On Base Percentage : 1940 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:

"When you're playing 162 baseball games, you're playing almost every day, it's nice to have a guy (Jose Lima) like that around to lighten things up and have fun. It's a huge plus for us." - Detroit Tigers Pitcher Matt Anderson
 

1940 On Base Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Elbie Fletcher .419 (.41850) Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Mel Ott .407 (.40654) New York Giants 2
Johnny Mize .404 (.40390) St. Louis Cardinals 3
Dolph Camilli .397 (.39669) Brooklyn Dodgers 4
Stan Hack .395 (.39501) Chicago Cubs 5
Arky Vaughan .393 (.39270) Pittsburgh Pirates 6
Jim Gleeson .389 (.38899) Chicago Cubs 7
Joe Orengo .383 (.38333) St. Louis Cardinals 8
Pinky May .371 (.37123) Philadelphia Phillies 9
Hank Leiber .371 (.37090) Chicago Cubs 10
Enos Slaughter .370 (.36972) St. Louis Cardinals 11
Frank McCormick .367 (.36741) Cincinnati Reds 12
Babe Young .367 (.36683) New York Giants 13
Bill Nicholson .366 (.36581) Chicago Cubs 14
Frank Demaree .364 (.36436) New York Giants 15
Cookie Lavagetto .361 (.36084) Brooklyn Dodgers 16
Lonny Frey .361 (.36068) Cincinnati Reds 17
Bill Werber .361 (.36061) Cincinnati Reds 18
Dixie Walker .357 (.35726) Brooklyn Dodgers 19
Johnny Rizzo .357 (.35702) Pittsburgh Pirates 20
Cincinnati Reds  
Philadelphia Phillies  
Terry Moore .356 (.35628) St. Louis Cardinals 21
Chet Ross .352 (.35182) Boston Bees 22
Harry Danning .349 (.34929) New York Giants 23
Bob Elliott .348 (.34783) Pittsburgh Pirates 24
Billy Herman .347 (.34711) Chicago Cubs 25



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?

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.

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.