Earned Run Average : 1972 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)
 

1972 Earned Run Average Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Steve Carlton 1.98 (1.9750) Philadelphia Phillies 1
Gary Nolan 1.99 (1.9943) Cincinnati Reds 2
Don Sutton 2.08 (2.0795) Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Jon Matlack 2.32 (2.3238) New York Mets 4
Bob Gibson 2.46 (2.4604) St. Louis Cardinals 5
Steve Blass 2.49 (2.4873) Pittsburgh Pirates 6
Claude Osteen 2.64 (2.6429) Los Angeles Dodgers 7
Don Wilson 2.68 (2.6803) Houston Astros 8
Dock Ellis 2.70 (2.7000) Pittsburgh Pirates 9
Milt Pappas 2.77 (2.7692) Chicago Cubs 10
Jim McAndrew 2.80 (2.8008) New York Mets 11
Burt Hooton 2.80 (2.8031) Chicago Cubs 12
Jim Barr 2.87 (2.8659) San Francisco Giants 13
Tommy John 2.89 (2.8929) Los Angeles Dodgers 14
Ron Bryant 2.90 (2.9019) San Francisco Giants 15
Bob Moose 2.91 (2.9071) Pittsburgh Pirates 16
Tom Seaver 2.92 (2.9198) New York Mets 17
Al Downing 2.98 (2.9753) Los Angeles Dodgers 18
Bill Stoneman 2.98 (2.9800) Montreal Expos 19
Bill Hands 3.00 (3.0000) Chicago Cubs 20
Ross Grimsley 3.05 (3.0506) Cincinnati Reds 21
Phil Niekro 3.06 (3.0602) Atlanta Braves 22
Nelson Briles 3.08 (3.0818) Pittsburgh Pirates 23
Rick Wise 3.11 (3.1115) St. Louis Cardinals 24
Clay Kirby 3.13 (3.1299) San Diego Padres 25



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

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.