In a historic decision, Major League Baseball (MLB) has officially incorporated the statistics of the Negro Leagues into its record books. This integration, which includes data from more than 2,300 players who competed between 1920 and 1948, recognizes the achievements of these players who were previously excluded due to racial segregation. As a result, Josh Gibson has become MLB's all-time leader in several categories, including batting average (.372), slugging percentage, and OPS, surpassing legends like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Additionally, Gibson is now credited with 962 home runs, overtaking Barry Bonds' 762. Satchel Paige is now ranked third all-time for a single season ERA. This move, which took three and a half years of research and review, aims to ensure that the contributions of Negro League players are properly acknowledged and celebrated in baseball history. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of making these statistics accessible to future generations.
Major League Baseball has merged Negro Leagues statistics into its record books. The granddaughter of one of the Negro Leagues' greats calls it "a dream come true." https://t.co/g9a4BWPmRn
To anyone questioning the legitimacy of making Negro Leagues stats part of MLB's official record, @Ken_Rosenthal poses a question: "How legitimate were MLB’s statistics prior to 1947, when the league was essentially an all-white men’s club?" Read more: https://t.co/Qvdk1rvlu8 https://t.co/bJPp9QVcJk
MLB Updates All-Time Stats To Include Players From The 1920-1948 Negro Leagues https://t.co/3KRaLjUsK7
Negro League stats being added to MLB records "long time coming" https://t.co/GzxQvvGaML
Them Loverro: Washington baseball spotlighted in MLB’s overdue inclusion of Negro League records https://t.co/d4H4hf6PsV https://t.co/u1BYV6jyrw
LOVERRO: Washington baseball spotlighted in MLB's overdue inclusion of Negro League records https://t.co/TgHOwLJC4y
NEW: Josh Gibson played the last part of his career with a brain tumor, and was buried in an unmarked grave. This week, 78 years after his last hit, he is MLB's new all-time batting leader: https://t.co/et0Ocz5df0 @HeraldSports
Cote: MLB finally adding Josh Gibson & Negro Leagues ‘an historic moment’ too long in coming | Opinion https://t.co/eUiDDqDPYx
Negro League legend Josh Gibson is now the all-time Major League batting champion and pitcher Satchel Paige is third all-time for a single season ERA after MLB added Negro League statistics to its historical record on Wednesday. https://t.co/qW8jdg3cmE
Records of Afro-Latino players who played in the Negro Leagues will finally be included among those added to the Major League historical record, the MLB announced this week. https://t.co/nVOLgLChEf #axioslatino https://t.co/5ergnTtpk9
.@MLB ⚾️Major League Baseball to add Negro Leagues stats to official records https://t.co/SllJzfw2ph
Jud Wilson and other Baltimore Negro Leagues stars now part of MLB record books https://t.co/fcD0OpNNkM
It took 25 years after Josh Gibson's death for the "best baseball player in history" to reach the Hall of Fame, writes @inkstainedretch. "Better late than never." https://t.co/nfnpP4Dh2g
Negro League legend Josh Gibson is now the all-time Major League batting champion and pitcher Satchel Paige is third all-time for a single season ERA after MLB added Negro League statistics to its historical record on Wednesday https://t.co/yW4lAylzv9
From @jtomase ⚾ MLB updating its all-time leaderboards to include Negro League stats is an important (and overdue) moment of reckoning for the sport 🔽 https://t.co/aMRQDuFfG5
New @fangraphs: the efforts to compile and audit Negro Leagues stats is laudable, and we can never honor the likes of Josh Gibson and co. enough… but MLB’s branding and their language regarding this important step left much to be desired https://t.co/16H8Xqf33p
The Day Negro Leagues Statistics Met the Major League Record Books https://t.co/D10krB8OOs
"It is a great day, a long day coming for MLB" @Ken_Rosenthal dishes on the recognition of Negro League stats by MLB, pointing out that all subsequent controversy stems from the past wrong of African American players being excluded from MLB. https://t.co/STojag2k6a
Major leaguers praise inclusion of Negro Leagues statistics into major league records. Read more on https://t.co/dZjUrEAqQT ⬇️ https://t.co/JaYhUlUL5y
Baseball players and fans learn more about the Negro Leagues after their statistics are included in major league records. https://t.co/jIhgAgw3dA
⚾ Josh Gibson is the new MLB batting king. How much do you know about his amazing baseball legacy? https://t.co/4Qmia2duYy
There’s no reason not to love MLB’s official inclusion/acknowledgement of Negro League stats! https://t.co/EqZ8EGbg3N
Opinion: ⚾ @MLB's Negro League Baseball stats integration worthy of praise. https://t.co/NCmOXTCqyO
Descendants of Negro League stars celebrate long-awaited MLB stat shift ⤵️ https://t.co/VVCKpO8Yio
"Why the Negro League stats belong in the MLB record books" Negro League teams beat teams of white MLB "all stars" 51% of the time from 1900-48... Former Negro Leagues players dominated an integrated MLB from 47 onward. https://t.co/WEMYgkt5hu H/T/ @Neil_Paine for the assist.
