Slugging 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:

"Maybe I missed my routine and my game so much that I was trying to rationalize reasons for getting it back. I wanted those 162 games. I wanted all the suspense of the playoff and home run races. And I honestly didn't believe baseball would bend far enough to allow the possibility of games in November. I was wrong. And baseball was right." - Paul White in USA Today Baseball Weekly (September 14, 2001)
 

1898 Slugging Average Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

John Anderson .494 (.49423) Brooklyn Bridegrooms 1
Washington Senators  
Jimmy Collins .479 (.47906) Boston Beaneaters 2
Nap Lajoie .461 (.46053) Philadelphia Phillies 3
Ed Delahanty .454 (.45438) Philadelphia Phillies 4
Billy Hamilton .453 (.45324) Boston Beaneaters 5
Elmer Flick .448 (.44812) Philadelphia Phillies 6
Jimmy Ryan .446 (.44580) Chicago Orphans 7
Bill Lange .439 (.43891) Chicago Orphans 8
Joe Kelley .438 (.43750) Baltimore Orioles 9
Elmer Smith .432 (.43210) Cincinnati Reds 10
Hughie Jennings .421 (.42135) Baltimore Orioles 11
Kip Selbach .417 (.41748) Washington Senators 12
Jake Beckley .416 (.41612) Cincinnati Reds 13
Dummy Hoy .416 (.41581) Louisville Colonels 14
George Van Haltren .413 (.41284) New York Giants 15
Willie Keeler .410 (.40998) Baltimore Orioles 16
Honus Wagner .410 (.40986) Louisville Colonels 17
Duff Cooley .407 (.40700) Philadelphia Phillies 18
Chick Stahl .407 (.40685) Boston Beaneaters 19
Lave Cross .405 (.40532) St. Louis Browns 20
Mike Tiernan .405 (.40482) New York Giants 21
Fred Clarke .401 (.40067) Louisville Colonels 22
Fred Tenney .400 (.39959) Boston Beaneaters 23
Harry Davis .399 (.39945) Pittsburgh Pirates 24
Louisville Colonels  
Washington Senators  
Jesse Burkett .399 (.39904) Cleveland Spiders 25



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.

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).

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