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Who Is Josh Gibson and What Record Does He Hold Now? All About Negro League Legend Amid MLB Integration
Josh Gibson, a Negro Leagues star catcher, now holds MLB's career and single-season records for batting average, slugging percentage and OPS after the official integration of Negro Leagues stats.
Josh Gibson, the legendary catcher who starred in the Negro Leagues from 1930 to 1946, has shattered long-standing Major League Baseball (MLB) batting records after the official integration of Negro Leagues statistics.
With his remarkable numbers now part of baseball's record books, Gibson has surpassed iconic MLB figures like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds to claim several career and single-season hitting records.
Josh Gibson’s Staggering Career and Single-Season Numbers
The newly updated records show Gibson's eye-popping career batting average of .372 surpassing Ty Cobb's .367, slugging percentage of .718 over Babe Ruth's .690, and on-base plus slugging (OPS) of 1.177 besting Ruth's 1.164– all new MLB records.
His monstrous single-season totals are even more staggering:
- .466 batting average in 1943 for Homestead Grays (record)
- .974 slugging percentage in 1937 (record)
- 1.474 OPS in 1937 (shatters Barry Bonds' previous record 1.421 in 2004)
"These aren't just Negro League stats. They're Major League Baseball stats," said Sean Gibson, Josh's great-grandson.
Comissioner of MLB Rob Manfresh Recognizing Negro Leagues Accomplishments
In righting what Commissioner Rob Manfred called a "historical wrong", MLB has finally integrated decades of Negro Leagues statistics after a painstaking review process.
Manfred ensuring "future generations have access" to the Negro Leagues' accomplishments, MLB incorporated stats for over 2,300 players after a three-year review.
As Manfred stated, the league is "proud" to include Negro Leaguers in the "official historical record."
The numbers will appear in MLB's databases with no distinctions from stats compiled in the American and National Leagues.
MLB's historian John Thorn emphasized "the numbers will be no different" for Willie Mays' stats in the Negro Leagues versus the Giants.
Josh Gibson Barred from MLB Due to Racism
A 12-time All-Star for teams like the Grays, Gibson was denied a chance at the integrated majors due to baseball's racist exclusion of Black players until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947.
Despite his unparalleled talent, Gibson spent his entire playing career in the segregated Negro Leagues.
John Thorn, who chaired the statistical review committee, said adding the Negro Leagues stats is "not only righting a social, cultural, and historical wrong, but defining baseball as a game for Americans without exclusion."
Researchers pored over microfilm, box scores, newspaper accounts and anecdotal evidence from the seven former Negro Leagues to verify and input the decades-old statistics.
Calls to Rename MVP Award for Josh Gibson
With his staggering numbers now official MLB records, Sean Gibson hopes the Baseball Writers Association renames the MVP award for his great-grandfather, who was among over 2,300 Black stars banned from the majors in Josh's era.
The MVP was stripped of Kenesaw Mountain Landis' name in 2020 due to the former commissioner's opposition to integration.
As Sean Gibson said, "How ironic would it be for Josh Gibson to replace the man who denied more than 2,300 men the opportunity to play baseball in the major leagues?"
MLB celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues in 2020. The league will hold a tribute game in period uniforms on June 20 at Rickwood Field, the oldest U.S. ballpark, to honor Alabama native and Negro Leagues legend Willie Mays.
The Stats integration boosted Willie Mays' hit total to 3,293 and got Minnie Miñoso over 2,000 hits. Jackie Robinson gained 49 hits for 1,567 total. Satchel Paige was credited with 28 more wins for 125.
While the committee estimates including 72% of records from 1920-1948, Thorn said more research could modify stats, noting a four-homer game by Gibson in 1938 lacked full documentation to be included initially.
"Without a box score, we can't really balance the statistics," said researcher Kevin Johnson. "Those games are kind of in limbo at the moment."
A Proud Legacy of Josh Gibson
While Josh Gibson never played in the integrated majors, his family is elated; his towering on-field achievements are finally being recognized at baseball's highest level.
"If Josh Gibson was alive, he'd be honored," Sean Gibson said. "He'll probably wonder why it took so long. He'll be excited for his family to carry on his legacy."
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