Jud Wilson: A Consistent Slugger
The Power Hitter Pantheon: Baseball’s Greatest Home Run Heroes
This project aims to determine the greatest home run hitter of all time by comparing each slugger’s statistics to the average of their era using three formulas. The final adjusted stats will then be used to compare them head-to-head with other all-time greats.
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Jud Wilson will be the next legendary Negro League slugger examined in this study. For a detailed biography of Wilson, please click here.
According to Baseball Reference, Wilson’s official statistics reveal a total of 77 home runs over 3,082 at-bats resulting in an average of 40.03 at-bats per home run (AB/HR).
Jud Wilson competed in the Eastern Colored League (ECL) from 1923 to 1928, followed by participation in the American Negro League (ANL) in 1929. He also played in the East-West League (EWL) in 1932 and was a prominent member of the Negro National League II (NN2) from 1933 to 1945.
When aggregating the statistics from each of the seasons Wilson competed in, the league totals include 215,949 at-bats and 2,889 home runs, resulting in an average of 74.75 at-bats per home run (AB/HR).
With this data, we can evaluate how Wilson’s performance compared to the average Negro League hitter of his era.
Raw Difference: 34.72
Formula: League Average – Player Career AverageImprovement Factor: 1.87
Formula: League Average / Player Career AveragePercentage Difference: 46.45%
Formula: (League Average – Player Career Average) / League Average × 100%
AB/HR:
Jud Wilson’s 40.03 AB/HR, significantly outpaces the league average of 74.75 AB/HR.
Raw Difference:
Wilson needed 34.72 fewer at-bats per home run than the league average. This gap highlights his efficiency—while the typical player required nearly 75 at-bats to hit a home run, Wilson did it in just over half that, a testament to his power.
Improvement Factor:
Wilson’s AB/HR was 1.87 times better than the league average, meaning he was approaching twice the efficiency of his peers. This multiplier emphasizes his status as an elite slugger.
Percentage Difference:
Wilson’s AB/HR was 46.45% better than the league average. This shows he cut the at-bats needed per home run by nearly half compared to the norm, reinforcing his dominance.
These metrics collectively position Wilson as a standout power hitter in the Negro Leagues, far exceeding the average performance of his era.
Jud Wilson’s career average of 40.03 at-bats per home run (77 HRs, 3,082 ABs) starkly contrasts with the Negro League aggregate of 74.75 AB/HR (215,949 ABs, 2,889 HRs) from his playing years (1923–1945).
His raw difference of 34.72 fewer at-bats per home run, improvement factor of 1.87, and percentage difference of 46.45% demonstrate he was nearly twice as efficient as the average hitter in his era.
In our initial analysis, we examined the careers of Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, and Joe DiMaggio using our formulas. Following that, we also evaluated the careers of Josh Gibson, Sadaharu Oh, Buck Leonard, Tetsuharu Kawakami, Mule Suttles, Noboru Aota, Oscar Charleston, Katsuya Nomura, Turkey Stearnes, Makoto Kozuru, Willie Wells, Hiromitsu Ochiai, Wilson Redus, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Dewey Creacy, Hiromitsu Kadota, Edgar Wesley, and Koji Yamamoto.
Now, let's compare Jud Wilson’s career statistics against these baseball legends to gain a clearer perspective on how he stacks up.
Raw Difference:
Wilson carved out a 34.72 at-bat advantage over his league’s average, a stunning display of power that mirrors Kawakami’s 34.71 and edges out Creacy’s 33.15.
Improvement Factor:
With a 1.87 multiplier, Wilson was nearly twice as potent as the average hitter in his era—this aligns him closely with Kawakami (1.84) and Creacy (1.80), while nearing the brilliance of Kadota (1.97), Rodriguez (2.07), and Yamamoto (2.07).
Percentage Difference:
Wilson’s 46.45% improvement over his league’s 74.75 AB/HR is a testament to his elite slugging, slotting him perfectly between Creacy (44.54%) and Kawakami (45.58%) on one side, and Kadota (49.32%) on the other.
From 1923 to 1945 across the ECL, ANL, EWL, and NN2, Wilson’s bat thundered, delivering home runs with consistency cementing his legacy as a legendary slugger. Jud Wilson stands tall as a Negro League slugging sensation, his 34.72 Raw Difference, 1.87 Improvement Factor, and 46.45% Percentage Difference etching his name among baseball’s finest within his statistical orbit.
With a career 40.03 AB/HR (77 HRs, 3,082 ABs) against a league average of 74.75 AB/HR, Wilson slashed the at-bats needed per home run by nearly half, a feat that dazzles alongside Dewey Creacy (44.54%), Tetsuharu Kawakami (45.58%), and Hiromitsu Kadota (49.32%).
His 34.72 raw advantage rivals Kawakami’s 34.71, while his 1.87 improvement factor nears the brilliance of Kadota (1.97), Alex Rodriguez (2.07), and Koji Yamamoto (2.07), bridging eras and leagues with his power.
Pure aggression. Rugged. He reminded me of Paul O'Neill in terms of toughness; Chuck Klein and Pepper Martin in terms of durability. Very underrated. If he played today, massive gap hitter.