The landscape of MLB history took a dramatic shift on Wednesday with the integration of Negro League stats into the MLB database. And while many of these Negro league players who will be shown are already either in the Hall of Fame or well-known, this will enhance the image of MLBbros collectively. For starters, three of the top five leaders in batting average are now MLBbros, including Josh Gibson first overall. So many different narratives will now have to come into play when discussing all-time greats.
Naturally talents like Josh Gibson will now be debated as the greatest hitter ever with context to support it, but there will be so many more that are appreciated. For baseball historians this gives a whole new flock of players to learn about and appreciate. Players like Oscar Charleston and Jud Wilson are sure to be examined closely as their hitting resumes are impressive and now in full display.
This also changes the legacies of players who converted from the Negro Leagues such as Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson who saw their hits total increase by ten and 49 respectively. This could not have come at a better time as the percentage of Black players is at an all-time low. This is inspiring and should spark more involvement and interest for future black players and current ones. Every sport has icons of the past that young players use to model their game after and now there is easier access to Black players who weren’t in the Major Leagues but still proven to be some of the greatest baseball players of all time. There is sure to be pushback with the addition of these stats, as some players will drop in career rankings, but if the ultimate goal of the MLB is to completely display the entire history of baseball, then this was a necessity. This is further proving the Black and Brown players have and always will be integral to the game of baseball.
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