Hutchinson • MRS 1.182
10. Gipson • BBB 1.213
Hits per 9 IP
1. Paige • KCM 5.675
2. Washington • BBB 6.203
3. Moss • MRS 6.517
4. McDaniel • KCM 6.867
5. Williams • 2TM 7.121
6. Hutchinson • MRS 7.364
7. Keyes • MRS 7.393
8. Jefferson • CBE 7.418
9. Locke • KCM 7.630
10. Huber • BBB 7.759
Bases On Balls per 9 IP
1. Saylor • BBB 1.140
2. Jefferson • CBE 1.187
3. Ruiz • CC 1.904
4. Jessup • CAG 2.011
5. Moss • MRS 2.048
6. Jefferson • CBE 2.272
7. Matchett • KCM 2.354
8. Williams • 2TM 2.374
9. Paige • KCM 2.471
10. Huber • BBB 2.483
Strikeouts per 9 IP
1. Paige • KCM 9.610
2. McDaniel • KCM 7.960
3. Washington • BBB 7.662
4. Moss • MRS 6.703
5. Davis • CC 6.529
6. Mathis • MRS 6.380
7. Chatman • MRS 6.300
8. Wylie • 2TM 5.786
9. Gipson • BBB 4.883
10. LaMarque • KCM 4.686
Games Played
1. Paige • KCM 16
2. Saylor • BBB 15
3. McDaniel • KCM 13
4. Mathis • MRS 11
Jessup • CAG 11
Gipson • BBB 11
Jefferson • CBE 11
8. Ruiz • CC 10
Matchett • KCM 10
Locke • KCM 10
Saves
1. McDaniel • KCM 2
2. Gipson • BBB 1
Hutchinson • MRS 1
Jefferson • CBE 1
Ligon • MRS 1
Matchett • KCM 1
Moss • MRS 1
Ruiz • CC 1
Smith • KCM 1
Bumpus • 2TM 1
Innings Pitched
1. Saylor • BBB 102.2
2. Paige • KCM 98.1
3. Jessup • CAG 94.0
4. Mathis • MRS 79.0
5. Jefferson • CBE 67.1
6. Matchett • KCM 65.0
7. Gipson • BBB 62.2
8. Jefferson • CBE 60.2
9. McDaniel • KCM 57.2
10. Ruiz • CC 52.0
Strikeouts
1. Paige • KCM 105
2. Mathis • MRS 56
3. McDaniel • KCM 51
4. Jessup • CAG 48
5. Davis • CC 37
6. Moss • MRS 36
7. Gipson • BBB 34
8. Jefferson • CBE 33
9. Saylor • BBB 32
10. Matchett • KCM 30
Games Started
1. Paige • KCM 16
2. Jessup • CAG 11
Saylor • BBB 11
4. Mathis • MRS 9
5. Gipson • BBB 8
Jefferson • CBE 8
7. Davis • CC 7
Matchett • KCM 7
9. Ruiz • CC 6
Smith • KCM 6
Bremer • CBE 6
Moss • MRS 6
Complete Games
1. Jessup • CAG 10
2. Saylor • BBB 8
Mathis • MRS 8
4. Bremer • CBE 6
Paige • KCM 6
Jefferson • CBE 6
7. Matchett • KCM 5
Gipson • BBB 5
9. Jefferson • CBE 4
Hutchinson • MRS 4
Davis • CC 4
Ruiz • CC 4
Shutouts
1. Paige • KCM 3
2. Bankhead • BBB 1
Bremer • CBE 1
Davis • CC 1
Gipson • BBB 1
Hutchinson • MRS 1
LaMarque • KCM 1
Mathis • MRS 1
Boone • 2TM 1
Home Runs
1. Saylor • BBB 5
2. Mathis • MRS 3
3. Ruiz • CC 2
Thomas • KCM 2
Washington • BBB 2
6. Ellis • BBB 1
Harden • CBE 1
Huber • BBB 1
Jefferson • CBE 1
Jefferson • CBE 1
Medina • CC 1
Thomas • CAG 1
Jones • 2TM 1
Bases on Balls
1. Paige • KCM 27
2. Mathis • MRS 23
3. McDaniel • KCM 22
4. Bremer • CBE 21
Jessup • CAG 21
6. Wylie • 2TM 19
Gipson • BBB 19
8. Matchett • KCM 17
Smith • KCM 17
Locke • KCM 17
Jefferson • CBE 17
Hits
1. Saylor • BBB 115
2. Jessup • CAG 89
3. Jefferson • CBE 76
Mathis • MRS 76
5. Matchett • KCM 70
6. Paige • KCM 62
7. Ruiz • CC 58
8. Gipson • BBB 57
9. Jefferson • CBE 50
10. Davis • CC 48
Strikeouts / Base On Balls
1. Paige • KCM 3.889
2. Jefferson • CBE 3.375
