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North Carolina’s Best Baseball Players

For a lot of people where we are from is a point of pride. When we meet someone who hales from the same place as us there is often a sense of comradery. Below is a list of the best players born in the state of North Carolina.


  1. Gaylord Perry – Williamston, NC
  2. Gaylord Perry
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    93.2 85 777 690 314 265 3.11 5350.1 303 53 11 2128 1846 1379 3534 16.1% 1.18

  3. Luke Appling – High Point, NC
    • Age: 23 – 36, 38 – 43
    • Years: 1930 – 1943, 1945 – 1950
    • Pos: SS
    • Team(s): Chicago White Sox

    Luke Appling
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    74.4 115 2422 10243 8856 1319 2749 440 102 45 1116 179 108 1302 528 .310 .399 .398 .798

  4. Wes Ferrell – Greensboro, NC
  5. Wes Ferrell
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    49.0 87 374 323 193 128 4.04 2623 227 17 13 1382 1177 1040 985 8.5% 1.48

  6. Enos Slaughter – Roxboro, NC
  7. Enos Slaughter
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    55.5 126 2380 9084 7946 1247 2383 413 148 169 1304 71 15 1018 538 .300 .382 .453 .834

  8. Ryan Zimmerman – Washington, NC
  9. Ryan Zimmerman
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    37.8 116 1689 7129 6399 936 1784 401 22 270 1015 43 16 630 1307 .279 .343 .475 .818

  10. Mark Grace – Winston-Salem, NC
  11. Mark Grace
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    46.2 120 2245 9290 8065 1179 2445 511 45 173 1146 70 48 1075 642 .303 .383 .442 .825

  12. Catfish Hunter – Hertford, NC
  13. Catfish Hunter
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    36.4 94 500 476 224 166 3.26 3449.1 181 42 1 1380 1248 954 2012 14.3% 1.13

  14. Josh Hamilton – Raleigh, NC
  15. Josh Hamilton
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    28.3 127 1027 4350 3909 609 1134 234 24 200 701 50 16 352 938 .290 .349 .516 .865

  16. Jim Ray Hart – Hookerton, NC
  17. Jim Ray Hart
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    25.0 129 1125 4236 3783 518 1052 148 29 170 578 17 17 380 573 .278 .345 .467 .813

  18. Kyle Seager – Charlotte, NC
  19. Kyle Seager
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    30.5 112 1261 5286 4755 597 1218 268 13 198 666 47 26 442 926 .256 .324 .443 .767

  20. Jim Perry – Williamston, NC
  21. Jim Perry
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    38.6 94 630 447 215 174 3.45 3285.2 109 32 10 1407 1258 998 1575 11.5% 1.26

  22. Madison Bumgarner – Hickory, NC
  23. Madison Bumgarner
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    32.4 83 289 286 119 92 3.13 1846 15 6 0 703 642 428 1794 23.9% 1.11

  24. Brian Roberts – Durham, NC
  25. Brian Roberts
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    30.4 101 1418 6253 5531 850 1527 367 39 97 542 285 73 609 844 .276 .347 .409 .756

  26. Max Lanier – Denton, NC
  27. Max Lanier
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    30.3 79 327 204 108 82 3.01 1619.1 91 21 17 630 541 611 821 12.1% 1.30

  28. Kevin Millwood – Gastonia, NC
  29. Kevin Millwood
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    30.8 94 451 443 169 152 4.11 2720.1 22 6 0 1357 1243 843 2083 17.9% 1.33

  30. Smoky Burgess – Caroleen, NC
  31. Smoky Burgess
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    33.4 115 1691 5013 4471 485 1318 230 33 126 673 13 14 477 270 .295 .362 .446 .807

  32. Ray Durham – Charlotte, NC
  33. Ray Durham
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    33.8 105 1975 8423 7408 1249 2054 440 79 192 875 273 97 820 1201 .277 .352 .436 .788

