Tuesday Trivia: Negro League Sluggers
 

As you probably know, Baseball Reference recognizes Negro League of the highest 7 Leagues as being part of the MLB. While we will unfortunately never exactly know how Negro League players would have faired in the National or American League, we can at least now compare stats.

While we can't readily compare counting stats due to the limited number of Negro League baseball games that Baseball Reference recognizes as being part of the MLB, we can compare rate statistics somewhat.

Which 3 Negro League players are in the top 10 in career Slugging, OPS and OPS+?

Note that you need 3,000 Plate Appearance and 500 games to qualify, as per Baseball Reference.

I would assume it would be some combination of Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Turkey Stearnes. But I will also throw out one more name and say Mule Suttles because I know he was a prolific power hitter as well. I hope that's okay :D

You are correct! The correct answer is Oscar Charleston, Turkey Stearnes and Mule Suttles. Josh Gibson would rank in the 10 top, but he did not have the requisite 3,000 played appearances (he had 2,526).

Gibson actually would have the highest slugging (.718 to Ruth's .6987), OPS (1.176 to Ruth's 1.1636), and OPS+ (214 to Ruth's 206), as well as Batting Average (.373 to Cobb's .3662 and Charleston's .3648).

We were robbed of so many wonderful careers due to the color barrier. Gibson might've been able to come to the Big Leagues, near the end of his career, had it not been for the brain tumor that he suffered from.