GGOATRANK
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Baseball · First baseman · United States

Buck Leonard

1933–1950 · The Black Lou Gehrig, powering the Homestead Grays to nine straight pennants.

Retired
Ranking model

100% titles, statistics, dominance, longevity and global competition depth.

Pure sporting data
89.7
Cultural & brand footprint 50/100 · total legacy 77.8
Negro League pennants
9
Negro World Series titles
2
Career batting average
0.3
All-Star selections
12
Seasons played
18

Category profile

Dominance
88
Peak
94
Longevity
88
Honours
86
Statistics
94

Career timeline · Home runs per season

SeasonHome runs per seasonShare of career
19340.324
19350.35
19360.371
19370.343
19380.38
19390.357
19400.36
19410.348
19420.33
19430.325
19440.31
19450.3
19460.29

Data sources

  • MLB.com
  • Baseball Reference
  • National Baseball Hall of Fame

Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method

Why Buck Leonard ranks #36 in Baseball

Buck Leonard ranks 36th among Baseball athletes on GOAT Rank and 1074th of 2289 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 89.7 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 88, Peak 94, Longevity 88, Honours 86, Statistics 94. Those categories are normalised against the full Baseball reference universe of 262 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.

The record covers 1933–1950 with 13 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 1938, which sets the Peak component at 94. Peak is the defining strength of the profile at 94 out of 100, and it carries 20% of the final score. The underlying career record includes negro league pennants 9, negro world series titles 2, career batting average 0.343, all-star selections 12.

Immediately ahead sits Tom Glavine on 89.6, a gap of -0.1 points. Directly behind is Willie McCovey on 89.6. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.

Buck Leonard GOAT Score explained

Dominance88/100 · weight 25%
Measures how far Leonard stood above the field while competing. Scored 88/100 against the full Baseball cohort.
Peak94/100 · weight 20%
Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 1938. Scored 94/100.
Longevity88/100 · weight 20%
Rewards staying at that level over time: 17 years of competition and 13 recorded seasons. Scored 88/100.
Honours86/100 · weight 20%
Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 86/100.
Statistics94/100 · weight 15%
Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 94/100.

Buck Leonard — frequently asked

Is Buck Leonard the GOAT?
Not on the current data. Buck Leonard ranks 36th in Baseball with a GOAT Score of 89.7, behind Babe Ruth on 94.6.
What is Buck Leonard's GOAT Score?
89.7 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 88 (25%), Peak 94 (20%), Longevity 88 (20%), Honours 86 (20%), Statistics 94 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
Where does Buck Leonard rank all time?
1074th of 2289 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 36th within Baseball.
Buck Leonard vs Tom Glavine: who ranks higher?
Buck Leonard, on 89.7 against Tom Glavine's 89.6 — a margin of 0.1 points.
Compare with Ruth