1901 MLB Season Leaders

2 leagues · 138 team games · 46 ranking tables

Awards

None of these awards existed yet. The earliest award in this database is from 1911, so a 1901 season has no award to show. That is a fact about the calendar, not about the players on this page.

American League

Led the American League — the first row of every table below.

Batting13 categories

RunsR

1	Nap Lajoie	145
2	Fielder Jones	120
3	Jimmy Williams	113
4	Billy Hoy	112
5	Jimmy Barrett	110
6	Jimmy Collins	108
7	Mike Donlin	107
8	James Casey	105
8	Chick Stahl	105
10	Tommy Dowd	104

HitsH

1	Nap Lajoie	232
2	John Anderson	190
3	Jimmy Collins	187
4	Irv Waldron	186
5	Sam Dungan	179
6	Ollie Pickering	169
7	Buck Freeman	166
7	George LaChance	166
7	Cy Seymour	166
10	Dave Fultz	164

Doubles2B

1	Nap Lajoie	48
2	John Anderson	46
3	Jimmy Collins	42
4	John Farrell	32
5	Bill Bradley	28
5	Lave Cross	28
5	Harry Davis	28
5	Ducky Holmes	28
5	Billy Hoy	28
10	Bill Hallman	27

Triples3B

1	Bill Keister	21
1	Jimmy Williams	21
3	Sam Mertes	17
4	Jimmy Collins	16
4	Chick Stahl	16
6	Hobe Ferris	15
6	Buck Freeman	15
8	Nap Lajoie	14
8	Socks Seybold	14
10	Bill Bradley	13
10	Bill Coughlin	13
10	Mike Donlin	13
10	Fred Hartman	13

Home RunsHR

1	Nap Lajoie	14
2	Buck Freeman	12
3	Mike Grady	9
4	John Anderson	8
4	Harry Davis	8
4	Socks Seybold	8
7	Clarence Foster	7
7	Jimmy Williams	7
9	Erve Beck	6
9	Jimmy Collins	6
9	Bill Coughlin	6
9	Chick Stahl	6

Runs Batted InRBI

1	Nap Lajoie	125
2	Buck Freeman	114
3	John Anderson	99
4	Sam Mertes	98
5	Jimmy Williams	96
6	Jimmy Collins	94
7	Bill Keister	93
8	Socks Seybold	90
9	Fred Hartman	89
10	Erve Beck	79

WalksBB

1	Billy Hoy	86
2	Fielder Jones	84
3	Jimmy Barrett	76
4	Herm McFarland	75
5	John McGraw	61
6	Ollie Pickering	58
7	Kid Elberfeld	57
8	Jimmy Williams	56
9	Chick Stahl	54
10	Mike Donlin	53

Stolen BasesSB

1	Frank Isbell	52
2	Sam Mertes	46
3	Fielder Jones	38
3	Cy Seymour	38
5	Dave Fultz	36
5	Ollie Pickering	36
7	John Anderson	35
7	Ducky Holmes	35
9	James Casey	34
10	Mike Donlin	33
10	Tommy Dowd	33
10	Herm McFarland	33

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Nap Lajoie	12.7
2	Jimmy Collins	7.2
3	Jimmy Williams	6.8
4	Kid Elberfeld	6.1
5	Mike Donlin	5.6
6	Billy Hoy	5.4
7	Ollie Pickering	5.1
8	Chick Stahl	4.9
9	Buck Freeman	4.9
10	Jimmy Barrett	4.7

Batting Averagemin 428 PA

1	Nap Lajoie	.426
2	Mike Donlin	.340
3	Buck Freeman	.339
4	Socks Seybold	.334
5	Jimmy Collins	.332
6	John Anderson	.330
7	Lave Cross	.328
7	Bill Keister	.328
9	Sam Dungan	.320
10	Jimmy Williams	.317

