1988 MLB Leaders and Award Winners
2 leagues · 162 team games · 46 ranking tables · 42 awards
Awards
Most Valuable Player
- Jose CansecoAmerican League
- Kirk GibsonNational League
Cy Young Award
- Orel HershiserNational League
- Frank ViolaAmerican League
Rookie of the Year
- Chris SaboNational League
- Walt WeissAmerican League
Gold Glove
- Bob BooneAmerican League
- Eric DavisNational League
- Andre DawsonNational League
- Tony FernandezAmerican League
- Gary GaettiAmerican League
- Keith HernandezNational League
- Orel HershiserNational League
- Mark LangstonAmerican League
- Don MattinglyAmerican League
- Gary PettisAmerican League
- Kirby PuckettAmerican League
- Harold ReynoldsAmerican League
- Ryne SandbergNational League
- Benito SantiagoNational League
- Ozzie SmithNational League
- Andy Van SlykeNational League
- Tim WallachNational League
- Devon WhiteAmerican League
Silver Slugger
- Wade BoggsAmerican League
- Bobby BonillaNational League
- George BrettAmerican League
- Jose CansecoAmerican League
- Carlton FiskAmerican League
- Julio FrancoAmerican League
- Andres GalarragaNational League
- Kirk GibsonNational League
- Mike GreenwellAmerican League
- Barry LarkinNational League
- Tim LearyNational League
- Paul MolitorAmerican League
- Kirby PuckettAmerican League
- Ryne SandbergNational League
- Benito SantiagoNational League
- Darryl StrawberryNational League
- Alan TrammellAmerican League
- Andy Van SlykeNational League
American League
Led the American League — the first row of every table below.
Batting13 categories
RunsR
| 1 | Wade Boggs | 128 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Jose Canseco | 120 |
| 3 | Rickey Henderson | 118 |
| 4 | Paul Molitor | 115 |
| 5 | Kirby Puckett | 109 |
| 6 | Dave Henderson | 100 |
| 6 | Fred McGriff | 100 |
| 8 | Dwight Evans | 96 |
| 8 | Dave Winfield | 96 |
| 10 | Don Mattingly | 94 |
HitsH
| 1 | Kirby Puckett | 234 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Wade Boggs | 214 |
| 3 | Mike Greenwell | 192 |
| 4 | Paul Molitor | 190 |
| 4 | Robin Yount | 190 |
| 6 | Jose Canseco | 187 |
| 7 | Tony Fernandez | 186 |
| 7 | Julio Franco | 186 |
| 7 | Don Mattingly | 186 |
| 10 | Johnny Ray | 184 |
Doubles2B
| 1 | Wade Boggs | 45 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | George Brett | 42 |
| 2 | Kirby Puckett | 42 |
| 2 | Johnny Ray | 42 |
| 5 | Tony Fernandez | 41 |
| 6 | Harold Baines | 39 |
| 6 | Mike Greenwell | 39 |
| 8 | Dave Henderson | 38 |
| 8 | Danny Tartabull | 38 |
| 8 | Robin Yount | 38 |
Triples3B
Home RunsHR
| 1 | Jose Canseco | 42 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Fred McGriff | 34 |
| 3 | Mark McGwire | 32 |
| 4 | Gary Gaetti | 28 |
| 4 | Eddie Murray | 28 |
| 6 | Joe Carter | 27 |
| 6 | Jack Clark | 27 |
| 8 | Cory Snyder | 26 |
| 8 | Danny Tartabull | 26 |
| 10 | Brian Downing | 25 |
| 10 | Kent Hrbek | 25 |
| 10 | Bo Jackson | 25 |
| 10 | Fred Lynn | 25 |
| 10 | Dave Winfield | 25 |
Runs Batted InRBI
| 1 | Jose Canseco | 124 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kirby Puckett | 121 |
| 3 | Mike Greenwell | 119 |
| 4 | Dwight Evans | 111 |
| 5 | Dave Winfield | 107 |
| 6 | George Brett | 103 |
| 7 | Danny Tartabull | 102 |
| 8 | Mark McGwire | 99 |
| 9 | Joe Carter | 98 |
| 10 | George Bell | 97 |
WalksBB
| 1 | Wade Boggs | 125 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Jack Clark | 113 |
| 3 | Cal Ripken | 102 |
| 4 | Alvin Davis | 95 |
| 5 | Mike Greenwell | 87 |
| 6 | Darrell Evans | 84 |
| 7 | George Brett | 82 |
| 7 | Rickey Henderson | 82 |
| 9 | Brian Downing | 81 |
| 10 | Fred McGriff | 79 |
Stolen BasesSB
