1943 MLB Leaders and Award Winners

3 leagues · 149 team games · 62 ranking tables · 2 awards

Awards

Most Valuable Player

Spud ChandlerAmerican League
Stan MusialNational League

Not every award existed in this season. This database has Rookie of the Year (from 1947), Cy Young Award (from 1956), Gold Glove (from 1957), Silver Slugger (from 1980). Their absence here is not a statement about these players: those awards had not been invented yet.

American League

Led the American League — the first row of every table below.

Batting13 categories

RunsR

1	George Case	102
2	Charlie Keller	97
3	Dick Wakefield	91
4	Rudy York	90
5	Mickey Vernon	89
6	Chet Laabs	83
7	Joe Gordon	82
7	Wally Moses	82
9	Thurman Tucker	81
10	Doc Cramer	79

HitsH

1	Dick Wakefield	200
2	Luke Appling	192
3	Doc Cramer	182
4	George Case	180
5	Oris Hockett	166
5	Billy Johnson	166
7	Bobby Doerr	163
8	Nick Etten	158
9	Tony Lupien	155
9	Rudy York	155

Doubles2B

1	Dick Wakefield	38
2	George Case	36
3	Nick Etten	35
3	Don Gutteridge	35
5	Luke Appling	33
5	Oris Hockett	33
7	Lou Boudreau	32
7	Bobby Doerr	32
9	Ken Keltner	31
9	Jerry Priddy	31

Triples3B

1	Johnny Lindell	12
1	Wally Moses	12
3	Charlie Keller	11
3	Rudy York	11
5	Stan Spence	10
6	Tony Lupien	9
7	Ralph Hodgin	8
7	Joe Hoover	8
7	Bob Johnson	8
7	Mickey Vernon	8
7	Dick Wakefield	8

Home RunsHR

1	Rudy York	34
2	Charlie Keller	31
3	Vern Stephens	22
4	Jeff Heath	18
5	Joe Gordon	17
5	Chet Laabs	17
7	Bobby Doerr	16
8	Nick Etten	14
9	Jim Tabor	13
10	George McQuinn	12
10	Stan Spence	12

Runs Batted InRBI

1	Rudy York	118
2	Nick Etten	107
3	Billy Johnson	94
4	Vern Stephens	91
5	Stan Spence	88
6	Charlie Keller	86
7	Chet Laabs	85
7	Jim Tabor	85
9	Pinky Higgins	84
10	Luke Appling	80

WalksBB

1	Charlie Keller	106
2	Joe Gordon	98
3	Roy Cullenbine	96
4	Luke Appling	90
4	Lou Boudreau	90
6	Stan Spence	84
6	Rudy York	84
8	Thurman Tucker	79
9	Nick Etten	76
9	Joe Kuhel	76

Stolen BasesSB

1	George Case	61
2	Wally Moses	56
3	Thurman Tucker	29
4	Luke Appling	27
5	Mickey Vernon	24
6	Pete Fox	22
7	Tony Lupien	16
8	Joe Kuhel	14
9	Leon Culberson	13
9	Guy Curtright	13
9	Oris Hockett	13

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Luke Appling	8.6
2	Charlie Keller	8.0
3	Lou Boudreau	7.4
4	Joe Gordon	7.0
5	Rudy York	6.8
6	Stan Spence	6.4
7	Bobby Doerr	6.0
8	Roy Cullenbine	5.0
9	Jeff Heath	4.9
10	Jerry Priddy	4.9

Batting Averagemin 462 PA

1	Luke Appling	.328
2	Dick Wakefield	.316
3	Doc Cramer	.300
4	George Case	.294
5	Guy Curtright	.291
6	Roy Cullenbine	.289
6	Vern Stephens	.289
8	Pete Fox	.288
9	Lou Boudreau	.286
10	Milt Byrnes	.280
10	Billy Johnson	.280

On-Base Percentagemin 462 PA

1	Luke Appling	.419
2	Roy Cullenbine	.407
3	Charlie Keller	.396
4	Lou Boudreau	.388
5	Guy Curtright	.382
6	Dick Wakefield	.377
7	Jeff Heath	.369
8	Stan Spence	.366
8	Rudy York	.366
10	Joe Gordon	.365

