Mule Suttles
Suttles earned his nickname "Mule" for good reason — he kicked baseballs over fences with the kind of raw power that made fans gasp in the Negro Leagues era. His .339 career average paired with 188 home runs over two decades showcases a rare blend of contact and pop that few first basemen have matched.
That 1939 season at age 35 tells the story perfectly. While most sluggers decline, Suttles posted a 1.126 OPS and .367 average, proving his approach aged like fine wine. His 154 career OPS+ remained consistent throughout his prime, suggesting remarkable plate discipline behind all that thunder.
The Hall of Fame waited until 2006 to recognize what Negro League fans knew for decades — Suttles belonged among baseball's elite power hitters. Five All-Star selections barely scratch the surface of his dominance during an era when Black players were systematically excluded from organized baseball's biggest stage.
Career · Batting
22 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | BBB | 37 | 138 | 1 | 16 | .290 | — | — |
| 1924 | BBB | 81 | 282 | 3 | 50 | .312 | — | — |
| 1925 | BBB | 68 | 242 | 10 | 59 | .331 | — | — |
| 1926 | SLS | 89 | 358 | 32 | 130 | .425 | — | — |
| 1927 | SLS | 36 | 98 | 9 | 37 | .449 | — | — |
| 1928 | SLS | 76 | 301 | 21 | 75 | .359 | — | — |
| 1929 | SLS | 99 | 372 | 20 | 111 | .347 | — | — |
| 1930 | SLS | 60 | 213 | 17 | 80 | .404 | — | — |
| 1931 | SLS | 34 | 121 | 7 | 36 | .298 | — | — |
| 1932 | DW | 55 | 189 | 4 | 48 | .307 | — | — |
| 1933 | CAG | 41 | 157 | 7 | 34 | .248 | — | — |
| 1934 | CAG | 39 | 147 | 4 | 30 | .306 | — | — |
| 1935 | CAG | 43 | 142 | 9 | 37 | .282 | — | — |
| 1936 | NE | 28 | 99 | 12 | 36 | .404 | — | — |
| 1937 | NE | 30 | 107 | 7 | 32 | .318 | — | — |
| 1938 | NE | 27 | 86 | 6 | 22 | .291 | — | — |
| 1939 | NE | 39 | 139 | 9 | 37 | .367 | 1.126 | 154 |
| 1940 | NE | 39 | 134 | 5 | 32 | .276 | — | — |
| 1941 | NBY | 23 | 74 | 2 | 14 | .284 | — | — |
| 1942 | NE | 7 | 12 | 0 | 3 | .417 | — | — |
| 1943 | NE | 8 | 13 | 1 | 5 | .308 | — | — |
| 1944 | NE | 13 | 24 | 2 | 6 | .250 | — | — |
| Career | 972 | 3448 | 188 | 930 | .339 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.