Good official MLB explainer on how the Negro League stats were incorporated into official MLB records. https://t.co/PxshJEeGbJ
Statistics for more than 2,300 Negro League players have been incorporated into the major league record book following a three-year research project. https://t.co/XZVyTeHbBf
Wrote yesterday about MLB incorporating Negro Leagues statistics, what that means for the Gibson family and more: https://t.co/TFPK6jLQ5a
“It is really exciting,” ⚾ Baseball players and fans alike are learning more about the Negro Leagues after the statistics for more than 2,300 players were incorporated into the major league record book. https://t.co/t4pV0DZS3Y
.@MLB ⚾️ What to know about Negro Leagues stats entering MLB record. @NLBMuseumKC https://t.co/AlN7NPXibQ
From @TheAthletic: To anyone questioning the legitimacy of making Negro Leagues statistics part of MLB’s official record, our columnist asks: How legitimate were MLB’s statistics before 1947, when the league was essentially an all-white men’s club? https://t.co/oPLzr0cC4F
Talking integrating Negro Leagues stats into MLB records with @SamMcDowell11 @vgregorian with sound from @nlbmprez on SportsBeat KC podcast from @KCStar https://t.co/eEfoBFDgS7
Inclusion of Negro Leagues statistics in MLB records only enhances baseball’s history. Column: https://t.co/1TVWhcDXdu
The immediate impact will see Josh Gibson, one of the baseball's greatest players, take multiple records from the likes of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. https://t.co/sGxei3l0Xo
Descendants of Negro League stars celebrate long-awaited MLB stat shift. @CodyStavenhagen @stephenjnesbitt https://t.co/npsE7ezU9M
Josh Gibson surpasses Ty Cobb: Who is the Negro League legend and new MLB record holder? https://t.co/3yA4C0fhcU
Meet baseball's new GOAT, Josh Gibson, after Negro Leagues' stats added to MLB https://t.co/BXz8xPgsMs
Josh Gibson became the new leader in multiple MLB statistical categories with Negro Leagues numbers added in. Here's what to know about the slugger. https://t.co/OPIhr4Ydis
Move over Ruth and Cobb: MLB adds Negro League stats and Josh Gibson surpasses legends https://t.co/ZtePkblhxD
Catcher Josh Gibson is now officially one of the major leagues' all-time greats, as multiple media outlets reported that Major League Baseball has incorporated Negro Leagues statistics into its records. https://t.co/WqSri5DIaO
MLB has integrated the records of former Negro Leagues players into its official statistics—which has shifted some records—to further recognize the iconic league. It's a dramatic move that expands how the story of baseball is told, writes @AEricFisher ⬇️
MLB officially incorporated statistics from the Negro Leagues into its record books. That means legendary hitter Josh Gibson is now atop several lists. Amna Nawaz spoke with Gibson's great-grandson about the recognition. https://t.co/GEM1o1V5x4
Negro League stats of 2300 players being merged into the MLB database is great for MLB history. Fans were robbed of seeing the best face off against the best. It was like ABA and NBA. Both leagues had all-time greats. Watch on YT: https://t.co/M3Qc8d4Pgy https://t.co/CQqCzoe8E1
MLB often is out of touch, but making good on the league's commitment to integrate Negro League Baseball stats deserves praise and appreciation, @MontePooleNBCS writes https://t.co/27DgObQWYt
Philadelphia Stars among Negro League teams to have stats recognized by MLB https://t.co/HEWcEVSz8X
Negro Leagues records of over 2,300 players were added to an MLB database following a three-year research project. FOX 29's Greg Payne reports on the historic move and its Philadelphia connection. https://t.co/weGSw7kP1e