Slugging Percentagemin 462 PA

1	Rudy York	.527
2	Charlie Keller	.525
3	Vern Stephens	.482
4	Jeff Heath	.481
5	Dick Wakefield	.434
6	Nick Etten	.420
7	Joe Gordon	.413
8	Bobby Doerr	.412
9	Chet Laabs	.409
10	Luke Appling	.407

On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 462 PA

1	Charlie Keller	.922
2	Rudy York	.893
3	Jeff Heath	.850
4	Vern Stephens	.839
5	Luke Appling	.825
6	Roy Cullenbine	.811
6	Dick Wakefield	.811
8	Joe Gordon	.778
9	Lou Boudreau	.776
10	Nick Etten	.775

Pitching10 categories

WinsW

1	Spud Chandler	20
1	Dizzy Trout	20
3	Early Wynn	18
4	Jim Bagby	17
4	Al Smith	17
6	Virgil Trucks	16
7	Tiny Bonham	15
7	Orval Grove	15
7	Steve Sundra	15
10	Hank Borowy	14

SavesSV

1	Gordon Maltzberger	14
2	Mace Brown	9
2	Joe Heving	9
4	George Caster	8
4	Johnny Murphy	8
6	Mickey Haefner	6
6	Dizzy Trout	6
6	Roger Wolff	6
9	Alex Carrasquel	5
9	Johnny Gorsica	5

StrikeoutsSO

1	Allie Reynolds	151
2	Hal Newhouser	144
3	Spud Chandler	134
4	Tommy Bridges	124
5	Virgil Trucks	118
6	Denny Galehouse	114
6	Tex Hughson	114
8	Hank Borowy	113
8	Jesse Flores	113
10	Dizzy Trout	111

Innings PitchedIP

1	Jim Bagby	273.0
2	Tex Hughson	266.0
3	Early Wynn	256.7
4	Spud Chandler	253.0
5	Dizzy Trout	246.7
6	Jesse Flores	231.3
7	Tiny Bonham	225.7
8	Denny Galehouse	224.0
9	Charles Wensloff	223.3
10	Roger Wolff	221.0

Complete GamesCG

1	Spud Chandler	20
1	Tex Hughson	20
3	Orval Grove	18
3	Dizzy Trout	18
3	Charles Wensloff	18
6	Tiny Bonham	17
7	Jim Bagby	16
8	Lum Harris	15
8	Dutch Leonard	15
10	Hank Borowy	14
10	Denny Galehouse	14
10	Al Smith	14
10	Eddie Smith	14

ShutoutsSHO

1	Spud Chandler	5
1	Dizzy Trout	5
3	Tiny Bonham	4
3	Tex Hughson	4
5	Jim Bagby	3
5	Hank Borowy	3
5	Tommy Bridges	3
5	Milo Candini	3
5	Joe Dobson	3
5	Orval Grove	3
5	Bob Muncrief	3
5	Johnny Niggeling	3
5	Stubby Overmire	3
5	Allie Reynolds	3
5	Jack Salveson	3
5	Al Smith	3
5	Steve Sundra	3
5	Early Wynn	3

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Spud Chandler	5.8
2	Denny Galehouse	3.6
3	Tommy Bridges	3.6
4	Charles Wensloff	3.6
5	Virgil Trucks	3.5
6	Dizzy Trout	3.2
7	Hal Newhouser	3.0
8	Jesse Flores	3.0
9	Hank Borowy	2.9
10	Johnny Niggeling	2.8

Earned Run Averagemin 149 IP

1	Spud Chandler	1.64
2	Tiny Bonham	2.27
3	Mickey Haefner	2.29
4	Tommy Bridges	2.40
5	Dizzy Trout	2.48
6	Milo Candini	2.49
7	Charles Wensloff	2.54
8	Al Smith	2.55
9	Johnny Niggeling	2.59
10	Tex Hughson	2.64