| 1 | Rickey Henderson | 93 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Gary Pettis | 44 |
| 3 | Paul Molitor | 41 |
| 4 | Jose Canseco | 40 |
| 5 | Harold Reynolds | 35 |
| 5 | Willie Wilson | 35 |
| 7 | Cecil Espy | 33 |
| 7 | Oddibe McDowell | 33 |
| 9 | Lloyd Moseby | 31 |
| 9 | Gary Redus | 31 |
Wins Above ReplacementWAR
| 1 | Kirby Puckett | 9.5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Wade Boggs | 9.4 |
| 3 | Jose Canseco | 8.6 |
| 4 | Robin Yount | 7.4 |
| 5 | Mike Greenwell | 7.2 |
| 6 | Dave Henderson | 7.2 |
| 7 | Cal Ripken | 6.9 |
| 8 | Paul Molitor | 6.6 |
| 9 | Ellis Burks | 6.4 |
| 10 | Rickey Henderson | 6.3 |
Batting Averagemin 502 PA
| 1 | Wade Boggs | .366 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kirby Puckett | .356 |
| 3 | Mike Greenwell | .325 |
| 4 | Dave Winfield | .322 |
| 5 | Kent Hrbek | .312 |
| 5 | Paul Molitor | .312 |
| 7 | Don Mattingly | .311 |
| 7 | Alan Trammell | .311 |
| 9 | Jose Canseco | .307 |
| 10 | George Brett | .306 |
| 10 | Johnny Ray | .306 |
| 10 | Robin Yount | .306 |
On-Base Percentagemin 502 PA
| 1 | Wade Boggs | .476 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mike Greenwell | .416 |
| 3 | Alvin Davis | .412 |
| 4 | Dave Winfield | .398 |
| 5 | Rickey Henderson | .394 |
| 6 | Jose Canseco | .391 |
| 7 | George Brett | .389 |
| 8 | Kevin Seitzer | .388 |
| 9 | Kent Hrbek | .387 |
| 10 | Paul Molitor | .384 |
Slugging Percentagemin 502 PA
| 1 | Jose Canseco | .569 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Fred McGriff | .552 |
| 3 | Gary Gaetti | .551 |
| 4 | Kirby Puckett | .545 |
| 5 | Mike Greenwell | .531 |
| 6 | Dave Winfield | .530 |
| 7 | Dave Henderson | .525 |
| 8 | Kent Hrbek | .520 |
| 9 | Danny Tartabull | .515 |
| 10 | George Brett | .509 |
On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 502 PA
| 1 | Wade Boggs | .965 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Jose Canseco | .959 |
| 3 | Mike Greenwell | .946 |
| 4 | Fred McGriff | .928 |
| 5 | Dave Winfield | .927 |
| 6 | Kirby Puckett | .920 |
| 7 | Kent Hrbek | .907 |
| 8 | Gary Gaetti | .905 |
| 9 | George Brett | .898 |
| 10 | Dave Henderson | .887 |
Pitching10 categories
WinsW
| 1 | Frank Viola | 24 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dave Stewart | 21 |
| 3 | Mark Gubicza | 20 |
| 4 | Roger Clemens | 18 |
| 4 | Bruce Hurst | 18 |
| 4 | Greg Swindell | 18 |
| 7 | Bob Welch | 17 |
| 8 | Allan Anderson | 16 |
| 8 | Storm Davis | 16 |
| 8 | Teddy Higuera | 16 |
| 8 | Dave Stieb | 16 |
SavesSV
| 1 | Dennis Eckersley | 45 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Jeff Reardon | 42 |
| 3 | Doug Jones | 37 |
| 4 | Bobby Thigpen | 34 |
| 5 | Dan Plesac | 30 |
| 6 | Lee Smith | 29 |
| 7 | Tom Henke | 25 |
| 7 | Dave Righetti | 25 |
| 9 | Mike Henneman | 22 |
| 10 | Steve Farr | 20 |
StrikeoutsSO
| 1 | Roger Clemens | 291 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mark Langston | 235 |
| 3 | Frank Viola | 193 |
| 4 | Teddy Higuera | 192 |
| 4 | Dave Stewart | 192 |
| 6 | Mark Gubicza | 183 |
| 7 | Mike Moore | 182 |
| 8 | Greg Swindell | 180 |
| 9 | Charlie Hough | 174 |
| 10 | Bret Saberhagen | 171 |
Innings PitchedIP
| 1 | Dave Stewart | 275.7 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mark Gubicza | 269.7 |
| 3 | Roger Clemens | 264.0 |
| 4 | Mark Langston | 261.3 |
| 5 | Bret Saberhagen | 260.7 |
| 6 | Frank Viola | 255.3 |
| 7 | Charlie Hough | 252.0 |
| 8 | Mike Witt | 249.7 |
| 9 | Bob Welch | 244.7 |
| 10 | Charlie Leibrandt | 243.0 |
Complete GamesCG
| 1 | Roger Clemens | 14 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Stewart | 14 |
| 3 | Bobby Witt | 13 |
| 4 | Greg Swindell | 12 |
| 4 | Mike Witt | 12 |
