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 (NEW)

Negro National League Pitching Leaders

Wins Above Replacement--all
1. McDonald • 2TM 3.2
2. Dean • DS 2.9
3. Mitchell • AB2 2.8
4. Hensley • SLS 2.7
5. Wells • SLS 2.4
6. Brown • AB2 2.3
7. Stearnes • DS 2.2
8. Allen • SLS 1.6
9. Capers • LOW 1.4
Williams • AB2 1.4
WAR for Pitchers
1. McDonald • 2TM 3.2
2. Dean • DS 3.0
3. Hensley • SLS 2.6
4. Brown • AB2 2.2
5. Mitchell • AB2 2.1
6. Capers • LOW 1.7
7. Trent • SLS 1.2
8. Pipkins • CCU 1.0
9. Powell • CAG 0.9
Paige • CCU 0.9
Earned Run Average
1. Hensley • SLS 1.63
2. Dean • DS 2.06
3. McDonald • 2TM 2.27
4. Mitchell • AB2 2.27
5. Brown • AB2 2.83
6. Williams • 2TM 2.89
7. Strong • SLS 3.13
8. Lane • AB2 3.22
9. Trent • SLS 3.24
10. Hunter • SLS 3.70
Wins
1. Brown • AB2 7
Mitchell • AB2 7
Dean • DS 7
4. McDonald • 2TM 6
Capers • LOW 6
6. Hunter • SLS 5
Powell • DS 5
Willis • CCU 5
9. Trent • SLS 4
Strong • SLS 4
Hensley • SLS 4
Lane • AB2 4
Matlock • SLS 4
Win-Loss %
1. Matlock • SLS .800
2. Mitchell • AB2 .778
3. Hunter • SLS .714
4. Dean • DS .700
5. Hensley • SLS .667
6. Williams • 2TM .600
McDonald • 2TM .600
Miller • CCU .600
Capers • LOW .600
10. Lane • AB2 .571
Strong • SLS .571
Trent • SLS .571
Walks & Hits per IP
1. Mitchell • AB2 0.906
2. Trent • SLS 1.050
3. Brown • AB2 1.130
4. Strong • SLS 1.227
5. Hensley • SLS 1.251
6. Capers • LOW 1.262
7. Hunter • SLS 1.286
8. Dean • DS 1.298
9. McDonald • 2TM 1.311
10. Bell • CCU 1.348
Hits per 9 IP
1. Mitchell • AB2 6.015
2. Trent • SLS 6.210
3. Brown • AB2 7.419
4. Strong • SLS 7.757
5. Hunter • SLS 8.196
6. Capers • LOW 8.250
7. Bell • CCU 8.494
8. Hensley • SLS 9.090
9. Lane • AB2 9.358
10. Miller • CCU 9.543
Bases On Balls per 9 IP
1. White • LOW 1.464
2. Dean • DS 1.669
3. McDonald • 2TM 1.794
4. Mitchell • AB2 2.139
5. Hensley • SLS 2.171
6. Gisentaner • LOW 2.213
7. Willis • CCU 2.348
8. Brown • AB2 2.754
9. Capers • LOW 3.107
10. Trent • SLS 3.240
Strikeouts per 9 IP
1. Parker • AB2 7.714
2. Williams • 2TM 7.214
3. Trent • SLS 7.020
4. Miller • CCU 6.052
5. Brown • AB2 6.042
6. Matlock • SLS 5.862
7. Strong • SLS 5.669
8. Powell • DS 5.478
9. Hunter • SLS 5.464
10. Bell • CCU 5.309
Games Played
1. Brown • AB2 16
Powell • DS 16
3. Trent • SLS 14
4. Mitchell • AB2 13
McDonald • 2TM 13
6. Willis • CCU 12
7. Bell • CCU 11
Dean • DS 11
Parker • AB2 11
Strong • SLS 11
Saves
1. Strong • SLS 1
Trent • SLS 1
White • LOW 1
Innings Pitched
1. Brown • AB2 117.2
2. McDonald • 2TM 95.1
3. Powell • DS 92.0
4. Dean • DS 91.2
5. Capers • LOW 84.0
6. Willis • CCU 69.0
7. Mitchell • AB2 67.1
8. Trent • SLS 66.2
9. Hensley • SLS 66.1
10. Strong • SLS 60.1
Strikeouts
1. Brown • AB2 79
2. Powell • DS 56
3. Trent • SLS 52
4. McDonald • 2TM 44
5. Willis • CCU 40
6. Strong • SLS 38
7. Dean • DS 36
8. Bell • CCU 35
Williams • 2TM 35
10. Hunter • SLS 34
Games Started
1. Brown • AB2 14
Powell • DS 14
3. Lane • AB2 10
Capers • LOW 10
Dean • DS 10
6. McDonald • 2TM 9
7. Matlock • SLS 8
Willis • CCU 8
Parker • AB2 8
Strong • SLS 8
Complete Games
1. Brown • AB2 12
2. Powell • DS 11
3. Capers • LOW 10
4. McDonald • 2TM 9
Dean • DS 9
6. Willis • CCU 6
Hensley • SLS 6
8. White • LOW 5
9. Williams • 2TM 4
McCall • DS 4
Gisentaner • LOW 4
Lane • AB2 4
Strong • SLS 4
Hunter • SLS 4
Shutouts
1. Hensley • SLS 2
Lane • AB2 2
Powell • DS 2
McDonald • 2TM 2
5. Brown • AB2 1
Dean • DS 1
Paige • CCU 1
Pipkins • CCU 1
Trent • SLS 1
Home Runs
1. Davis • 2TM 5
