Winning Percentage : 1951 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)
 

1951 Winning Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Preacher Roe .880 (.88000) Brooklyn Dodgers 1
Sal Maglie .793 (.79310) New York Giants 2
Don Newcombe .690 (.68966) Brooklyn Dodgers 3
Larry Jansen .676 (.67647) New York Giants 4
Jim Hearn .654 (.65385) New York Giants 5
Warren Spahn .611 (.61111) Boston Braves 6
Jerry Staley .594 (.59375) St. Louis Cardinals 7
Robin Roberts .583 (.58333) Philadelphia Phillies 8
Chet Nichols .579 (.57895) Boston Braves 9
Bubba Church .577 (.57692) Philadelphia Phillies 10
Carl Erskine .571 (.57143) Brooklyn Dodgers 11
Murry Dickson .556 (.55556) Pittsburgh Pirates 12
Vern Bickford .550 (.55000) Boston Braves 13
Max Lanier .550 (.55000) St. Louis Cardinals  
Al Brazle .545 (.54545) St. Louis Cardinals 15
Cliff Chambers .538 (.53846) Pittsburgh Pirates 16
St. Louis Cardinals  
Ralph Branca .520 (.52000) Brooklyn Dodgers 17
Ewell Blackwell .516 (.51613) Cincinnati Reds 18
Ken Raffensberger .485 (.48485) Cincinnati Reds 19
Bob Rush .478 (.47826) Chicago Cubs 20
Russ Meyer .471 (.47059) Philadelphia Phillies 21
Mel Queen .438 (.43750) Pittsburgh Pirates 22
Max Surkont .429 (.42857) Boston Braves 23
Herm Wehmeier .412 (.41176) Cincinnati Reds 24
Howie Fox .391 (.39130) Cincinnati Reds 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?

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).

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.