On-Base Percentagemin 428 PA

1	Nap Lajoie	.463
2	Fielder Jones	.412
3	Mike Donlin	.409
4	Billy Hoy	.407
5	Buck Freeman	.400
6	Kid Elberfeld	.397
6	Socks Seybold	.397
8	Jimmy Williams	.388
9	Jimmy Barrett	.385
10	Herm McFarland	.384

Slugging Percentagemin 428 PA

1	Nap Lajoie	.643
2	Buck Freeman	.520
3	Socks Seybold	.503
4	Jimmy Collins	.495
4	Jimmy Williams	.495
6	Bill Keister	.482
7	John Anderson	.476
8	Mike Donlin	.475
9	Lave Cross	.465
10	Harry Davis	.452

On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 428 PA

1	Nap Lajoie	1.106
2	Buck Freeman	.920
3	Socks Seybold	.901
4	Mike Donlin	.883
4	Jimmy Williams	.883
6	Jimmy Collins	.869
7	Bill Keister	.847
8	John Anderson	.836
9	Kid Elberfeld	.825
10	Lave Cross	.823

Pitching10 categories

WinsW

1	Cy Young	33
2	Joe McGinnity	26
3	Clark Griffith	24
4	Roscoe Miller	23
5	Chick Fraser	22
6	Roy Patterson	20
7	Casey Patten	18
7	Ed Siever	18
9	Bill Bernhard	17
9	Eddie Plank	17

SavesSV

1	Bill Hoffer	3
2	Pete Dowling	1
2	Frank Foreman	1
2	Ned Garvin	1
2	Dale Gear	1
2	Clark Griffith	1
2	Zaza Harvey	1
2	Bert Husting	1
2	Ted Lewis	1
2	Joe McGinnity	1
2	Win Mercer	1
2	Roscoe Miller	1
2	Jerry Nops	1
2	Wiley Piatt	1
2	Ed Scott	1
2	Joe Yeager	1

StrikeoutsSO

1	Cy Young	158
2	Roy Patterson	127
3	Pete Dowling	124
4	Ned Garvin	122
5	Chick Fraser	110
6	Casey Patten	109
7	Ted Lewis	103
8	Earl Moore	99
9	Harry Howell	93
10	Eddie Plank	90

Innings PitchedIP

1	Joe McGinnity	382.0
2	Cy Young	371.3
3	Roscoe Miller	332.0
4	Chick Fraser	331.0
5	Bill Carrick	324.0
6	Ted Lewis	316.3
7	Roy Patterson	312.3
8	Pete Dowling	306.0
9	Bill Reidy	301.3
10	Harry Howell	294.7

Complete GamesCG

1	Joe McGinnity	39
2	Cy Young	38
3	Chick Fraser	35
3	Roscoe Miller	35
5	Bill Carrick	34
6	Harry Howell	32
7	Pete Dowling	31
7	Ted Lewis	31
9	Roy Patterson	30
9	Ed Siever	30

ShutoutsSHO

1	Clark Griffith	5
1	Cy Young	5
3	Earl Moore	4
3	Casey Patten	4
3	Roy Patterson	4
6	Roscoe Miller	3
7	Pete Dowling	2
7	Chick Fraser	2
7	Wyatt Lee	2
7	Bill Reidy	2
7	Ed Siever	2
7	Lewis Wiltse	2
7	Joe Yeager	2

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Cy Young	10.0
2	Joe McGinnity	6.6
3	Roscoe Miller	6.4
4	Roy Patterson	6.2
5	Harry Howell	6.0
6	Eddie Plank	5.6
7	Ed Siever	5.5
8	Clark Griffith	5.4
9	Pete Dowling	5.2
10	Bill Bernhard	5.1

Earned Run Averagemin 138 IP

1	Cy Young	1.62
2	Jimmy Callahan	2.42
3	Joe Yeager	2.61
4	Clark Griffith	2.67
5	George Winter	2.80
6	Jack Katoll	2.81
7	Earl Moore	2.90
8	Roscoe Miller	2.96
9	Ed Siever	3.24
10	Eddie Plank	3.31

