Bases on Balls : 1954 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:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)
 

1954 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Ted Williams 136 Boston Red Sox 1
Eddie Yost 131 Washington Senators 2
Mickey Mantle 102 New York Yankees 3
Al Smith 88 Cleveland Indians 4
Chico Carrasquel 85 Chicago White Sox 5
Larry Doby 85 Cleveland Indians  
Al Rosen 85 Cleveland Indians  
Roy Sievers 80 Washington Senators 8
Jackie Jensen 79 Boston Red Sox 9
Pete Runnels 78 Washington Senators 10
Minnie Minoso 77 Chicago White Sox 11
Cal Abrams 72 Baltimore Orioles 12
Ray Boone 71 Detroit Tigers 13
Jim Finigan 64 Philadelphia Athletics 14
Grady Hatton 63 Chicago White Sox 15
Boston Red Sox  
Gil McDougald 62 New York Yankees 16
Bill Tuttle 62 Detroit Tigers  
Mickey Vernon 61 Washington Senators 18
Spook Jacobs 60 Philadelphia Athletics 19
Bobby Avila 59 Cleveland Indians 20
Dave Philley 57 Cleveland Indians 21
Yogi Berra 56 New York Yankees 22
Chuck Diering 56 Baltimore Orioles  
Cass Michaels 56 Chicago White Sox  
George Strickland 55 Cleveland Indians 25



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).

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

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.