1896 Batting Average Leaders Top 25 in the National League
Name	Batting Average	Team	Rank
Jesse Burkett	.410 (.40956)	Cleveland Spiders	1
Hughie Jennings	.401 (.40115)	Baltimore Orioles	2
Ed Delahanty	.397 (.39679)	Philadelphia Phillies	3
Willie Keeler	.386 (.38603)	Baltimore Orioles	4
Mike Tiernan	.369 (.36852)	New York Giants	5
Billy Hamilton	.365 (.36520)	Boston Beaneaters	6
Joe Kelley	.364 (.36416)	Baltimore Orioles	7
Elmer Smith	.362 (.36157)	Pittsburgh Pirates	8
Jake Stenzel	.361 (.36117)	Pittsburgh Pirates	9
Cupid Childs	.355 (.35542)	Cleveland Spiders	10
Fielder Jones	.354 (.35443)	Brooklyn Bridegrooms	11
Bill Dahlen	.352 (.35232)	Chicago Colts	12
Tom McCreery	.351 (.35147)	Louisville Colonels	13
George Van Haltren	.351 (.35053)	New York Giants	14
Gene DeMontreville	.343 (.34334)	Washington Senators	15
Herman Long	.343 (.34331)	Boston Beaneaters	16
Eddie Burke	.340 (.33973)	Cincinnati Reds	17
Jack Doyle	.339 (.33881)	Baltimore Orioles	18
Ed McKean	.338 (.33800)	Cleveland Spiders	19
Fred Tenney	.336 (.33621)	Boston Beaneaters	20
Bill Joyce	.333 (.33263)	Washington Senators	21
		New York Giants
Cap Anson	.331 (.33085)	Chicago Colts	22
Jim Donnelly	.328 (.32828)	Baltimore Orioles	23
Bill Lange	.326 (.32623)	Chicago Colts	24
Fred Clarke	.325 (.32495)	Louisville Colonels	25
Name	Batting Average	Team	Rank

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