On Base Percentage : 1959 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)
 

1959 On Base Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Joe Cunningham .453 (.45307) St. Louis Cardinals 1
Hank Aaron .401 (.40115) Milwaukee Braves 2
Wally Moon .394 (.39428) Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Frank Robinson .391 (.39137) Cincinnati Reds 4
Eddie Mathews .390 (.39028) Milwaukee Braves 5
Jim Gilliam .387 (.38650) Los Angeles Dodgers 6
Ken Boyer .384 (.38389) St. Louis Cardinals 7
Willie Mays .381 (.38117) San Francisco Giants 8
Johnny Temple .380 (.37956) Cincinnati Reds 9
Ed Bouchee .375 (.37478) Philadelphia Phillies 10
Ernie Banks .374 (.37369) Chicago Cubs 11
Don Hoak .374 (.37364) Pittsburgh Pirates 12
Vada Pinson .371 (.37074) Cincinnati Reds 13
Johnny Logan .369 (.36891) Milwaukee Braves 14
Gil Hodges .367 (.36688) Los Angeles Dodgers 15
Don Blasingame .361 (.36111) St. Louis Cardinals 16
Richie Ashburn .360 (.35988) Philadelphia Phillies 17
Bob Skinner .357 (.35714) Pittsburgh Pirates 18
Orlando Cepeda .355 (.35549) San Francisco Giants 19
Bill White .344 (.34409) St. Louis Cardinals 20
Al Dark .342 (.34201) Chicago Cubs 21
Bill Bruton .338 (.33786) Milwaukee Braves 22
Charlie Neal .337 (.33735) Los Angeles Dodgers 23
Willie Kirkland .335 (.33464) San Francisco Giants 24
Daryl Spencer .332 (.33172) San Francisco Giants 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?

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.