Walks and Hits per Inningmin 138 IP

1	Cy Young	0.97
2	Jimmy Callahan	1.14
3	Clark Griffith	1.22
4	Ted Lewis	1.23
5	Eddie Plank	1.24
6	George Winter	1.25
7	Joe Yeager	1.28
8	Roy Patterson	1.30
9	Roscoe Miller	1.32
10	Joe McGinnity	1.33

Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 138 IP

1	Cy Young	2.64
2	Clark Griffith	3.23
3	Eddie Plank	3.25
4	Roy Patterson	3.27
5	Jimmy Callahan	3.34
6	Bill Bernhard	3.38
7	Harry Howell	3.39
8	Ned Garvin	3.39
9	Pink Hawley	3.41
10	Jack Cronin	3.44

National League

Led the National League — the first row of every table below.

Batting13 categories

RunsR

1	Jesse Burkett	142
2	Willie Keeler	123
3	Ginger Beaumont	120
4	Fred Clarke	118
5	Jimmy Sheckard	116
6	Elmer Flick	112
7	Topsy Hartsel	111
8	Ed Delahanty	106
9	Roy Thomas	102
10	Honus Wagner	101

HitsH

1	Jesse Burkett	226
2	Willie Keeler	202
3	Jimmy Sheckard	196
4	Honus Wagner	194
5	Ed Delahanty	192
6	Topsy Hartsel	187
7	Ginger Beaumont	185
8	George Van Haltren	182
9	Elmer Flick	180
10	Jake Beckley	178
10	Bobby Wallace	178

Doubles2B

1	Tom Daly	38
1	Ed Delahanty	38
3	Honus Wagner	37
4	Jake Beckley	36
5	Bobby Wallace	34
6	Elmer Flick	32
7	Kip Selbach	29
7	Jimmy Sheckard	29
9	Kitty Bransfield	26
9	George Davis	26

Triples3B

1	Jimmy Sheckard	19
2	Elmer Flick	17
3	Kitty Bransfield	16
3	Sam Crawford	16
3	Ed Delahanty	16
3	Topsy Hartsel	16
7	Jesse Burkett	15
7	Fred Clarke	15
7	Bobby Wallace	15
10	Tom McCreery	14

Home RunsHR

1	Sam Crawford	16
2	Jimmy Sheckard	11
3	Jesse Burkett	10
4	Ginger Beaumont	8
4	Ed Delahanty	8
4	Elmer Flick	8
7	George Davis	7
7	Topsy Hartsel	7
9	Fred Clarke	6
9	Danny Green	6
9	Emmet Heidrick	6
9	Dan McGann	6
9	Harry Steinfeldt	6
9	Honus Wagner	6

Runs Batted InRBI

1	Honus Wagner	126
2	Ed Delahanty	108
3	Sam Crawford	104
3	Jimmy Sheckard	104
5	Kitty Bransfield	91
5	Bobby Wallace	91
7	Tom Daly	90
8	Elmer Flick	88
9	Bill Dahlen	82
10	Jake Beckley	79
10	Otto Krueger	79

WalksBB

1	Roy Thomas	100
2	Topsy Hartsel	74
3	Lefty Davis	66
4	Ed Delahanty	65
5	Billy Hamilton	64
6	Jesse Burkett	59
6	Sammy Strang	59
8	Honus Wagner	53
9	Monte Cross	52
9	Elmer Flick	52
9	George Magoon	52

Stolen BasesSB

1	Honus Wagner	49
2	Topsy Hartsel	41
3	Sammy Strang	40
4	Dick Harley	37
5	Ginger Beaumont	36
6	Jimmy Sheckard	35
7	Emmet Heidrick	32
8	Tom Daly	31
8	Danny Green	31
10	Elmer Flick	30

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Jesse Burkett	8.8
2	Honus Wagner	7.7
3	Jimmy Sheckard	7.7
4	Ed Delahanty	7.2
5	Bobby Wallace	6.9
6	Topsy Hartsel	6.6
7	Elmer Flick	6.4
8	George Davis	5.9
9	Fred Clarke	5.6
10	Emmet Heidrick	5.0

