On Base Percentage : 1954 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:

"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 On Base Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Richie Ashburn .441 (.44122) Philadelphia Phillies 1
Stan Musial .428 (.42837) St. Louis Cardinals 2
Duke Snider .423 (.42330) Brooklyn Dodgers 3
Eddie Mathews .423 (.42308) Milwaukee Braves 4
Willie Mays .411 (.41094) New York Giants 5
Ted Kluszewski .407 (.40668) Cincinnati Redlegs 6
Pee Wee Reese .404 (.40429) Brooklyn Dodgers 7
Hank Thompson .389 (.38869) New York Giants 8
Johnny Temple .384 (.38421) Cincinnati Redlegs 9
Hank Sauer .375 (.37479) Chicago Cubs 10
Gil Hodges .373 (.37296) Brooklyn Dodgers 11
Ralph Kiner .371 (.37147) Chicago Cubs 12
Wally Moon .371 (.37115) St. Louis Cardinals 13
Red Schoendienst .366 (.36647) St. Louis Cardinals 14
Joe Adcock .365 (.36479) Milwaukee Braves 15
Earl Torgeson .364 (.36427) Philadelphia Phillies 16
Monte Irvin .363 (.36346) New York Giants 17
Don Mueller .363 (.36252) New York Giants 18
Jim Gilliam .361 (.36087) Brooklyn Dodgers 19
Frank Thomas .359 (.35901) Pittsburgh Pirates 20
Bobby Morgan .357 (.35728) Philadelphia Phillies 21
Carl Furillo .356 (.35596) Brooklyn Dodgers 22
Granny Hamner .351 (.35106) Philadelphia Phillies 23
Gus Bell .349 (.34904) Cincinnati Redlegs 24
Ray Jablonski .345 (.34473) St. Louis Cardinals 25



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?

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.