Buck Leonard
First Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (Final season: 1948)
Buck Leonard was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Homestead Grays. In 641 career games, he hit .343 with 790 hits, 100 home runs, and 578 RBI. Buck Leonard was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 and was a 11-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 19,107.
- 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
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 185 lb
- Died
- 11/27/1997 in Rocky Mount, NC, USA
- Last Game
- 1948-09-29
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1972 (Negro League)
- Awards
- 11× All-Star
Full name: Walter Fenner Leonard
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 641 | 2,300 | 567 | 790 | 153 | 52 | 100 | 578 | 32 | 419 | 14 | .343 | .449 | .586 | 1.034 | 19,107 |
Career AVG .343 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — +28.5% above league average.
Career OBP .449 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +33.6% above league average.
Career SLG .586 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — +55.1% above league average.
Career OPS 1.034 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — +45.0% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | HG | IND | 20 | 78 | 12 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 0 | .333 | .278 (+20%) | .340 (+12%) | .392 (+24%) | .733 (+18%) | 240.5 |
| 1935 | HG | NN2 | 40 | 157 | 30 | 61 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 17 | 3 | .389 | .279 (+39%) | .342 (+32%) | .399 (+55%) | .742 (+44%) | 1209.8 |
| 1936 | HG | NN2 | 35 | 124 | 35 | 43 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 34 | 2 | 29 | 0 | .347 | .283 (+22%) | .349 (+35%) | .404 (+44%) | .753 (+39%) | 972.3 |
| 1937 | HG | NN2 | 42 | 170 | 54 | 64 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 55 | 2 | 25 | 1 | .376 | .276 (+36%) | .342 (+35%) | .398 (+83%) | .740 (+61%) | 1837.6 |
| 1938 | HG | NN2 | 43 | 153 | 42 | 64 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 53 | 1 | 25 | 0 | .418 | .272 (+53%) | .341 (+46%) | .392 (+88%) | .734 (+69%) | 1872.1 |
| 1939 | HG | NN2 | 32 | 118 | 35 | 44 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 48 | 2 | 19 | 1 | .373 | .274 (+36%) | .342 (+33%) | .393 (+94%) | .735 (+66%) | 1329.2 |
| 1940 | HG | NN2 | 54 | 185 | 49 | 70 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 42 | 1 | 39 | 3 | .378 | .267 (+42%) | .335 (+46%) | .387 (+65%) | .722 (+56%) | 1991.8 |
| 1941 | HG | NN2 | 57 | 196 | 60 | 68 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 50 | 5 | 40 | 2 | .347 | .262 (+32%) | .332 (+39%) | .373 (+82%) | .705 (+62%) | 2183.6 |
| 1942 | HG | NN2 | 38 | 125 | 19 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 24 | 0 | .216 | .253 (-15%) | .323 (+6%) | .349 (-20%) | .672 (-8%) | -71.1 |
| 1943 | HG | NN2 | 68 | 255 | 71 | 84 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 61 | 2 | 49 | 1 | .329 | .255 (+29%) | .324 (+36%) | .346 (+47%) | .671 (+42%) | 1976.8 |
| 1944 | HG | NN2 | 50 | 184 | 49 | 63 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 40 | 1 | 31 | 0 | .342 | .261 (+31%) | .325 (+37%) | .357 (+73%) | .683 (+56%) | 1779.7 |
| 1945 | HG | NN2 | 40 | 155 | 31 | 53 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 34 | 0 | 22 | 3 | .342 | .260 (+31%) | .328 (+31%) | .354 (+45%) | .683 (+38%) | 1030.5 |
| 1946 | HG | NN2 | 50 | 169 | 37 | 56 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 45 | 3 | 39 | 0 | .331 | .256 (+29%) | .328 (+40%) | .358 (+50%) | .687 (+45%) | 1447.4 |
| 1947 | HG | NN2 | 35 | 109 | 20 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 4 | 28 | 0 | .303 | .262 (+15%) | .336 (+33%) | .376 (+41%) | .712 (+38%) | 812.3 |
| 1948 | HG | NN2 | 37 | 122 | 23 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 26 | 0 | .279 | .263 (+6%) | .340 (+22%) | .379 (+17%) | .719 (+19%) | 494.1 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 641 | 2,300 | 567 | 790 | 153 | 52 | 100 | 578 | 32 | 419 | 14 | .343 | — | — | — | — | 19,107 | ||
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.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 119 | 22 | 39 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 25 | 2 | .328 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | NLC | HG | 4 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .357 |