Willis • CCU 5
Hunter • SLS 5
Gisentaner • LOW 5
5. Powell • DS 4
Miller • CCU 4
7. Bell • CCU 3
Henderson • 2TM 3
Dixon • 2TM 3
Trent • SLS 3
Dean • DS 3
Bases on Balls
1. Powell • DS 38
Parker • AB2 38
3. Brown • AB2 36
4. Capers • LOW 29
5. Matlock • SLS 25
6. Bell • CCU 24
Williams • 2TM 24
Trent • SLS 24
9. Davis • 2TM 23
McCall • DS 23
Lane • AB2 23
Hits
1. McDonald • 2TM 106
2. Powell • DS 102
Dean • DS 102
4. Brown • AB2 97
5. Willis • CCU 86
6. Capers • LOW 77
7. White • LOW 69
8. Hensley • SLS 67
9. Lane • AB2 61
10. McCall • DS 60
Davis • 2TM 60
Strikeouts / Base On Balls
1. White • LOW 2.778
2. McDonald • 2TM 2.316
3. Willis • CCU 2.222
4. Brown • AB2 2.194
5. Trent • SLS 2.167
6. Dean • DS 2.118
7. Strong • SLS 1.727
8. Mitchell • AB2 1.625
9. Hunter • SLS 1.619
10. Hensley • SLS 1.500
Home Runs per 9 IP
1. Williams • 2TM 0.000
Matlock • SLS 0.000
Hensley • SLS 0.000
4. McDonald • 2TM 0.094
5. Strong • SLS 0.149
6. Brown • AB2 0.153
7. Lane • AB2 0.153
8. McCall • DS 0.167
9. Capers • LOW 0.214
10. Parker • AB2 0.257
Losses
1. Powell • DS 9
2. Brown • AB2 6
McCall • DS 6
4. Bell • CCU 4
Capers • LOW 4
White • LOW 4
McDonald • 2TM 4
Parker • AB2 4
Willis • CCU 4
Gisentaner • LOW 4
Davis • 2TM 4
Earned Runs
1. Powell • DS 50
2. Parker • AB2 44
3. Willis • CCU 39
4. Brown • AB2 37
5. Capers • LOW 36
6. Dixon • 2TM 34
7. Bell • CCU 31
White • LOW 31
9. Gisentaner • LOW 29
10. Matlock • SLS 28
Wild Pitches
1. Miller • CCU 3
2. Andrews • AB2 2
Powell • DS 2
Davis • 2TM 2
5. Bell • CCU 1
Lindsey • AB2 1
McCall • DS 1
Mitchell • AB2 1
Pryor • DS 1
Streeter • CCU 1
Trent • SLS 1
White • LOW 1
Hit By Pitch
1. Powell • DS 8
2. Powell • CAG 4
Williams • 2TM 4
McDonald • 2TM 4
5. Brown • AB2 3
Strong • SLS 3
Lane • AB2 3
8. Hughes • LOW 2
Hunter • SLS 2
White • LOW 2
Trent • SLS 2
Henderson • 2TM 2
Mitchell • AB2 2
Bell • CCU 2
Batters Faced
1. Brown • AB2 482
2. Powell • DS 430
3. McDonald • 2TM 400
4. Dean • DS 384
5. Capers • LOW 358
6. Willis • CCU 309
7. Hensley • SLS 272
8. Trent • SLS 264
9. Strong • SLS 260
Lane • AB2 260
Games Finished
1. Mitchell • AB2 9
2. Trent • SLS 6
3. Hensley • SLS 4
4. Bell • CCU 3
McDonald • 2TM 3
Dixon • 2TM 3
Willis • CCU 3
Strong • SLS 3
McCall • DS 3
10. Pipkins • CCU 2
White • LOW 2
Streeter • CCU 2
Pope • LOW 2
Parker • AB2 2
Lindsey • AB2 2
Hunter • SLS 2
Brown • AB2 2
Adjusted ERA+
1. Hensley • SLS 258
2. Dean • DS 204
3. McDonald • 2TM 186
4. Mitchell • AB2 185
5. Brown • AB2 148
6. Williams • 2TM 147
7. Strong • SLS 134
8. Lane • AB2 131
9. Trent • SLS 130
10. Hunter • SLS 114
Fielding Independent Pitching
1. Brown • AB2 3.01
2. McDonald • 2TM 3.07
3. Hensley • SLS 3.14
4. White • LOW 3.30
5. Matlock • SLS 3.31
6. Trent • SLS 3.33
7. Strong • SLS 3.34
8. Dean • DS 3.37
9. Williams • 2TM 3.46
10. Mitchell • AB2 3.55
Adj. Pitching Runs
1. Hensley • SLS 20
2. McDonald • 2TM 20
3. Dean • DS 17
4. Brown • AB2 15
5. Mitchell • AB2 14
6. Trent • SLS 8
7. Powell • CAG 8
8. Strong • SLS 7
9. Pipkins • CCU 7
10. Paige • CCU 6
Adj. Pitching Wins
1. Hensley • SLS 2.0
2. McDonald • 2TM 1.9
3. Dean • DS 1.7
4. Brown • AB2 1.5
5. Mitchell • AB2 1.4
6. Powell • CAG 0.9
7. Trent • SLS 0.8
8. Pipkins • CCU 0.7
9. Strong • SLS 0.7
10. Paige • CCU 0.6

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 1931 Negro National League Pages

1931 NNL Season

Minor Leagues

Standings

Fielding

Batting

Pitching

Managers

Fielding

Batting

Pitching

Leaders & Awards

Other