Batting Averagemin 428 PA

1	Jesse Burkett	.376
2	Ed Delahanty	.354
2	Jimmy Sheckard	.354
4	Honus Wagner	.353
5	Emmet Heidrick	.339
5	Willie Keeler	.339
7	Topsy Hartsel	.335
7	George Van Haltren	.335
9	Elmer Flick	.333
10	Ginger Beaumont	.332

On-Base Percentagemin 428 PA

1	Jesse Burkett	.440
2	Roy Thomas	.437
3	Ed Delahanty	.427
4	Honus Wagner	.417
5	Topsy Hartsel	.414
6	Jimmy Sheckard	.409
7	Elmer Flick	.399
8	George Van Haltren	.396
9	Fred Clarke	.395
10	Lefty Davis	.389

Slugging Percentagemin 428 PA

1	Jimmy Sheckard	.534
2	Ed Delahanty	.528
3	Sam Crawford	.524
4	Jesse Burkett	.509
5	Elmer Flick	.500
6	Honus Wagner	.494
7	Topsy Hartsel	.475
8	Emmet Heidrick	.470
9	Fred Clarke	.461
10	Bobby Wallace	.451

On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 428 PA

1	Ed Delahanty	.955
2	Jesse Burkett	.949
3	Jimmy Sheckard	.944
4	Honus Wagner	.911
5	Sam Crawford	.903
6	Elmer Flick	.899
7	Topsy Hartsel	.889
8	Fred Clarke	.856
9	Emmet Heidrick	.837
10	Tom Daly	.815

Pitching10 categories

WinsW

1	Bill Donovan	25
2	Jack Harper	23
3	Noodles Hahn	22
3	Deacon Phillippe	22
5	Jack Chesbro	21
6	Red Donahue	20
6	Bill Duggleby	20
6	Christy Mathewson	20
6	Al Orth	20
6	Vic Willis	20

SavesSV

1	Bill Donovan	3
1	Jack Powell	3
3	Frank Kitson	2
3	Deacon Phillippe	2
3	Willie Sudhoff	2
6	Jack Chesbro	1
6	Red Donahue	1
6	Al Orth	1
6	Bill Phyle	1
6	Jesse Tannehill	1

StrikeoutsSO

1	Noodles Hahn	239
2	Bill Donovan	226
3	Tom Hughes	225
4	Christy Mathewson	221
5	Rube Waddell	172
6	Kid Nichols	143
7	Bill Dinneen	141
8	Luther Taylor	136
9	Jack Powell	133
9	Vic Willis	133

Innings PitchedIP

1	Noodles Hahn	375.3
2	Luther Taylor	353.3
3	Bill Donovan	351.0
4	Jack Powell	338.3
5	Christy Mathewson	336.0
6	Kid Nichols	321.0
7	Bill Dinneen	309.3
8	Jack Harper	308.7
9	Tom Hughes	308.3
10	Vic Willis	305.3

Complete GamesCG

1	Noodles Hahn	41
2	Luther Taylor	37
3	Bill Donovan	36
3	Christy Mathewson	36
5	Red Donahue	33
5	Kid Nichols	33
5	Jack Powell	33
5	Vic Willis	33
9	Tom Hughes	32
10	Bill Dinneen	31

ShutoutsSHO

1	Jack Chesbro	6
1	Al Orth	6
1	Vic Willis	6
4	Bill Duggleby	5
4	Frank Kitson	5
4	Christy Mathewson	5
7	Kid Nichols	4
7	Jesse Tannehill	4
7	Luther Taylor	4
10	Bill Donovan	2
10	Noodles Hahn	2
10	Sam Leever	2
10	Jack Powell	2
10	Happy Townsend	2

Wins Above ReplacementWAR

1	Noodles Hahn	9.9
2	Christy Mathewson	9.0
3	Bill Donovan	8.1
4	Tom Hughes	7.5
5	Bill Dinneen	7.2
6	Al Orth	7.2
7	Vic Willis	7.1
8	Kid Nichols	7.0
9	Jesse Tannehill	7.0
10	Jack Chesbro	6.9