In black and white: Mixing Negro League, MLB stats reduces baseball history’s grey area https://t.co/kQ67pwoFag
Major leaguers praise inclusion of Negro Leagues statistics into MLB records https://t.co/SbKNYN6tHN https://t.co/YZjb4ImgbT
Nick Wright praises MLB for Negro Leagues stats inclusion: ‘An honest telling of history’ https://t.co/lJOwadArHA
Integrating Negro Leagues stats into the pre-existing MLB statistical record was a complicated phenomenon that didn't happen overnight. @stephenjnesbitt looks at what made it so complicated, and what the process looked like ⤵️ https://t.co/HgKntbrsf8
In a milestone decision decades in the making, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it is now incorporating statistics of Negro Leagues that operated in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s into its record books. https://t.co/iU3FJ3xxDP
Hall of Fame catcher Josh Gibson was one of the most dominant players in baseball history, but he got scant credit from the wider public during his playing days in the 1930s and ’40s, because his exploits took place in the Negro Leagues. https://t.co/Us1bgsyXRf
Major League Baseball has announced it will now integrate the stats of Negro League Baseball players in the record books. Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, thousands were playing for smaller teams all over the U.S. @TFurlong has more. https://t.co/p1pIGF0XXc
MLB has new all-time batting leader after Negro Leagues statistics incorporated https://t.co/LdJBHs6WE6
Today's @DriveToyota #WhiteSox Twitter Poll: What was your reaction to the Negro Leagues stats being added to MLB record books?
Major League Baseball will incorporate statistics from the Negro Leagues into its record books. That means some of the greatest players from those leagues, like Josh Gibson, will move into the top 10 ranks in the records. @IAmAmnaNawaz spoke to Gibson's great-grandson, Sean. https://t.co/3GpxdxfSdc
The statistics of more than 2,300 Negro Leagues players were finally integrated into the MLB database today. Meaning Josh Gibson has claimed a LOT of records. 👀🤯 https://t.co/a2RViqYHdg
Baseball players and fans alike are learning more about the Negro Leagues after the statistics for more than 2,300 players were incorporated into the major league record book following a three-year research project. https://t.co/wIABoUqvfv
The stats of the Negro Leagues have been officially integrated into the Major League Baseball ledger, and one player in particular is laying waste to the baseball record book: Josh Gibson. https://t.co/fYutE4p6wN
Larry Lester has spent much of his life codifying and contextualizing the Negro Leagues. His work in adding statistics to the official MLB record will help educate fans. 🔗 https://t.co/cVAjlrumZG https://t.co/iMZsQk6Rka
Major League Baseball said Tuesday that it has incorporated records for more than 2,300 Negro Leagues players following a three-year research project. Players like Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige now hold significant standing on MLB's... https://t.co/KMt4OSUxmL
The record books look a lot different than they did a few days ago, including a lot more Josh Gibson https://t.co/LgnD4gZV6s
Here's what Willie Mays said about the Negro Leagues statistics being incorporated into the MLB database from a previous story I wrote: https://t.co/oE1uVQVeMw via @sfchronicle
.@Chris_Broussard reacts to MLB incorporating Negro League stats into record books: https://t.co/D0ok7vTTCQ
As an MLB lifer, today is a great day for baseball and even better day for baseball fans in metro KC. The addition of the Negro League stats to the all-time MLB statistical data base not only recognizes these amazing players, but gives even more credence to the @NLBMuseumKC.