3. Moss • MRS 3.273
4. Davis • CC 2.467
5. Saylor • BBB 2.462
6. Mathis • MRS 2.435
7. McDaniel • KCM 2.318
8. Jessup • CAG 2.286
9. Ruiz • CC 2.091
10. Jefferson • CBE 1.941
Home Runs per 9 IP
1. Chatman • MRS 0.000
Wylie • 2TM 0.000
Williams • 2TM 0.000
McKinnis • 2TM 0.000
Bumpus • 2TM 0.000
Smith • KCM 0.000
Paige • KCM 0.000
Moss • MRS 0.000
McDaniel • KCM 0.000
Matchett • KCM 0.000
Locke • KCM 0.000
LaMarque • KCM 0.000
Keyes • MRS 0.000
Jessup • CAG 0.000
Hutchinson • MRS 0.000
Gipson • BBB 0.000
Davis • CC 0.000
Bremer • CBE 0.000
Losses
1. Gipson • BBB 6
Saylor • BBB 6
Jessup • CAG 6
4. McKinnis • 2TM 5
Smith • KCM 5
Jefferson • CBE 5
7. Moss • MRS 4
McDaniel • KCM 4
Paige • KCM 4
10. Jones • 2TM 3
Matchett • KCM 3
LaMarque • KCM 3
Ruiz • CC 3
Jefferson • CBE 3
Huber • BBB 3
Williams • 2TM 3
Chatman • MRS 3
Earned Runs
1. Saylor • BBB 43
2. Jefferson • CBE 30
3. Matchett • KCM 28
Jessup • CAG 28
5. Gipson • BBB 26
6. Mathis • MRS 25
7. LaMarque • KCM 22
8. Wylie • 2TM 20
9. Smith • KCM 19
10. McKinnis • 2TM 17
Locke • KCM 17
Carswell • CBE 17
Wild Pitches
1. Burns • CC 3
Jefferson • CBE 3
McKinnis • 2TM 3
4. LaMarque • KCM 2
5. Hutchinson • MRS 1
McDaniel • KCM 1
Paige • KCM 1
Sharpe • 2TM 1
Hit By Pitch
1. LaMarque • KCM 5
2. Gipson • BBB 3
Jessup • CAG 3
4. Sharpe • 2TM 2
McKinnis • 2TM 2
Saylor • BBB 2
Moss • MRS 2
Mathis • MRS 2
Locke • KCM 2
Hunter • BBB 2
Huber • BBB 2
Batters Faced
1. Saylor • BBB 427
2. Jessup • CAG 385
3. Paige • KCM 379
4. Mathis • MRS 335
5. Jefferson • CBE 286
6. Matchett • KCM 277
7. Gipson • BBB 266
8. McDaniel • KCM 246
9. Jefferson • CBE 231
10. Ruiz • CC 215
Games Finished
1. McDaniel • KCM 8
2. Williams • 2TM 5
3. Wylie • 2TM 3
Smith • KCM 3
Saylor • BBB 3
Ruiz • CC 3
Moss • MRS 3
Jefferson • CBE 3
Jefferson • CBE 3
Hutchinson • MRS 3
Adjusted ERA+
1. Keyes • MRS 540
2. Paige • KCM 313
3. Jefferson • CBE 193
4. McDaniel • KCM 184
5. Bremer • CBE 143
6. Moss • MRS 143
7. Ruiz • CC 133
8. Hutchinson • MRS 130
9. Jessup • CAG 128
10. Davis • CC 122
Fielding Independent Pitching
1. Paige • KCM 1.40
2. Moss • MRS 2.00
3. McDaniel • KCM 2.06
4. Davis • CC 2.11
5. Jefferson • CBE 2.40
6. Jessup • CAG 2.43
7. Matchett • KCM 2.54
8. Chatman • MRS 2.63
9. Gipson • BBB 2.65
10. Jefferson • CBE 2.65
Adj. Pitching Runs
1. Paige • KCM 25
2. Jefferson • CBE 11
3. Jessup • CAG 8
4. McDaniel • KCM 7
5. Keyes • MRS 7
6. Moss • MRS 6
7. Mathis • MRS 5
8. Bremer • CBE 5
9. Hutchinson • MRS 5
10. Davis • CC 4
Adj. Pitching Wins
1. Paige • KCM 2.8
2. Jefferson • CBE 1.2
3. Jessup • CAG 0.8
4. Keyes • MRS 0.8
5. McDaniel • KCM 0.8
6. Moss • MRS 0.6
7. Mathis • MRS 0.6
8. Bremer • CBE 0.6
9. Hutchinson • MRS 0.5
10. Davis • CC 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 1944 Negro American League Pages

1944 NAL Season

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