Winning Percentage : 1961 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)
 

1961 Winning Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Whitey Ford .862 (.86207) New York Yankees 1
Ralph Terry .842 (.84211) New York Yankees 2
Barry Latman .722 (.72222) Cleveland Indians 3
Frank Lary .719 (.71875) Detroit Tigers 4
Rollie Sheldon .688 (.68750) New York Yankees 5
Don Mossi .682 (.68182) Detroit Tigers 6
Don Schwall .682 (.68182) Boston Red Sox  
Juan Pizarro .667 (.66667) Chicago White Sox 8
Hal Brown .625 (.62500) Baltimore Orioles 9
Chuck Estrada .625 (.62500) Baltimore Orioles  
Mudcat Grant .625 (.62500) Cleveland Indians  
Bill Stafford .609 (.60870) New York Yankees 12
Jim Bunning .607 (.60714) Detroit Tigers 13
Steve Barber .600 (.60000) Baltimore Orioles 14
Milt Pappas .591 (.59091) Baltimore Orioles 15
Jack Kralick .542 (.54167) Minnesota Twins 16
Billy Pierce .526 (.52632) Chicago White Sox 17
Paul Foytack .524 (.52381) Detroit Tigers 18
Bennie Daniels .522 (.52174) Washington Senators 19
Norm Bass .500 (.50000) Kansas City Athletics 20
Dick Donovan .500 (.50000) Washington Senators  
Ray Herbert .500 (.50000) Kansas City Athletics  
Chicago White Sox  
Bill Monbouquette .500 (.50000) Boston Red Sox  
Camilo Pascual .484 (.48387) Minnesota Twins 24
Ron Kline .471 (.47059) Los Angeles Angels 25
Detroit Tigers  



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

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.

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.