Walks and Hits per Inningmin 149 IP

1	Spud Chandler	0.99
2	Virgil Trucks	1.09
3	Tiny Bonham	1.10
4	Johnny Niggeling	1.11
5	Charles Wensloff	1.11
6	Mickey Haefner	1.13
7	Tommy Bridges	1.15
8	Tex Hughson	1.18
9	Nels Potter	1.19
10	Jim Bagby	1.20

Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 149 IP

1	Spud Chandler	2.54
2	Tommy Bridges	2.92
3	Virgil Trucks	2.98
4	Charles Wensloff	3.07
5	Allie Reynolds	3.08
6	Hal Newhouser	3.08
7	Denny Galehouse	3.10
8	Joe Dobson	3.24
9	Bill Dietrich	3.25
10	Milo Candini	3.27

National League

Led the National League — the first row of every table below.

Batting13 categories

RunsR

1	Arky Vaughan	112
2	Stan Musial	108
3	Bill Nicholson	95
4	Phil Cavarretta	93
5	Eddie Stanky	92
6	Elbie Fletcher	91
6	Lou Klein	91
8	Augie Galan	83
8	Dixie Walker	83
10	Bob Elliott	82
10	Eric Tipton	82

HitsH

1	Stan Musial	220
2	Mickey Witek	195
3	Billy Herman	193
4	Bill Nicholson	188
5	Arky Vaughan	186
6	Bob Elliott	183
7	Lou Klein	180
8	Tommy Holmes	170
9	Harry Walker	166
10	Ron Northey	163
10	Dixie Walker	163

Doubles2B

1	Stan Musial	48
2	Vince DiMaggio	41
2	Billy Herman	41
4	Arky Vaughan	39
5	Tommy Holmes	33
6	Dixie Walker	32
7	Ron Northey	31
8	Walker Cooper	30
8	Bob Elliott	30
8	Joe Medwick	30
8	Bill Nicholson	30

Triples3B

1	Stan Musial	20
2	Lou Klein	14
3	Bob Elliott	12
3	Peanuts Lowrey	12
5	Sid Gordon	11
5	Jim Russell	11
7	Tommy Holmes	10
8	Phil Cavarretta	9
8	Bill Nicholson	9
10	Lonny Frey	8
10	Whitey Kurowski	8
10	Max Marshall	8
10	Butch Nieman	8

Home RunsHR

1	Bill Nicholson	29
2	Mel Ott	18
3	Ron Northey	16
4	Vince DiMaggio	15
4	Coaker Triplett	15
6	Whitey Kurowski	13
6	Stan Musial	13
8	Danny Litwhiler	12
9	Ray Sanders	11
10	Ernie Lombardi	10
10	Chuck Workman	10

Runs Batted InRBI

1	Bill Nicholson	128
2	Bob Elliott	101
3	Billy Herman	100
4	Vince DiMaggio	88
5	Walker Cooper	81
5	Stan Musial	81
7	Phil Cavarretta	73
7	Ray Sanders	73
9	Eddie Miller	71
9	Dixie Walker	71

WalksBB

1	Augie Galan	103
2	Elbie Fletcher	95
2	Mel Ott	95
4	Eddie Stanky	92
5	Eric Tipton	85
6	Stan Hack	82
7	Jim Russell	77
7	Ray Sanders	77
9	Lonny Frey	76
10	Phil Cavarretta	75

Stolen BasesSB

1	Arky Vaughan	20
2	Peanuts Lowrey	13
3	Frankie Gustine	12
3	Jim Russell	12
3	Chuck Workman	12
6	Vince DiMaggio	11
7	Lou Klein	9
7	Stan Musial	9
7	Whitey Wietelmann	9
10	Johnny Hopp	8
10	Max Marshall	8
10	Eddie Miller	8

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Stan Musial	11.0
2	Bill Nicholson	8.5
3	Augie Galan	7.4
4	Billy Herman	6.4
5	Mickey Witek	6.0
6	Vince DiMaggio	5.8
7	Bob Elliott	5.6
8	Arky Vaughan	5.4
9	Lonny Frey	5.2
10	Eric Tipton	5.0

