Winning Percentage : 1996 American 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:

"What people don't understand is, one day off for Cal Ripken would not recharge his batteries. One day would not do it. He's not playing 2,130 games in a row. Cal is ONLY playing 162 games a year." - Frank Robinson in The Sporting News (September 11, 1995)
 

1996 Winning Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Jamie Moyer .813 (.81250) Boston Red Sox 1
Seattle Mariners  
Charles Nagy .773 (.77273) Cleveland Indians 2
Andy Pettitte .724 (.72414) New York Yankees 3
Darren Oliver .700 (.70000) Texas Rangers 4
Pat Hentgen .667 (.66667) Toronto Blue Jays 5
Roger Pavlik .652 (.65217) Texas Rangers 6
James Baldwin .647 (.64706) Chicago White Sox 7
Mike Mussina .633 (.63333) Baltimore Orioles 8
Orel Hershiser .625 (.62500) Cleveland Indians 9
Alex Fernandez .615 (.61538) Chicago White Sox 10
Ken Hill .615 (.61538) Texas Rangers  
Dwight Gooden .611 (.61111) New York Yankees 12
Wilson Alvarez .600 (.60000) Chicago White Sox 13
Kenny Rogers .600 (.60000) New York Yankees  
Sterling Hitchcock .591 (.59091) Seattle Mariners 15
Scott Karl .591 (.59091) Milwaukee Brewers  
Jack McDowell .591 (.59091) Cleveland Indians  
Juan Guzman .579 (.57895) Toronto Blue Jays 18
Tim Belcher .577 (.57692) Kansas City Royals 19
Tom Gordon .571 (.57143) Boston Red Sox 20
Bobby Witt .571 (.57143) Texas Rangers  
Kevin Tapani .565 (.56522) Chicago White Sox 22
Kevin Appier .560 (.56000) Kansas City Royals 23
Ben McDonald .545 (.54545) Milwaukee Brewers 24
Shawn Boskie .522 (.52174) California Angels 25



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 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?

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