Batting Average : 1985 American League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"Over 162 games, if my big guys are hitting and we get even halfway decent pitching, we'll beat their (our opponents) brains out." - Cincinnati Reds' Manager Sparky Anderson
 

1985 Batting Average Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Wade Boggs .368 (.36753) Boston Red Sox 1
George Brett .335 (.33455) Kansas City Royals 2
Don Mattingly .324 (.32362) New York Yankees 3
Rickey Henderson .314 (.31444) New York Yankees 4
Brett Butler .311 (.31134) Cleveland Indians 5
Harold Baines .309 (.30938) Chicago White Sox 6
Phil Bradley .300 (.29953) Seattle Mariners 7
Bill Buckner .299 (.29866) Boston Red Sox 8
Paul Molitor .297 (.29688) Milwaukee Brewers 9
Eddie Murray .297 (.29674) Baltimore Orioles 10
Rich Gedman .295 (.29518) Boston Red Sox 11
Cecil Cooper .293 (.29319) Milwaukee Brewers 12
Lee Lacy .293 (.29268) Baltimore Orioles 13
Jim Rice .291 (.29121) Boston Red Sox 14
Jesse Barfield .289 (.28942) Toronto Blue Jays 15
Tony Fernandez .289 (.28901) Toronto Blue Jays 16
Kirby Puckett .288 (.28799) Minnesota Twins 17
Julio Franco .288 (.28774) Cleveland Indians 18
Kirk Gibson .287 (.28744) Detroit Tigers 19
Alvin Davis .287 (.28720) Seattle Mariners 20
Mike Davis .287 (.28702) Oakland Athletics 21
Gary Ward .287 (.28668) Texas Rangers 22
Cal Ripken, Jr. .282 (.28193) Baltimore Orioles 23
Damaso Garcia .282 (.28167) Toronto Blue Jays 24
Rod Carew .280 (.27991) California Angels 25



Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.

Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.

The first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.