Among the many changes to MLB's all-time leaderboard with the addition of Negro Leagues stats, Babe Ruth is now second in OPS to Josh Gibson: CAREER OPS LEADERS PLAYER OPS 1 - Gibson, Josh 1.177 2 - Ruth, Babe…
.@getnickwright reacts to MLB incorporating Negro League stats: https://t.co/nt1eJDfps6
On #Greeny, @Espngreeny and @PaulHembo react to #MLB officially adding Negro Leagues records into the MLB record books 📖 https://t.co/mSqgzBsi8t
Major leaguers praise inclusion of Negro Leagues statistics into major league records https://t.co/jvR1Dtkphs
MLB incorporates historical records of black players https://t.co/wEAqKCWTXP
MLB players praise 'long overdue' Negro Leagues record inclusion https://t.co/buTO6Ejcx3
Negro Leagues and D.C. legend Josh Gibson is now @MLB's all-time leader in multiple statistical categories. Gibson is a member of the Washington Nationals Ring of Honor for his impact on D.C. while with the Homestead Grays. https://t.co/OvPYIxC8qg
Career and season MLB records that changed following the addition of Negro Leagues statistics https://t.co/I3zvpSDAs4
My latest piece @thenation It’s a great thing that Major League Baseball is acknowledging Negro League records. But it shouldn’t prevent us from remembering how, 75 years ago, MLB also destroyed the Negro Leagues. https://t.co/dxbpZX5HGP
From @TheAthletic: “It’s important that people learn about these great ballplayers who played during Apartheid baseball and what they contributed to the game.” Here are some key changes as Negro Leagues numbers get added to the official MLB record. https://t.co/5yn8GZWIAU
How Negro Leagues stats rewrite MLB records: More hits for Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, other notable names https://t.co/LsDyAspnJt
Major leaguers praise inclusion of Negro Leagues statistics into official baseball records https://t.co/ANNgQLrOdK https://t.co/bjSvtxBpak
Josh Gibson, who died just three months before the baseball's colour barrier was broken, is now the holder of multiple Major League Baseball records. It's the result of a three-year effort to integrate Negro League accomplishments. https://t.co/Z61Mp1CWUN .
Josh Gibson dethrones Ty Cobb as baseball's lifetime batting average champ after Negro League stats added to MLB stats https://t.co/3iGBjeEMCW https://t.co/fPTe5Uk19t
MLB will announce on Wednesday the results of a newly integrated statistical database covering records from Negro Leagues. How will the plate appearance minimums work? @tylerkepner on the committee's standards ⤵️ https://t.co/akOrjCo7yd https://t.co/vcKprKZDdb
Negro Leagues stats update by MLB a sobering reminder of challenge to maintain Black history from @clintonyates https://t.co/vPAxh6FUgK
Home Run King Josh Gibson https://t.co/85IkvzFF72
"This was a league that was very important to baseball history.. You have to tell the complete story and the Negro Leagues stats will officially be part of MLB's historical record" ~ @Russ_Dorsey1 #PMSLive https://t.co/LhniMoEh79 https://t.co/iBFHzJr6A7
We commend @MLB’s overdue but necessary incorporation of the Negro League’s records into baseball’s official record book Of special merit: Hall of Famer & 12-time All-Star Josh Gibson who won 2 Negro League World Series with the Homestead Grays—who played most home games in DC https://t.co/6Rf4umd7lk
"This is an important day in the history of baseball.. You can't tell the story of baseball without the Negro Leagues" ~ @Russ_Dorsey1 #PMSLive https://t.co/JD36GCH7S1 https://t.co/tiBhUNEzej
Josh Gibson became Major League Baseball’s career leader with a .372 batting average. https://t.co/cYVnys8KFP
MLB officially incorporates statistics of former Negro Leagues players https://t.co/TsMPsTeIt2 https://t.co/50qTDppR7G
It was announced last night that the stats of over 2,300 Negro League players were integrated into the MLB record books. This morning I spoke with Pirates manager Derek Shelton to get his thoughts on the news. Read what he had to say here: https://t.co/QPpGzY6ui3
The real reason Negro League stats are being added. Ty Cobb. https://t.co/9NLo2NytW5
If nothing else in this unjust world, Josh Gibson is finally getting his due.
I commend the @MLB for its recognition of Negro League players and the records they set for league and beyond. Representation matters. This is American history. https://t.co/BeBeTepqfi
Negro League stats are officially being recognized by MLB and @Jared_Carrabis is one step closer to erasing Babe Ruth from the record books. -Negro League Stats -Ángel Hernández Retires -Dodgers Biggest Threat -Skenes/Jones -AL Cy Young Listen Here: https://t.co/MnO0Ox8MJQ https://t.co/UToszii8tQ
It's our honor and privilege to sit on the Negro Leagues Statistical Review Committee and to support MLB in entering statistics for more than 2,300 Negro League players into the official database and record books. Please join us in celebrating a truly historic day for baseball. https://t.co/xJu1cVZUiy
ICYMI: There’s a new home run leader in Major League Baseball 🚨 Josh Gibson is credited with 962 total home runs over his 17-year career after the league officially incorporates Negro League statistics. Gibson passes Barry Bonds’ 762 and Hank Aaron’s 755. https://t.co/I4endyII8o
Negro Leagues legends such as Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Buck Leonard, Charlie “Chino” Smith, Turkey Stearnes, and Mule Suttles have joined all-time and single-season Major League leaderboards. https://t.co/xCVOEkdRBT
From @TheAthletic: The Negro League star Josh Gibson has long been called one of the best hitters in baseball history, but his numbers never appeared in MLB’s official record. Until now. It is the culmination of decades of research. https://t.co/PIaBlgXHcW
Was curious how MLB was going to implement the merging of Negro League stats, given that they use a 5,000-AB minimum for their leaderboards and Negro Leaguers don't have that many recorded ABs. I guess they've just ditched that for Negro Leaguers but kept it for AL/NL players?
This is really incredible and overdue. Josh Gibson, known as “the black Babe Ruth” now baseball’s all time batting leader, leap-frogging ... Ty Cobb. Wow. https://t.co/U6RaacNJ4z
MLB adds Negro Leagues stats to official record books. 👏 https://t.co/ClQnnULFpU https://t.co/YYnY0nbixT
"Baseball history will change forever Wednesday." Josh Gibson will dominate MLB’s record book as Negro Leagues stats are added https://t.co/yMfyYuGdhi
now that the MLB has incorporated Negro league stats into their overall category leaders, it’s a worthy question, who faced tougher competition, Josh Gibson, or Barry Bonds? also is this move wack, woke, or worthwhile?
Several Major League records are now held by Josh Gibson as he and other Negro Leagues legends officially join the all-time leaderboards. The statistics of more than 2,300 Negro Leagues players launch today in a newly integrated https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39 database that presents… https://t.co/UyvCu0pSzi
"To deny the best Black players of the era their rightful place among all-time leaders would be a double penalty." "Every fan should welcome this statistical restitution towards social reparation.” How MLB now counts Negro Leagues stats: https://t.co/qa2hRBy6yC via @sfchronicle
I’m seeing a lot of handwringing over Negro Leagues statistics being incorporated into MLB historical records. Well, to me there’s a lot more validity of Josh Gibson’s slugging percentage than there is in steroid-inflated slugging percentages and home-run totals.
