On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced that Negro League statistics have been officially incorporated into the Major League record. Seven Negro Leagues were elevated to "Major League" status in 2020 and the statistics of approximately 3,400 players who played in the Negro Leagues between 1920-48 are now part of MLB's official record.
"We are proud that the official historical record now includes the players of the Negro Leagues," commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "This initiative is focused on ensuring that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the Negro Leagues possible. Their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to broader learning about this triumph in American history and the path that led to Jackie Robinson's 1947 Dodger debut."
Seven leagues comprised the Negro Leagues from 1920-1948: Negro National League (I) (1920-1931), Eastern Colored League (1923-1928), American Negro League (1929), East-West League (1932), Negro Southern League (1932), Negro National League (II) (1933-1948), and the Negro American League (1937-1948). Experts estimate records from these leagues are 75% complete.
Countless individual player totals and several of baseball's all-time statistical records have changed as a result of the integration of the Negro Leagues into the Major League official record. Here are the most notable changes to baseball's record.
Gibson becomes leader in AVG, SLG, OPS
Josh Gibson, a standout catcher who played for three Negro League teams from 1930-45 -- Memphis Red Sox, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Homestead Grays -- is baseball's new single-season and career leader in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. Here are the new batting average leaderboards:
| Career | Single-season |
|---|---|
1. Josh Gibson: .372 | 1. Josh Gibson, 1943: .466 |
2. Ty Cobb: .367 | 2. Chino Smith, 1929: .451 |
3. Oscar Charleston: .363 | 3. Hugh Duffy, 1894: .440 |
4. Rogers Hornsby: .358 | 4. Oscar Charleston, 1921: .434 |
5. Jud Wilson: .350 | 5. Charlie Blackwell, 1921: .432 |
Gibson's .974 slugging percentage in 1937 is now the single-season record, beating out Mule Stuttles' .898 mark in 1937. His career .718 slugging percentage takes the top spot from Babe Ruth and his career .690 slugging percentage.
As for OPS, Gibson now has the two best single-season marks: 1.474 in 1931 and 1.435 in 1943. Barry Bonds previously held the record with a 1.421 OPS during his record 73-homer season in 2001. Gibson's career 1.177 OPS is the new all-time record. The previous record was Babe Ruth's 1.164 OPS.
In parts of 14 Negro League seasons, Gibson authored a .372/.458/.718 batting line with 166 home runs in 602 games. He was a 12-time All-Star and is widely considered one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game.
Robinson, Mays pick up more hits
Before breaking the color barrier with the Dodgers in 1947, Jackie Robinson played one overlooked season with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, and in that season he hit .375/.449/.600 in 34 games. According to Elias, he had 49 hits in those 34 games. Add those to his 1,518 hits with the Dodgers from 1947-56, and it gives Robinson a new total of 1,569 career hits.
Willie Mays, arguably the greatest all-around ballplayer ever, briefly played with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948. He went 10 for 43 (.233) in 10 games, per Elias. Mays played parts of 23 MLB seasons with the Giants and Mets from 1951-73. He amassed 3,283 hits in those 23 seasons. Add in his 10 Negro League hits, and Mays' new career total is 3,293, the 13th most in history.
Paige adds 97 more wins
In 1971, Satchel Paige became the first Negro Leaguer inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He won 97 games with six Negro League teams from 1927-47 -- Birmingham Black Barons, Cleveland Cubs, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Kansas City Monarchs, New York Black Yankees, Memphis Red Sox -- before getting an MLB opportunity with Cleveland at age 41 in 1948.
Paige plays parts of five MLB seasons with Cleveland and the St. Louis Browns from 1948-53 -- he also pitched one game for the Kansas City Athletics at age 59 in 1965 -- and went 28-31. His new official career win total is 125, per Elias.
Miñoso clears 2,000 hits
Minnie Miñoso, the Cuban Comet, began his professional career with three seasons with the New York Cubans from 1946-48. He slashed .313/.364/.479 with 150 hits in 113 games during his three seasons in the Negro Leagues. Miñoso made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 1949 and played 17 seasons with four teams from 1949-80. In those 17 seasons he racked up 1,963 hits.
Now that Negro League statistics are part of the Major League record, Miñoso joins the 2,000-hit club and has 2,113 career hits. Miñoso, who died at age 91 in 2015, was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Golden Days Era Committee in December 2021. He was part of the 2022 Hall of Fame class.
