Batting Average : 1961 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:

"What people don't understand is, one day off for Cal Ripken would not recharge his batteries. One day would not do it. He's not playing 2,130 games in a row. Cal is ONLY playing 162 games a year." - Frank Robinson in The Sporting News (September 11, 1995)
 

1961 Batting Average Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Roberto Clemente .351 (.35140) Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Vada Pinson .343 (.34267) Cincinnati Reds 2
Ken Boyer .329 (.32937) St. Louis Cardinals 3
Wally Moon .328 (.32829) Los Angeles Dodgers 4
Hank Aaron .327 (.32670) Milwaukee Braves 5
Frank Robinson .323 (.32294) Cincinnati Reds 6
Orlando Cepeda .311 (.31111) San Francisco Giants 7
Willie Mays .308 (.30769) San Francisco Giants 8
Eddie Mathews .306 (.30594) Milwaukee Braves 9
George Altman .303 (.30309) Chicago Cubs 10
Dick Stuart .301 (.30075) Pittsburgh Pirates 11
Don Hoak .298 (.29821) Pittsburgh Pirates 12
Gordy Coleman .287 (.28654) Cincinnati Reds 13
Bill White .286 (.28596) St. Louis Cardinals 14
Joe Adcock .285 (.28470) Milwaukee Braves 15
Ron Santo .284 (.28374) Chicago Cubs 16
Maury Wills .282 (.28222) Los Angeles Dodgers 17
Frank Thomas .281 (.28118) Chicago Cubs 18
Milwaukee Braves  
Tommy Davis .278 (.27826) Los Angeles Dodgers 19
Ernie Banks .278 (.27789) Chicago Cubs 20
Billy Williams .278 (.27788) Chicago Cubs 21
Jim Davenport .278 (.27752) San Francisco Giants 22
Gene Freese .277 (.27652) Cincinnati Reds 23
Dick Groat .275 (.27517) Pittsburgh Pirates 24
Eddie Kasko .271 (.27079) Cincinnati Reds 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 first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).