Now, finally, the Negro League stats will be included in Major League Baseball stats. Next on @undisputed
Negro Leagues statistics are officially becoming part of MLB history today. Here's a story I did on the announcement back in 2020. https://t.co/67PAwcXZqn
Editorial: MLB finally embraces all of the major leagues. Including the Black ones (via @latimesopinion ) https://t.co/mQK8FUCscL
MLB records change as Negro League stats are integrated, but it’s a complicated shift https://t.co/IkthYzcXzX
"Even though the stats are great, we’re still not finished." ... Caught up with Sean Gibson to talk about Josh Gibson, MLB incorporating Negro Leagues stats and where this all could go: https://t.co/TFPK6jMnUI
"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," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. https://t.co/H1jGV6ckbG
Major League Baseball formally adopted statistics from the racially segregated Negro Leagues into its official history on Wednesday, rewriting the record books at a stroke in a landmark move which confronts the sport's racist past ⬇️ https://t.co/bvIAKbBxBo #AFPSports
Adding the Negro League's statistics to the official MLB record will help educate baseball fans. @tylerkepner has nine takeaways from the flood of newly certified data, including info on the ageless Satchel Paige ⤵️ https://t.co/cVAjlrumZG https://t.co/sjkdDzIsQr
Josh Gibson last played pro baseball in 1946. But this week he became #MLB's all-time leader in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. The incorporation of Negro Leagues records is finally giving legends like Gibson their due. FULL STORY: https://t.co/DVI5VCpAKh
Gibson passes Cobb as MLB career batting leader after Negro Leagues baseball records incorporated https://t.co/4epHe0zTiY
5 MLB records that will change with Negro Leagues stats being incorporated, including Josh Gibson passing Ty Cobb https://t.co/tbWNEHAEXS https://t.co/WPOi5l4797
A few years back, we dove into the complex task that MLB faced when it set out to bring the statistics of the Negro Leagues into its official record. It wound up taking 3 1/2 years and it required working through obstacles. But today, it becomes official. https://t.co/XiILa8n25K
A few years back, we dove into complex task that MLB faced when it set out to bring the statistics of the Negro Leagues into its official record. It wound up taking 3 1/2 years and it required working through obstacles. But today, it becomes official. https://t.co/XiILa8n25K
Negro Leagues stats now formally part of MLB history. https://t.co/rRUOGCzZPa? https://t.co/HE6X7lTSOd
Inside Wednesday’s Yahoo Sports AM ☀️🧵 Negro Leagues statistics will become part of MLB history, with more than 2,300 players from the seven iterations of the Negro Leagues (1920-1948) being officially added to the record books. https://t.co/1q63YcPg2k
In a milestone decision decades in the making, MLB will now incorporate statistics of Negro League players, meaning that Josh Gibson will take multiple records from the likes of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. https://t.co/ve6neqgCBQ
USA Today: MLB incorporating Negro League statistics, meaning Josh Gibson is career batting average leader over Ty Cobb https://t.co/2p6NcjJXLD
The MLB will officially integrate Negro League statistics into its record books. @DeMarcoReports has more on this historic change. https://t.co/MJ7kCZu6Mx
“History evolves. We know that Doubleday did not, in fact, invent baseball. And as of Wednesday, Josh Gibson will replace Cobb as the leading hitter in the official records of the game.” https://t.co/tVtwdoVkQU
In a milestone decision decades in the making, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it will incorporate the statistics of Negro Leagues that operated in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s into its record books. https://t.co/uohzH4mPTE
Negro Leagues statistics will become part of the official Major League historical record today, making Josh Gibson the all-time record holder for batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. https://t.co/NRpzlVKdoJ
MLB will announce it will add stats from the Negro Leagues in its historical record. This means it could get new all-time records held by some Negro League players — barred during segregation but called the greatest of all time by those who saw them. https://t.co/Or5waBZATT
Baseball's Negro Leagues' Stats Will Be Incorporated Into MLB Records https://t.co/1gvs1nQBjc
Josh Gibson became Major League Baseball’s career leader with a .372 batting average, surpassing Ty Cobb’s .367 https://t.co/c3if05e6MC
While MLB's move to include Negro League stats means Josh Gibson moves past Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth atop several of the sport's hitting records, UNM Lobo hoops legend Petie Gibson says his grandfather inspired more than athletic achievement https://t.co/WRUaMJX6di via @ABQJournal https://t.co/nQv0tJYxnb