Winning Percentage : 1981 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:

"The baseball season - six months & 2,106 games - is flat out long, and it's a rare one of those games that doesn't ramble or sputter or digress or somehow violate the rules of dramatic narrative. Baseball takes its own sweet time reaching its conclusions." - Dwight Allen in Reds, Yanks and O's (1989)
 

1981 Winning Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Tom Seaver .875 (.87500) Cincinnati Reds 1
Steve Carlton .765 (.76471) Philadelphia Phillies 2
Jerry Reuss .714 (.71429) Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Rick Rhoden .692 (.69231) Pittsburgh Pirates 4
Nolan Ryan .688 (.68750) Houston Astros 5
Bob Forsch .667 (.66667) St. Louis Cardinals 6
Fernando Valenzuela .650 (.65000) Los Angeles Dodgers 7
Burt Hooton .647 (.64706) Los Angeles Dodgers 8
Bob Knepper .643 (.64286) Houston Astros 9
Bob Welch .643 (.64286) Los Angeles Dodgers  
Dick Ruthven .632 (.63158) Philadelphia Phillies 11
John Martin .615 (.61538) St. Louis Cardinals 12
Doyle Alexander .611 (.61111) San Francisco Giants 13
Bruce Berenyi .600 (.60000) Cincinnati Reds 14
Steve Rogers .600 (.60000) Montreal Expos  
Al Holland .583 (.58333) San Francisco Giants 16
Vida Blue .571 (.57143) San Francisco Giants 17
Rick Mahler .571 (.57143) Atlanta Braves  
Eddie Solomon .571 (.57143) Pittsburgh Pirates  
Mario Soto .571 (.57143) Cincinnati Reds  
Ray Burris .563 (.56250) Montreal Expos 21
Scott Sanderson .563 (.56250) Montreal Expos  
Don Sutton .550 (.55000) Houston Astros 23
Juan Eichelberger .500 (.50000) San Diego Padres 24
Tom Griffin .500 (.50000) San Francisco Giants  



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.

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