John W. Patterson (March 2, 1872 – August 23, 1940) was an American baseball outfielder in the Negro leagues.

Patterson debuted with the Lincoln, Nebraska Giants of 1890, a black team, and played for the Plattsmouth club in the Nebraska State League during the 1892 season, before the baseball color line was sharply drawn.

Fellow 1904 teammate Jimmy Smith called Patterson "one of the brainiest and shrewdest leaders of any team of color.

After his baseball career, John W. Patterson became the first African-American police officer in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1909.

He served as an officer for over 30 years, and was a friend of heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson.