Batting Average : 1956 National 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:

"Maybe I missed my routine and my game so much that I was trying to rationalize reasons for getting it back. I wanted those 162 games. I wanted all the suspense of the playoff and home run races. And I honestly didn't believe baseball would bend far enough to allow the possibility of games in November. I was wrong. And baseball was right." - Paul White in USA Today Baseball Weekly (September 14, 2001)
 

1956 Batting Average Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Hank Aaron .328 (.32841) Milwaukee Braves 1
Bill Virdon .319 (.31897) St. Louis Cardinals 2
Pittsburgh Pirates  
Roberto Clemente .311 (.31123) Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Stan Musial .310 (.30976) St. Louis Cardinals 4
Ken Boyer .306 (.30588) St. Louis Cardinals 5
Richie Ashburn .303 (.30255) Philadelphia Phillies 6
Red Schoendienst .302 (.30185) St. Louis Cardinals 7
New York Giants  
Ted Kluszewski .302 (.30174) Cincinnati Redlegs 8
Jim Gilliam .300 (.29966) Brooklyn Dodgers 9
Wally Moon .298 (.29815) St. Louis Cardinals 10
Ernie Banks .297 (.29740) Chicago Cubs 11
Willie Mays .296 (.29585) New York Giants 12
Gus Bell .292 (.29187) Cincinnati Redlegs 13
Duke Snider .292 (.29151) Brooklyn Dodgers 14
Joe Adcock .291 (.29075) Milwaukee Braves 15
Frank Robinson .290 (.29021) Cincinnati Redlegs 16
Carl Furillo .289 (.28872) Brooklyn Dodgers 17
Walt Moryn .285 (.28544) Chicago Cubs 18
Johnny Temple .285 (.28481) Cincinnati Redlegs 19
Frank Thomas .282 (.28231) Pittsburgh Pirates 20
Johnny Logan .281 (.28073) Milwaukee Braves 21
Willie Jones .277 (.27692) Philadelphia Phillies 22
Al Dark .275 (.27464) New York Giants 23
St. Louis Cardinals  
Lee Walls .274 (.27426) Pittsburgh Pirates 24
Dick Groat .273 (.27308) Pittsburgh Pirates 25



Did you know that more than forty players have worn the number twenty-five for the Boston Red Sox — including Jack Clark, Denny Galehouse, Dizzy Trout and Tony Conigliaro.

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

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.