Batting Averagemin 462 PA

1	Stan Musial	.357
2	Billy Herman	.330
3	Walker Cooper	.318
4	Bob Elliott	.315
5	Mickey Witek	.314
6	Bill Nicholson	.309
7	Arky Vaughan	.305
8	Frank McCormick	.303
9	Dixie Walker	.302
10	Harry Walker	.294

On-Base Percentagemin 462 PA

1	Stan Musial	.425
2	Augie Galan	.412
3	Billy Herman	.398
4	Elbie Fletcher	.395
4	Eric Tipton	.395
6	Mel Ott	.391
7	Bill Nicholson	.386
8	Stan Hack	.384
9	Phil Cavarretta	.382
10	Ray Sanders	.381

Slugging Percentagemin 462 PA

1	Stan Musial	.562
2	Bill Nicholson	.531
3	Walker Cooper	.463
4	Bob Elliott	.444
5	Whitey Kurowski	.439
6	Ron Northey	.430
7	Eric Tipton	.424
8	Phil Cavarretta	.421
9	Mel Ott	.418
10	Billy Herman	.417

On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 462 PA

1	Stan Musial	.988
2	Bill Nicholson	.917
3	Bob Elliott	.820
4	Eric Tipton	.819
5	Augie Galan	.818
6	Billy Herman	.815
7	Walker Cooper	.812
8	Mel Ott	.810
9	Phil Cavarretta	.802
10	Ray Sanders	.796

Pitching10 categories

WinsW

1	Mort Cooper	21
1	Elmer Riddle	21
1	Rip Sewell	21
4	Hiram Bithorn	18
5	Al Javery	17
6	Max Lanier	15
6	Claude Passeau	15
6	Johnny Vander Meer	15
6	Bucky Walters	15
10	Nate Andrews	14
10	Schoolboy Rowe	14
10	Clyde Shoun	14
10	Jim Tobin	14
10	Whit Wyatt	14

SavesSV

1	Les Webber	10
2	Ace Adams	9
3	Clyde Shoun	7
4	Joe Beggs	6
4	Ed Head	6
6	Hank Wyse	5
7	Harry Brecheen	4
7	Hank Gornicki	4
7	Johnnie Wittig	4
10	Johnny Allen	3
10	Mort Cooper	3
10	Curt Davis	3
10	Paul Derringer	3
10	Newt Kimball	3
10	Howie Krist	3
10	Max Lanier	3
10	Bill Lee	3
10	Elmer Riddle	3
10	Rip Sewell	3

StrikeoutsSO

1	Johnny Vander Meer	174
2	Mort Cooper	141
3	Al Javery	134
4	Max Lanier	123
4	Bobo Newsom	123
6	Kirby Higbe	108
7	Ken Chase	95
8	Claude Passeau	93
9	Al Gerheauser	92
10	Hiram Bithorn	86

Innings PitchedIP

1	Al Javery	303.0
2	Johnny Vander Meer	289.0
3	Nate Andrews	283.7
4	Mort Cooper	274.0
5	Rip Sewell	265.3
6	Elmer Riddle	260.3
7	Claude Passeau	257.0
8	Red Barrett	255.0
9	Jim Tobin	250.0
10	Hiram Bithorn	249.7

Complete GamesCG

1	Rip Sewell	25
2	Mort Cooper	24
2	Jim Tobin	24
4	Nate Andrews	23
5	Johnny Vander Meer	21
5	Bucky Walters	21
7	Hiram Bithorn	19
7	Al Javery	19
7	Elmer Riddle	19
10	Claude Passeau	18

ShutoutsSHO

1	Hiram Bithorn	7
2	Mort Cooper	6
3	Al Javery	5
3	Howie Pollet	5
3	Elmer Riddle	5
3	Bucky Walters	5
7	Nate Andrews	3
7	Red Barrett	3
7	Harry Gumbert	3
7	Ed Head	3
7	Bob Klinger	3
7	Schoolboy Rowe	3
7	Johnny Vander Meer	3
7	Whit Wyatt	3

