Winning Percentage : 1982 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)
 

1982 Winning Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Phil Niekro .810 (.80952) Atlanta Braves 1
Steve Rogers .704 (.70370) Montreal Expos 2
Manny Sarmiento .692 (.69231) Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Steve Carlton .676 (.67647) Philadelphia Phillies 4
Tim Lollar .640 (.64000) San Diego Padres 5
John Candelaria .632 (.63158) Pittsburgh Pirates 6
Bob Forsch .625 (.62500) St. Louis Cardinals 7
Jerry Reuss .621 (.62069) Los Angeles Dodgers 8
Don Sutton .619 (.61905) Houston Astros 9
Craig Swan .611 (.61111) New York Mets 10
Joaquin Andujar .600 (.60000) St. Louis Cardinals 11
Atlee Hammaker .600 (.60000) San Francisco Giants  
Fernando Valenzuela .594 (.59375) Los Angeles Dodgers 13
Bob Welch .593 (.59259) Los Angeles Dodgers 14
Joe Niekro .586 (.58621) Houston Astros 15
Nolan Ryan .571 (.57143) Houston Astros 16
Bob Walk .550 (.55000) Atlanta Braves 17
Charlie Lea .545 (.54545) Montreal Expos 18
Mike Krukow .542 (.54167) Philadelphia Phillies 19
Don Robinson .536 (.53571) Pittsburgh Pirates 20
Steve Mura .522 (.52174) St. Louis Cardinals 21
Bill Laskey .520 (.52000) San Francisco Giants 22
Mario Soto .519 (.51852) Cincinnati Reds 23
Charlie Puleo .500 (.50000) New York Mets 24
Dick Ruthven .500 (.50000) Philadelphia Phillies  



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?

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

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).