  34. Corey Seager – Charlotte, NC
  35. Corey Seager
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    17.8 128 489 2069 1854 302 545 130 8 73 266 10 5 190 398 .294 .362 .491 .853

  36. Alvin Crowder – Winston-Salem, NC
  37. Alvin Crowder
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    29.1 95 402 292 167 115 4.12 2344.1 150 16 22 1204 1072 800 799 7.9% 1.39

  38. Johnny Allen – Lenoir, NC
  39. Johnny Allen
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    27.9 89 352 241 142 75 3.75 1950.1 109 17 18 924 813 738 1070 12.9% 1.33

  40. Trot Nixon – Durham, NC
  41. Trot Nixon
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    21.3 115 1092 4224 3627 579 995 222 28 137 555 30 13 504 689 .274 .364 .464 .828

  42. Brandon Phillips – Raleigh, NC
  43. Brandon Phillips
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    31.1 95 1902 7992 7378 1005 2029 368 35 211 951 209 84 420 1092 .275 .320 .420 .740

  44. Hoyt Wilhelm – Huntersville, NC
  45. Hoyt Wilhelm
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    49.9 68 1070 52 143 122 2.52 2254.1 20 5 227 773 632 778 1610 17.6% 1.12

  46. Buddy Lewis – Gaston County, NC
    • Age: 18 – 24, 28 – 30, 32
    • Years: 1935 – 1941, 1945 – 1947, 1949
    • Pos: 3B, OF
    • Team(s): Washington Senators

    Buddy Lewis
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    26.7 110 1349 5937 5261 830 1563 249 93 71 607 83 59 573 303 .297 .368 .420 .789

  47. Tom Zachary – Graham, NC
  48. Tom Zachary
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    37.6 95 533 409 186 191 3.73 3126.1 186 24 22 1552 1295 914 720 5.3% 1.44

  49. Lee Meadows – Oxford, NC
  50. Lee Meadows
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    31.3 96 490 406 188 180 3.37 3160.2 219 25 7 1491 1185 956 1063 7.8% 1.34

  51. Mike Caldwell – Tarboro, NC
  52. Mike Caldwell
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    18.9 101 475 307 137 130 3.81 2409 98 23 18 1183 1021 597 939 9.3% 1.32

  53. George Suggs – Kinston, NC
  54. George Suggs
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    20.2 97 245 185 99 91 3.11 1652 115 16 17 720 571 355 588 1.26

  55. Billy Goodman – Concord, NC
  56. Billy Goodman
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    27 101 1623 6446 5644 807 1691 299 44 19 591 37 30 669 329 .300 .376 .378 .754

  57. Jimmie Hall – Mount Holly, NC
  58. Jimmie Hall
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    13.7 111 963 3169 2848 387 724 100 24 121 391 38 18 287 529 .254 .321 .434 .755

  59. Vic Sorrell – Morrisville, NC
  60. Vic Sorrell
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    20.3 99 280 216 92 101 4.43 1671.2 95 8 10 949 823 706 619 8.4% 1.51

  61. Rick Ferrell – Durham, NC
  62. Rick Ferrell
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    33.7 98 1884 7072 6028 687 1692 324 45 28 734 29 35 931 277 .281 .378 .363 .741

  63. Whitey Lockman – Lowell, NC
  64. Whitey Lockman
    WAR wRC+ G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
    18.1 96 1666 6590 5940 836 1658 222 49 114 563 43 27 552 383 .279 .342 .391 .732

  65. Jim Bibby – Franklinton, NC
  66. Jim Bibby
    WAR ERA- G GS W L ERA IP CG ShO SV R ER BB SO K% WHIP
    18.6 101 340 239 111 101 3.75 1722.2 56 19 8 800 718 723 1079 14.8% 1.33

1 Comment »

  1. You missed one of my favorites, Johnny “Tobacco Chewing Johnny” Lanning, from Asheville!!
    He had a good solid career, interrupted by WW2.

    Like

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