| 1948 | NWS | HG | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| 1945 | NWS | HG | 4 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .200 |
| 1944 | NWS | HG | 5 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | .500 |
| 1943 | NWS | HG | 7 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .296 |
| 1942 | NWS | HG | 4 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .250 |
| 1941 | NLC | HG | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .500 |
| 1939 | NLC | HG | 5 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .462 |
| 1939 | NLP2 | HG | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .429 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (522 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 282 | 856 | 247 | 333 | 54 | 170 | .389 |
| Away | 240 | 839 | 209 | 309 | 54 | 138 | .368 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-09-08 | HOM | NW2 | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-09-06 | HOM | BLG | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-08-31 | HOM | PH5 | W | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-30 | HOM | PH5 | W | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-27 | HOM | PH5 | W | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1948-08-23 | HOM | PH5 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-08-13 | HOM | BLG | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-12 | HOM | NY6 | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1948-08-11 | HOM | NW2 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-08-10 | HOM | NW2 | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 639 | 637 | 6361 | 285 | 81 | 354 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | HG | 1B | 20 | 20 | 188 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| 1935 | HG | 1B | 40 | 40 | 379 | 15 | 6 | 28 |
| 1936 | HG | 1B | 35 | 35 | 347 | 18 | 4 | 26 |
| 1937 | HG | 1B | 42 | 42 | 444 | 27 | 6 | 21 |
| 1938 | HG | 1B | 43 | 43 | 451 | 13 | 4 | 22 |
| 1939 | HG | 1B | 32 | 32 | 324 | 12 | 2 | 19 |
| 1940 | HG | 1B | 54 | 54 | 568 | 21 | 5 | 31 |
| 1941 | HG | 1B | 57 | 57 | 590 | 28 | 6 | 32 |
| 1942 | HG | 1B | 38 | 38 | 330 | 17 | 4 | 12 |
| 1943 | HG | 1B | 68 | 68 | 645 | 32 | 12 | 43 |
| 1944 | HG | 1B | 50 | 50 | 542 | 30 | 3 | 31 |
| 1945 | HG | 1B | 40 | 40 | 422 | 17 | 4 | 24 |
| 1946 | HG | 1B | 50 | 50 | 487 | 20 | 8 | 30 |
| 1947 | HG | 1B | 33 | 33 | 295 | 12 | 2 | 9 |
| 1948 | HG | 1B | 37 | 35 | 349 | 16 | 9 | 18 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 639 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Compare Buck Leonard
Buck Leonard: the record in brief
The season rows for Buck Leonard begin in 1934. Leonard's only club in the season tables is the Homestead Grays. Listed as a first baseman, Leonard batted and threw left-handed. The recorded size is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. The birth record reads September 8, 1907, in Rocky Mount, NC, USA. Leonard's death is recorded on November 27, 1997, in Rocky Mount, NC, USA. Leonard's full given name, per the bio, is Walter Fenner Leonard.
In 641 games and 2,300 at bats, Leonard batted .343 with 790 hits; the totals also include 100 homers, 578 runs batted in, and 32 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .449 and .586 give Leonard a career OPS of 1.034. Measured against the leagues Leonard played in, the .343 career average compares with a .267 league average over the same seasons, 28.5% above the league. The single-season home run high is 13, set in 1937. No season topped the 84 hits of 1943. 1943 brought the most runs batted in, 61.
Frequently Asked Questions about Buck Leonard
- Was Buck Leonard a pitcher?
- No. Buck Leonard was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Buck Leonard hit?
- Buck Leonard hit 100 career home runs with 790 hits.
- Is Buck Leonard in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Buck Leonard was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
- What was Buck Leonard's career batting average?
- Buck Leonard batted .343 over his career, with 790 hits in 2,300 at bats.
- How many RBI did Buck Leonard have?
- Buck Leonard drove in 578 runs in his career.
- What teams did Buck Leonard play for?
- Buck Leonard played for the Homestead Grays.