Saul Davis
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Saul Davis was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for 6 teams, including the Birmingham Black Barons. In 288 career games, he hit .240 with 241 hits, 8 home runs, and 100 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 176 lb
- Died
- 2/8/1994 in Minot, ND, USA
Full name: Saul Henry Davis
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 288 | 1,006 | 118 | 241 | 36 | 9 | 8 | 100 | 34 | 39 | 1 | .240 | .270 | .317 | .587 | -3,172 |
Career AVG .240 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 15.4% below league average.
Career OBP .270 vs. league average .345 across their career seasons — 21.7% below league average.
Career SLG .317 vs. league average .402 across their career seasons — 21.1% below league average.
Career OPS .587 vs. league average .747 across their career seasons — 21.4% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | BBB | NNL | 41 | 116 | 14 | 38 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 0 | .328 | .288 (+14%) | .349 (+2%) | .407 (+4%) | .756 (+3%) | 50.2 |
| 1927 | MRS | NNL | 87 | 320 | 31 | 68 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 25 | 12 | 7 | 0 | .212 | .282 (-25%) | .344 (-33%) | .392 (-24%) | .736 (-28%) | -1540.0 |
| 1928 | MRS | NNL | 11 | 38 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .184 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1928 | CTG | NNL | 42 | 163 | 24 | 47 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 0 | .288 | .280 (+3%) | .342 (-8%) | .395 (-2%) | .737 (-5%) | 0.0 |
| 1929 | CAG | NNL | 47 | 159 | 23 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 1 | .208 | .289 (-28%) | .353 (-29%) | .415 (-35%) | .769 (-32%) | -881.9 |
| 1930 | CAG | NNL | 23 | 66 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 0 | .197 | .293 (-33%) | .354 (-17%) | .429 (-44%) | .784 (-32%) | -343.6 |
| 1930 | MRS | NNL | 3 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .154 | — | — | — | — | -343.6 |
| 1931 | DS | NNL | 25 | 95 | 6 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .242 | .276 (-12%) | .338 (-19%) | .388 (-16%) | .726 (-18%) | -286.8 |
| 1932 | BBB | NSL | 4 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1934 | CRS | NN2 | 5 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .273 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 288 | 1,006 | 118 | 241 | 36 | 9 | 8 | 100 | 34 | 39 | 1 | .240 | — | — | — | — | -3,346 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | BBB | NNL | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31.2 | 38 | 21 | 18 | 6 | 5.97 | 4.55 (-31%) | -448.1 |
| 1927 | MRS | NNL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31.2 | 38 | 21 | 20 | 6 | 5.97 | — | -448 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Last 3 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-06-29 | CAG | KCM | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-08-14 | MEM | CAG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-08-29 | BIR | MEM | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 83 | 80 | 153 | 256 | 27 | 13 |
| 3B | 19 | 17 | 18 | 28 | 7 | 4 |
| OF | 49 | 34 | 61 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| P | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 131 | 106 | 226 | 307 | 68 | 33 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | BBB | 1B | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BBB | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BBB | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BBB | OF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BBB | P | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | BBB | SS | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | MRS | 3B | 8 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 1 |
| 1927 | MRS | OF | 40 | 34 | 61 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 1927 | MRS | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | MRS | SS | 43 | 42 | 64 | 115 | 39 | 11 |
| 1928 | MRS | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | MRS | SS | 10 | 9 | 18 | 21 | 7 | 3 |
| 1928 | CTG | 2B | 21 | 21 | 54 | 76 | 8 | 5 |
| 1928 | CTG | 3B | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1928 | CTG | SS | 21 | 19 | 61 | 68 | 9 | 4 |
| 1929 | CAG | 2B | 43 | 43 | 70 | 135 | 13 | 8 |
| 1929 | CAG | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929 | CAG | SS | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | CAG | 2B | 6 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 3 | 0 |
| 1930 | CAG | 3B | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| 1930 | CAG | SS | 8 | 7 | 16 | 26 | 3 | 5 |
| 1930 | MRS | 2B | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1930 | MRS | SS | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1931 | DS | SS | 25 | 25 | 59 | 65 | 10 | 10 |
| 1932 | BBB | 2B | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1934 | CRS | 2B | 5 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 8 |
| First Base | 7 |
| Second Base | 83 |
| Third Base | 19 |
| Shortstop | 131 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 43 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Saul Davis: the record in brief
The season rows for Saul Davis begin in 1925. By club, Davis's seasons break down as the Birmingham Black Barons (1925 through 1932), the Memphis Red Sox (1927 through 1930), the Cleveland Tigers (1928), the Chicago American Giants (1929 through 1930), the Detroit Stars (1931), and the Cleveland Red Sox (1934). Davis played primarily as a shortstop and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on February 22, 1901, in Monticello, AR, USA, Davis was listed at 176 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The bio records the death on February 8, 1994, in Minot, ND, USA. The given name on file is Saul Henry Davis.
Davis finished with 241 hits from 1,006 at bats in 288 games, which works out to .240, adding 8 home runs, 100 RBI, and 34 stolen bases. Davis got on base at a .270 rate and slugged .317 (.587 OPS). Davis's .240 average ran 15.4% below the .283 that the league posted over the same seasons. Davis collected a career-high 68 hits in 1927.
Frequently Asked Questions about Saul Davis
- Was Saul Davis a pitcher?
- No. Saul Davis was a position player (Shortstop), though he did pitch in 8 career games.
- How many home runs did Saul Davis hit?
- Saul Davis hit 8 career home runs with 241 hits.
- What was Saul Davis's career batting average?
- Saul Davis batted .240 over his career, with 241 hits in 1,006 at bats.
- How many RBI did Saul Davis have?
- Saul Davis drove in 100 runs in his career.
- What was Saul Davis's career ERA?
- Saul Davis finished with a 5.97 career ERA, going 0-3 with 6 strikeouts.
- Is Saul Davis in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Saul Davis has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.