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Mort Cooper	5.4
2	Max Lanier	4.1
3	Al Javery	3.8
4	Johnny Vander Meer	3.7
5	Rip Sewell	3.6
6	Whit Wyatt	3.6
7	Claude Passeau	3.5
8	Nate Andrews	3.4
9	Hiram Bithorn	3.4
10	Schoolboy Rowe	3.2

Earned Run Averagemin 149 IP

1	Max Lanier	1.90
2	Mort Cooper	2.30
3	Whit Wyatt	2.49
4	Rip Sewell	2.54
5	Nate Andrews	2.57
6	Hiram Bithorn	2.60
7	Max Butcher	2.60
8	Elmer Riddle	2.63
9	Jim Tobin	2.66
10	Bob Klinger	2.72

Walks and Hits per Inningmin 149 IP

1	Whit Wyatt	1.01
2	Mort Cooper	1.12
3	Schoolboy Rowe	1.13
4	Nate Andrews	1.16
5	Hiram Bithorn	1.17
6	Red Barrett	1.19
7	Claude Passeau	1.21
8	Howie Krist	1.24
9	Hank Wyse	1.24
10	Jim Tobin	1.24

Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 149 IP

1	Max Lanier	2.76
2	Mort Cooper	2.78
3	Whit Wyatt	2.84
4	Paul Derringer	2.98
5	Schoolboy Rowe	3.07
6	Hank Wyse	3.10
7	Hiram Bithorn	3.18
7	Wally Hebert	3.18
9	Claude Passeau	3.25
10	Bob Klinger	3.27

Negro Leagues in 1943

16 more ranking tables from 1943. These clubs played a much shorter league schedule than the American and National Leagues did, so the counting statistics are not on the same scale as the ones above.

The Negro Leagues had none of these awards. There was no Most Valuable Player vote, no Cy Young Award, no Gold Glove and no Silver Slugger in Black baseball, so no player in those sections below could appear in the award list above however he played. A blank there says something about how the leagues were organised and nothing at all about the players.

Negro Leagues

Led the Negro Leagues — the first row of every table below.

There is no batting average table in this section, and that is not a gap in the record. Rate statistics need a qualifying line, and the one this site uses for 1943 is 462 plate appearances — three point one per team game across a 149-game schedule. The Negro Leagues played a far shorter league season than that, so no player in it reaches the line and no rate table can be built without comparing a handful of games to a full year. The counting tables above are unaffected: those are simply what the players did.

Batting9 categories

RunsR

1	Josh Gibson	93
2	Jerry Benjamin	83
3	Buck Leonard	71
4	Cool Papa Bell	63
5	Sam Bankhead	53
6	Goose Curry	48
7	Howard Easterling	47
8	Jim West	37
9	Henry Spearman	35
9	Tetelo Vargas	35

HitsH

1	Josh Gibson	116
2	Jerry Benjamin	110
3	Cool Papa Bell	92
4	Howard Easterling	87
5	Buck Leonard	84
6	Sam Bankhead	69
7	Willard Brown	68
8	Jud Wilson	66
9	Gene Benson	64
10	Bonnie Serrell	59

Doubles2B

1	Josh Gibson	23
2	Buck Leonard	18
3	Jerry Benjamin	17
4	Bonnie Serrell	16
5	Piper Davis	14
6	Marvin Barker	13
6	Willard Brown	13
6	Sam Jethroe	13
6	Sylvester Snead	13
6	Henry Spearman	13

Triples3B

1	Howard Easterling	10
2	Josh Gibson	9
3	Buck Leonard	8
4	Jim West	7
5	Jud Wilson	6
6	Cool Papa Bell	5
6	Gene Benson	5
6	Sam Jethroe	5
6	Henry Kimbro	5
6	Lennie Pearson	5
6	Bonnie Serrell	5
6	Henry Spearman	5

