Earned Run Average : 1898 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 guys who made up this schedule must have been in a room with a bottle of Wild Turkey and 40 straws." - Dave Bergman
 

1898 Earned Run Average Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Clark Griffith 1.88 (1.8792) Chicago Orphans 1
Al Maul 2.10 (2.1029) Baltimore Orioles 2
Kid Nichols 2.13 (2.1340) Boston Beaneaters 3
Doc McJames 2.36 (2.3583) Baltimore Orioles 4
Nixey Callahan 2.46 (2.4605) Chicago Orphans 5
Cy Young 2.53 (2.5260) Cleveland Spiders 6
Vic Willis 2.84 (2.8360) Boston Beaneaters 7
Ted Lewis 2.90 (2.9011) Boston Beaneaters 8
Jesse Tannehill 2.95 (2.9480) Pittsburgh Pirates 9
Jack Powell 3.00 (3.0000) Cleveland Spiders 10
Al Orth 3.02 (3.0240) Philadelphia Phillies 11
Amos Rusie 3.03 (3.0300) New York Giants 12
Frank Dwyer 3.04 (3.0375) Cincinnati Reds 13
Walt Woods 3.14 (3.1395) Chicago Orphans 14
Bert Cunningham 3.16 (3.1575) Louisville Colonels 15
Wiley Piatt 3.18 (3.1765) Philadelphia Phillies 16
Cy Seymour 3.18 (3.1794) New York Giants 17
Jay Hughes 3.20 (3.2029) Baltimore Orioles 18
Jim Gardner 3.21 (3.2050) Pittsburgh Pirates 19
Nig Cuppy 3.30 (3.3047) Cleveland Spiders 20
Jack Fifield 3.31 (3.3093) Philadelphia Phillies 21
Walter Thornton 3.34 (3.3437) Chicago Orphans 22
Brickyard Kennedy 3.37 (3.3684) Brooklyn Bridegrooms 23
Pink Hawley 3.37 (3.3716) Cincinnati Reds 24
Charlie Hastings 3.41 (3.4078) Pittsburgh Pirates 25



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.

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?