Top 25 On Base Percentage in 1997 in the American League

On Base Percentage : 1997 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)

1997 On Base Percentage Leaders
Top 25 in the American League

Name On Base Percentage Team Rank

Frank Thomas .456 (.45609) Chicago White Sox 1

Edgar Martinez .456 (.45575) Seattle Mariners 2

Jim Thome .423 (.42265) Cleveland Indians 3

Mo Vaughn .420 (.42038) Boston Red Sox 4

David Justice .418 (.41753) Cleveland Indians 5

Manny Ramirez .415 (.41475) Cleveland Indians 6

Bernie Williams .408 (.40778) New York Yankees 7

Rusty Greer .405 (.40493) Texas Rangers 8

Paul O'Neill .399 (.39874) New York Yankees 9

Tim Salmon .394 (.39424) Anaheim Angels 10

Brady Anderson .393 (.39337) Baltimore Orioles 11

Tony Phillips .392 (.39191) Chicago White Sox 12

Anaheim Angels

Chuck Knoblauch .390 (.38966) Minnesota Twins 13

Chili Davis .386 (.38624) Kansas City Royals 14

Jay Buhner .383 (.38346) Seattle Mariners 15

Ken Griffey, Jr. .382 (.38210) Seattle Mariners 16

Jeromy Burnitz .382 (.38153) Milwaukee Brewers 17

Bobby Higginson .379 (.37881) Detroit Tigers 18

Tony Clark .376 (.37592) Detroit Tigers 19

Harold Baines .375 (.37451) Chicago White Sox 20

Baltimore Orioles

John Valentin .372 (.37170) Boston Red Sox 21

Tino Martinez .371 (.37080) New York Yankees 22

Derek Jeter .370 (.37027) New York Yankees 23

Julio Franco .369 (.36905) Cleveland Indians 24

Milwaukee Brewers

Geronimo Berroa .369 (.36883) Oakland Athletics 25

Baltimore Orioles

Name On Base Percentage Team Rank

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

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?

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).

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