Wild Bill Wright
Right Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Wild Bill Wright was a right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Nashville Elite Giants. In 374 career games, he hit .324 with 459 hits, 26 home runs, and 255 RBI. Wild Bill Wright was a 6-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 4,714.
- 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
- Right Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'4" / 220 lb
- Died
- 8/3/1996 in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México
- Awards
- 6× All-Star
Full name: Burnis Wright
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 374 | 1,418 | 251 | 459 | 79 | 42 | 26 | 255 | 43 | 102 | 7 | .324 | .375 | .494 | .868 | 4,714 |
Career AVG .324 vs. league average .272 across their career seasons — +18.8% above league average.
Career OBP .375 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +10.9% above league average.
Career SLG .494 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — +28.1% above league average.
Career OPS .868 vs. league average .723 across their career seasons — +20.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | NEG | NSL | 27 | 82 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 0 | .256 | .275 (-7%) | .335 (-2%) | .391 (-16%) | .726 (-9%) | -109.5 |
| 1933 | NEG | NN2 | 35 | 133 | 17 | 43 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .323 | .270 (+20%) | .329 (+4%) | .377 (+20%) | .707 (+12%) | 219.2 |
| 1934 | NEG | NN2 | 38 | 136 | 22 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .250 | .278 (-10%) | .340 (-9%) | .392 (-6%) | .733 (-7%) | -175.7 |
| 1935 | CEG | NN2 | 31 | 122 | 17 | 38 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 5 | 12 | 2 | .311 | .279 (+11%) | .342 (+10%) | .399 (+27%) | .742 (+19%) | 385.2 |
| 1936 | WEG | NN2 | 37 | 141 | 37 | 49 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 4 | 15 | 0 | .348 | .283 (+22%) | .349 (+18%) | .404 (+28%) | .753 (+24%) | 584.4 |
| 1937 | WEG | NN2 | 38 | 152 | 27 | 57 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 38 | 0 | 6 | 0 | .375 | .276 (+36%) | .342 (+16%) | .398 (+78%) | .740 (+50%) | 1163.6 |
| 1938 | BEG | NN2 | 33 | 130 | 22 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 31 | 5 | 10 | 1 | .300 | .272 (+10%) | .341 (+5%) | .392 (+23%) | .734 (+15%) | 308.4 |
| 1939 | BEG | NN2 | 27 | 105 | 23 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .362 | .274 (+32%) | .342 (+16%) | .393 (+24%) | .735 (+20%) | 339.4 |
| 1942 | BEG | NN2 | 53 | 200 | 27 | 62 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 35 | 5 | 22 | 4 | .310 | .253 (+22%) | .323 (+17%) | .349 (+26%) | .672 (+22%) | 701.6 |
| 1945 | BEG | NN2 | 55 | 217 | 46 | 78 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 40 | 6 | 14 | 0 | .359 | .260 (+38%) | .328 (+22%) | .354 (+53%) | .683 (+38%) | 1297.1 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 374 | 1,418 | 251 | 459 | 79 | 42 | 26 | 255 | 43 | 102 | 7 | .324 | — | — | — | — | 4,714 | ||
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
View full game log (267 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 130 | 461 | 103 | 185 | 19 | 66 | .401 |
| Away | 137 | 532 | 105 | 168 | 15 | 57 | .316 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-09 | BLG | NW2 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-08 | BLG | NY6 | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-04 | BLG | NY6 | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-03 | BLG | HOM | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-02 | BLG | NY6 | W | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-02 | BLG | NY6 | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-31 | BLG | NY5 | L | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-30 | BLG | NY5 | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-26 | BLG | PH5 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-26 | BLG | PH5 | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 377 | 363 | 595 | 28 | 28 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | NEG | OF | 29 | 20 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1933 | NEG | OF | 35 | 34 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1934 | NEG | OF | 40 | 38 | 72 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1935 | CEG | OF | 32 | 31 | 62 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1936 | WEG | OF | 37 | 37 | 59 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1937 | WEG | OF | 38 | 38 | 58 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1938 | BEG | OF | 33 | 33 | 49 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 1939 | BEG | OF | 27 | 27 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | BEG | OF | 52 | 52 | 81 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1945 | BEG | OF | 54 | 53 | 76 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 33 |
| Center Field | 112 |
| Right Field | 232 |
Wild Bill Wright: the record in brief
The season rows for Wild Bill Wright begin in 1932. By club, Wright's seasons break down as the Nashville Elite Giants (1932 through 1934), the Columbus Elite Giants (1935), the Washington Elite Giants (1936 to 1937), and the Baltimore Elite Giants (1938 through 1945). Wright played primarily as a right fielder and batted from both sides and threw right-handed. Born on June 6, 1914, in Milan, TN, USA, Wright was listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. Wright's death is recorded on August 3, 1996, in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México. The given name on file is Burnis Wright.
The batting record for Wright: 374 games, 459 hits in 1,418 at bats, and a .324 average, along with 26 home runs, 255 runs batted in, and 43 stolen bases. Wright got on base at a .375 rate and slugged .494 (.868 OPS). Measured against the leagues Wright played in, the .324 career average compares with a .272 league average over the same seasons, 18.8% above the league.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wild Bill Wright
- Was Wild Bill Wright a pitcher?
- No. Wild Bill Wright was a position player (Right Fielder).
- How many home runs did Wild Bill Wright hit?
- Wild Bill Wright hit 26 career home runs with 459 hits.
- What was Wild Bill Wright's career batting average?
- Wild Bill Wright batted .324 over his career, with 459 hits in 1,418 at bats.
- How many RBI did Wild Bill Wright have?
- Wild Bill Wright drove in 255 runs in his career.
- Is Wild Bill Wright in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Wild Bill Wright has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Wild Bill Wright play for?
- Wild Bill Wright played for the Nashville Elite Giants, the Columbus Elite Giants, the Washington Elite Giants, and the Baltimore Elite Giants.