Earned Run Averagemin 138 IP

1	Jesse Tannehill	2.18
2	Deacon Phillippe	2.22
3	Al Orth	2.27
4	Vic Willis	2.36
5	Jack Chesbro	2.38
6	Christy Mathewson	2.41
7	Red Donahue	2.59
8	Noodles Hahn	2.71
9	Bill Donovan	2.77
10	Sam Leever	2.86

Walks and Hits per Inningmin 138 IP

1	Al Orth	1.00
2	Deacon Phillippe	1.05
3	Jack Chesbro	1.09
4	Jesse Tannehill	1.09
5	Vic Willis	1.11
6	Christy Mathewson	1.15
7	Noodles Hahn	1.17
8	Jack Powell	1.19
9	Bill Dinneen	1.20
10	Bill Duggleby	1.21

Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 138 IP

1	Jesse Tannehill	2.59
2	Noodles Hahn	2.69
3	Christy Mathewson	2.71
4	Doc White	2.81
5	Rube Waddell	2.83
6	Al Orth	2.84
7	Jack Chesbro	2.90
8	Tom Hughes	2.92
9	Sam Leever	2.92
10	Deacon Phillippe	3.02

How this page is built

The qualifying line for 1901 is 428 plate appearances and 138 innings pitched. It comes from the length of the schedule — 138 games per team, measured from the season files themselves — at the official rate of 3.1 plate appearances and one inning per team game. Batting average, on-base, slugging, OPS, earned run average and WHIP all use it; a player who came to the plate twice and got two hits does not appear at the top of the batting average table, which is exactly what that line is for. Counting statistics such as home runs and strikeouts have no minimum, because none is needed.

How the rankings were made

Wins above replacement in these tables is ours rather than the source database's, so it will not match a published figure exactly. Also: why every ranking stops at one league, and why some categories are missing on purpose.

Every ranking on this page is worked out inside one league. 1901 is counted as 2 separate leagues — American League and National League, and a player is ranked only against the men in his own. Leading the American League and leading baseball are different claims, and the one we can make from these files is the first. There is no combined table anywhere on this page, because adding two leagues together would produce a number that no record book recognises.

There are 46 ranking tables here, 16 places deep. Players tied on a value share a place, so a table can run past ten rows when the tenth spot is shared, and a league with fewer than ten qualified players in a category is left out rather than shown as a top ten that is not one. A player who did none of the thing is not ranked in it either — a shutout table lists the pitchers who threw one, not the hundreds who threw none tied on zero. Some categories are missing on purpose: nobody leads a league in strikeouts at the plate, in losses, or in home runs allowed. A ranking is meant to mark an achievement, so only achievements are ranked.

Wins above replacement on this page is ours, not the source database's. The hitting and pitching files carry a WAR column that we compute here from the same season lines you see, using park factors and a run environment worked out per season. Published versions elsewhere use different methods and will not match ours exactly. Every other column is the record as the database supplies it.

Names on this page lead to that player's own record. Most of them open a full career page with every season he appeared in. Some open a summary screen instead — we pre-build pages for the players people look for, and everyone else is assembled on demand from the same files, so the numbers are identical either way even though the address looks different.

Data for 1871 to 2025: Lahman Baseball Database 2025, compiled by SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported. Negro Leagues data licensed from Seamheads.com and included under SABR major-league recommendations (2021-02-11, 2024-06-03). This page ranks the 1901 season lines published on this site, league by league, with WAR worked out here. — the WAR columns are computed here — and they are published under the same CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported licence, as ShareAlike requires. That database is published once a season is complete, so the 2026 figures on this site come from a different place: the MLB Stats API, whose notice reads “Copyright 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Use of any content on this page acknowledges agreement to the terms posted here http://gdx.mlb.com/components/copyright.txt”. Those numbers are MLB Advanced Media, L.P.’s, not SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)’s, and they carry that notice rather than the CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported licence above. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Major League Baseball or any of its clubs.