Baseball

Top 100 Black Pro Baseball Players

Negro Leagues · MLB · Ranked by position · Includes Afro-Latino stars

Note: Since 2024, MLB has officially counted Negro Leagues statistics (1920–1948) as major league records. This list honors both Negro Leagues and MLB legends, including Afro-Latino stars such as Roberto Clemente, Minnie Miñoso, Martín Dihigo, and Pedro Martínez.

Top 100 Rankings by Position

62 players ranked across all positions

Showing 62 of 62 players

Catcher

5 players

Josh Gibson

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

MLB's official career batting-average leader since 2024

Roy Campanella

Brooklyn Dodgers · MLB

3× NL MVP

Biz Mackey

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Elite defensive catcher; mentored Campanella

Louis Santop

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Early Negro Leagues power hitter

Elston Howard

Yankees · MLB

First Black Yankee, 1963 AL MVP

First Base

5 players

Buck Leonard

Homestead Grays · Negro Leagues

Black Lou Gehrig

Eddie Murray

Orioles · MLB

3,000 hits and 500 HR

Willie McCovey

Giants · MLB

521 HR, Hall of Famer

Frank Thomas

White Sox · MLB

2× AL MVP, The Big Hurt

Mule Suttles

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Negro Leagues power legend

Second Base

5 players

Jackie Robinson

Brooklyn Dodgers · MLB

Broke the color barrier in 1947

Joe Morgan

Reds · MLB

2× NL MVP, Big Red Machine

Rod Carew

Twins · MLB

7 batting titles

Frank Grant

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

19th-century pioneer

Lou Whitaker

Tigers · MLB

2,369 hits, Tigers mainstay

Shortstop

6 players

John Henry Pop Lloyd

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Often called the best Black shortstop ever

Ernie Banks

Cubs · MLB

Mr. Cub, 512 HR, 2× MVP

Willie Wells

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Slick fielder, power hitter

Ozzie Smith

Cardinals · MLB

13 Gold Gloves, The Wizard

Barry Larkin

Reds · MLB

1995 NL MVP

Derek Jeter

Yankees · MLB

3,465 hits, 5 World Series

Third Base

4 players

Ray Dandridge

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Legendary glove, Hall of Famer

Judy Johnson

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Hilldale and Pittsburgh Crawfords captain

Jud Wilson

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Fierce hitter, .350+ career

Bill Madlock

Cubs/Pirates · MLB

4 batting titles

Left Field

7 players

Barry Bonds

Giants · MLB

All-time HR leader (762), 7× MVP

Rickey Henderson

Athletics · MLB

All-time stolen base and runs leader

Monte Irvin

Giants · MLB

Negro Leagues and Giants star

Lou Brock

Cardinals · MLB

3,023 hits, 938 SB

Willie Stargell

Pirates · MLB

Pops, 1979 co-MVP

Minnie Miñoso

White Sox · MLB

First Black Latino MLB star

Tim Raines

Expos · MLB

808 SB, Hall of Famer

Center Field

8 players

Willie Mays

Giants · MLB

Widely considered the greatest all-around player

Oscar Charleston

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Negro Leagues' best all-around player

Ken Griffey Jr.

Mariners · MLB

630 HR, 10 Gold Gloves

Cool Papa Bell

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Fastest man in baseball history

Turkey Stearnes

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Negro Leagues HR leader

Larry Doby

Indians · MLB

Integrated the American League

Kirby Puckett

Twins · MLB

2 World Series titles

Andre Dawson

Cubs · MLB

438 HR, 1987 NL MVP

Right Field

7 players

Hank Aaron

Braves · MLB

755 HR, 2,297 RBI, Hammer

Frank Robinson

Reds/Orioles · MLB

MVP in both leagues; first Black MLB manager

Roberto Clemente

Pirates · MLB

3,000 hits, 12 Gold Gloves

Tony Gwynn

Padres · MLB

8 batting titles, .338 career

Reggie Jackson

Athletics/Yankees · MLB

Mr. October, 563 HR

Dave Winfield

Yankees · MLB

3,110 hits, 465 HR

Mookie Betts

Dodgers · MLB

MVP and multiple World Series titles

Starting Pitcher

10 players

Satchel Paige

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Most famous pitcher in Negro Leagues history

Bob Gibson

Cardinals · MLB

1.12 ERA in 1968, 2× Cy Young

Smokey Joe Williams

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Fireballer of the early Negro Leagues

Bullet Rogan

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Ace pitcher and power hitter

Pedro Martínez

Red Sox · MLB

3× Cy Young

Ferguson Jenkins

Cubs · MLB

284 wins, first Canadian in the Hall of Fame

Juan Marichal

Giants · MLB

243 wins, Dominican Dandy

Andrew Rube Foster

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

Father of the Negro National League

Don Newcombe

Dodgers · MLB

MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year

#10

Dwight Gooden

Mets · MLB

1985 Cy Young, 1.53 ERA

Relief Pitcher

3 players

Mariano Rivera

Yankees · MLB

All-time saves leader (652), first unanimous Hall of Famer

Lee Smith

Cubs · MLB

478 saves

Joe Black

Dodgers · MLB

First Black pitcher to win a World Series game

DH / Utility

2 players

Martín Dihigo

Negro Leagues · Negro Leagues

El Maestro, played every position at an elite level

David Ortiz

Red Sox · MLB

Big Papi, 541 HR, 3 World Series titles