Home RunsHR

1	Josh Gibson	20
2	Willard Brown	7
3	Ameal Brooks	4
3	Johnny Davis	4
3	Larry Doby	4
3	Buck Leonard	4
3	Lennie Pearson	4
8	Babe Charter	3
8	George Scales	3
10	Buddy Armour	2
10	Marvin Barker	2
10	Jerry Benjamin	2
10	Bill Byrd	2
10	Goose Curry	2
10	Piper Davis	2
10	Lester Lockett	2
10	Art Pennington	2
10	Neil Robinson	2
10	Goose Tatum	2
10	Jim West	2

Runs Batted InRBI

1	Josh Gibson	112
2	Buck Leonard	61
3	Jud Wilson	57
4	Howard Easterling	52
5	Jim West	44
6	Sam Bankhead	42
7	Jerry Benjamin	38
7	Gene Benson	38
9	Willard Brown	33
10	Henry Spearman	30

WalksBB

1	Josh Gibson	55
2	Buck Leonard	49
3	Goose Curry	43
4	Cool Papa Bell	39
5	Sam Bankhead	32
5	Jud Wilson	32
7	Barney Brown	29
7	Jim West	29
9	Jerry Benjamin	25
10	George Scales	24

Stolen BasesSB

1	Sam Bankhead	17
2	Cool Papa Bell	12
2	Jerry Benjamin	12
4	Howard Easterling	8
5	Fred Bankhead	7
5	Henry Kimbro	7
5	Tommy Sampson	7
5	Herb Souell	7
5	Clyde Spearman	7
10	Cowan Hyde	6
10	Felix McLaurin	6
10	Frank Russell	6
10	Murray Watkins	6
10	Parnell Woods	6

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Josh Gibson	9.8
2	Jerry Benjamin	4.9
3	Buck Leonard	3.8
4	Howard Easterling	3.3
5	Cool Papa Bell	3.3
6	Sam Bankhead	3.3
7	Tetelo Vargas	3.2
8	Willard Brown	3.2
9	Larry Doby	2.5
10	Gene Benson	2.4

Pitching7 categories

WinsW

1	Johnny Wright	18
2	Spoon Carter	14
3	Dave Barnhill	10
3	Bill Byrd	10
5	Booker McDaniel	9
5	Satchel Paige	9
5	Edsall Walker	9
8	Bill Anderson	7
8	Leniel Hooker	7
8	Gentry Jessup	7

SavesSV

1	Roosevelt Davis	2
1	Edsall Walker	2
3	Ray Brown	1
3	Martin Crue	1
3	Tom Glover	1
3	Carrenza Howard	1
3	Gentry Jessup	1
3	Booker McDaniel	1
3	Gready McKinnis	1
3	Satchel Paige	1
3	Roy Partlow	1
3	Norris Phillips	1
3	Luis Pillot	1
3	Willie Stevenson	1
3	Cotton Williams	1
3	Johnny Wright	1

StrikeoutsSO

1	Johnny Wright	99
2	Satchel Paige	98
3	Bill Byrd	94
4	Dave Barnhill	88
5	Booker McDaniel	63
6	Alvin Gipson	62
7	Tom Glover	61
8	Lefty Boone	51
8	Gready McKinnis	51
10	Barney Brown	50
10	Gentry Jessup	50
10	Edsall Walker	50

Innings PitchedIP

1	Johnny Wright	189.0
2	Bill Byrd	134.3
3	Barney Brown	128.3
4	Dave Barnhill	125.7
5	Spoon Carter	119.3
5	Satchel Paige	119.3
7	Edsall Walker	111.7
8	Gentry Jessup	102.3
9	Theolic Smith	98.0
10	Bill Harvey	94.7

Complete GamesCG

1	Johnny Wright	15
2	Bill Byrd	12
3	Dave Barnhill	11
3	Barney Brown	11
5	Bill Harvey	10
6	Gentry Jessup	9
6	Theolic Smith	9
6	Edsall Walker	9
9	Spoon Carter	8
10	Bill Anderson	7
10	Eugene Bremer	7
10	Alvin Gipson	7
10	Willie Jefferson	7
10	Verdell Mathis	7

