This is an ongoing multi-part series on the new ATB Negro Leaguers that will be available in our next draft. See here for the other parts
Right fielder's in All Time Baseball, and by extension the major leagues, has historically played as the weakest hitting position among the three outfield spots. Weakest hitting in terms of OPS anyway, right fielders continue to hit home runs at the prolific rates. The additional Negro League’s candidates played much the same way.
Heavy Johnson was exactly what his name suggested. His 250+ pound frame allowed for great power but little agility, and while a liability in the field, Johnson slugged with the best of them. In his rookie season Johnson won the Triple Crown, batting .406 with 20 home runs and 120 RBI. A teammate claimed that the bulky outfielder was once sleeping on the bench when he was awoken and told to pinch-hit; he grabbed a fungo bat and hit a home run.
In the 500 resims Johnson recorded the second highest OPS among right fielders, behind only Babe Ruth. His 1922-1923 seasons resulted in a powerful line: .317 / .364 / .585, with 48 2B, 16 3B, and 31 home runs. With a Fr/145 defensive rating, Johnson should end up as a DH; only the most daring (read: reckless) owners will allow him to play the field for any length of time.
Among the total player pool (not just right filders) Johnson is unique. Others have greater power, still others have better on-base skills, but few combine both qualities into a single player. The great sluggers of ATB – Ruth, Bonds, Gehrig, Williams – each had on base averages 70, and sometimes over 100, points better than Johnson. On the other hand the great bashers of the game – McGwire, Stargell, Greenberg, Foxx, etc – recorded on base averages well below Johnson’s.
He is an obvious first rounder, but as a DH and a step below the ATB elite, it will be interesting to see where owners draft him.
The only other right fielder that might be worth a starting position is Mules Suttles. A Hall of Famer, Suttles was one of the best hitting Negro Leaguers of all time. At his best he hit for average, power, and had the ability to draw walks. From 1926 to 1931 he averaged an OPS over 1.000.
In the resims Suttles kept the power but little else. He batted .254 / .301 / .480 but with a Pr/65 defensive rating he will likely end up as another DH. He is almost identical to 1966 Dick Allen, hitting a bit more doubles while giving back a similar amount of home runs.