ShutoutsSHO

1	Dave Barnhill	4
2	Johnny Wright	3
3	Ray Brown	2
3	Bill Byrd	2
3	Theolic Smith	2
6	Bill Anderson	1
6	Alonzo Boone	1
6	Eugene Bremer	1
6	Spoon Carter	1
6	Pancho Coimbre	1
6	Goose Curry	1
6	Jim Daniels	1
6	Roosevelt Davis	1
6	Willie Ferrell	1
6	Bill Harvey	1
6	Leniel Hooker	1
6	John Huber	1
6	Jack Matchett	1
6	Verdell Mathis	1
6	Frank McAllister	1
6	Booker McDaniel	1
6	Porter Moss	1
6	Sonny Parker	1
6	Hilton Smith	1
6	Leroy Sutton	1
6	George Walker	1
6	R. T. Walker	1

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Johnny Wright	4.4
2	Satchel Paige	3.3
3	Bill Byrd	3.1
4	Dave Barnhill	2.9
5	Theolic Smith	2.3
6	Alvin Gipson	2.2
7	Booker McDaniel	2.0
8	Gentry Jessup	1.8
9	Verdell Mathis	1.6
10	Tom Glover	1.5

How this page is built

The qualifying line for 1943 is 462 plate appearances and 149 innings pitched. It comes from the length of the schedule — 149 games per team, measured from the season files themselves — at the official rate of 3.1 plate appearances and one inning per team game. Batting average, on-base, slugging, OPS, earned run average and WHIP all use it; a player who came to the plate twice and got two hits does not appear at the top of the batting average table, which is exactly what that line is for. Counting statistics such as home runs and strikeouts have no minimum, because none is needed.

How the rankings were made

Wins above replacement in these tables is ours rather than the source database's, so it will not match a published figure exactly. Also: why every ranking stops at one league, and why some categories are missing on purpose.

Every ranking on this page is worked out inside one league. 1943 is counted as 3 separate leagues — American League, National League and Negro Leagues, and a player is ranked only against the men in his own. Leading the American League and leading baseball are different claims, and the one we can make from these files is the first. There is no combined table anywhere on this page, because adding two leagues together would produce a number that no record book recognises.

There are 62 ranking tables here, 27 places deep. Players tied on a value share a place, so a table can run past ten rows when the tenth spot is shared, and a league with fewer than ten qualified players in a category is left out rather than shown as a top ten that is not one. A player who did none of the thing is not ranked in it either — a shutout table lists the pitchers who threw one, not the hundreds who threw none tied on zero. Some categories are missing on purpose: nobody leads a league in strikeouts at the plate, in losses, or in home runs allowed. A ranking is meant to mark an achievement, so only achievements are ranked.

Wins above replacement on this page is ours, not the source database's. The hitting and pitching files carry a WAR column that we compute here from the same season lines you see, using park factors and a run environment worked out per season. Published versions elsewhere use different methods and will not match ours exactly. Every other column is the record as the database supplies it.

Names on this page lead to that player's own record. Most of them open a full career page with every season he appeared in. Some open a summary screen instead — we pre-build pages for the players people look for, and everyone else is assembled on demand from the same files, so the numbers are identical either way even though the address looks different.

Data for 1871 to 2025: Lahman Baseball Database 2025, compiled by SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported. Negro Leagues data licensed from Seamheads.com and included under SABR major-league recommendations (2021-02-11, 2024-06-03). This page ranks the 1943 season lines published on this site, league by league, with WAR worked out here. — the WAR columns are computed here — and they are published under the same CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported licence, as ShareAlike requires. That database is published once a season is complete, so the 2026 figures on this site come from a different place: the MLB Stats API, whose notice reads “Copyright 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Use of any content on this page acknowledges agreement to the terms posted here http://gdx.mlb.com/components/copyright.txt”. Those numbers are MLB Advanced Media, L.P.’s, not SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)’s, and they carry that notice rather than the CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported licence above. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Major League Baseball or any of its clubs.