| 6 | Tom Candiotti | 11 |
| 6 | Walt Terrell | 11 |
| 8 | Charlie Hough | 10 |
| 8 | Jack Morris | 10 |
| 10 | Chris Bosio | 9 |
| 10 | Mark Langston | 9 |
| 10 | Mike Moore | 9 |
| 10 | Bret Saberhagen | 9 |
ShutoutsSHO
Wins Above ReplacementWAR
| 1 | Roger Clemens | 7.5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mark Gubicza | 5.1 |
| 3 | Greg Swindell | 5.0 |
| 4 | Frank Viola | 4.8 |
| 5 | Teddy Higuera | 4.6 |
| 6 | Bret Saberhagen | 4.5 |
| 7 | Dave Stewart | 3.8 |
| 8 | Tom Candiotti | 3.4 |
| 9 | Mike Moore | 3.0 |
| 10 | Bruce Hurst | 2.9 |
Earned Run Averagemin 162 IP
| 1 | Allan Anderson | 2.45 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Teddy Higuera | 2.46 |
| 3 | Frank Viola | 2.64 |
| 4 | Mark Gubicza | 2.70 |
| 5 | Roger Clemens | 2.93 |
| 6 | Jeff Robinson | 2.98 |
| 7 | Dave Stieb | 3.04 |
| 8 | Charlie Leibrandt | 3.19 |
| 9 | Greg Swindell | 3.20 |
| 10 | Dave Stewart | 3.23 |
Walks and Hits per Inningmin 162 IP
| 1 | Teddy Higuera | 1.00 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Roger Clemens | 1.06 |
| 3 | Jeff Robinson | 1.12 |
| 4 | Mike Moore | 1.13 |
| 5 | Frank Viola | 1.14 |
| 6 | Dave Stieb | 1.14 |
| 7 | Greg Swindell | 1.15 |
| 8 | Allan Anderson | 1.17 |
| 9 | Mark Gubicza | 1.19 |
| 10 | Dave LaPoint | 1.23 |
Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 162 IP
| 1 | Roger Clemens | 2.17 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Teddy Higuera | 2.79 |
| 3 | Greg Swindell | 2.82 |
| 4 | Mark Gubicza | 2.93 |
| 5 | Frank Viola | 2.94 |
| 6 | Bret Saberhagen | 3.08 |
| 7 | Tom Candiotti | 3.22 |
| 8 | Dave Stewart | 3.27 |
| 9 | Mike Moore | 3.41 |
| 10 | Bruce Hurst | 3.42 |
National League
Led the National League — the first row of every table below.
Batting13 categories
RunsR
| 1 | Brett Butler | 109 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kirk Gibson | 106 |
| 3 | Will Clark | 102 |
| 4 | Darryl Strawberry | 101 |
| 4 | Andy Van Slyke | 101 |
| 6 | Andres Galarraga | 99 |
| 7 | Barry Bonds | 97 |
| 8 | Kal Daniels | 95 |
| 9 | Barry Larkin | 91 |
| 10 | Bobby Bonilla | 87 |
HitsH
| 1 | Andres Galarraga | 184 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Andre Dawson | 179 |
| 3 | Rafael Palmeiro | 178 |
| 4 | Steve Sax | 175 |
| 5 | Barry Larkin | 174 |
| 6 | Andy Van Slyke | 169 |
| 7 | Hubie Brooks | 164 |
| 7 | Willie McGee | 164 |
| 7 | Gerald Perry | 164 |
| 10 | Brett Butler | 163 |
| 10 | Tony Gwynn | 163 |
| 10 | Vance Law | 163 |
| 10 | Ryne Sandberg | 163 |
Doubles2B
| 1 | Andres Galarraga | 42 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Rafael Palmeiro | 41 |
| 3 | Chris Sabo | 40 |
| 4 | Sid Bream | 37 |
| 5 | Hubie Brooks | 35 |
| 5 | Dale Murphy | 35 |
| 7 | Bobby Bonilla | 32 |
| 7 | Barry Larkin | 32 |
| 7 | Juan Samuel | 32 |
| 7 | Tim Wallach | 32 |
Triples3B
| 1 | Andy Van Slyke | 15 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vince Coleman | 10 |
| 3 | Brett Butler | 9 |
| 3 | Juan Samuel | 9 |
| 3 | Gerald Young | 9 |
| 6 | Andre Dawson | 8 |
| 6 | Andres Galarraga | 8 |
| 6 | Ron Gant | 8 |
| 6 | Ryne Sandberg | 8 |
| 6 | Mitch Webster | 8 |
Home RunsHR
Runs Batted InRBI
| 1 | Will Clark | 109 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Darryl Strawberry | 101 |
| 3 | Bobby Bonilla | 100 |
| 3 | Andy Van Slyke | 100 |
| 5 | Glenn Davis | 99 |
| 5 | Kevin McReynolds | 99 |
| 7 | Eric Davis | 93 |
| 8 | Andres Galarraga | 92 |
| 9 | Hubie Brooks | 90 |
| 10 | Tom Brunansky | 85 |
WalksBB
| 1 | Will Clark | 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Brett Butler | 97 |
| 3 | Kal Daniels | 87 |
| 4 | Tom Brunansky | 86 |
| 4 | Howard Johnson | 86 |
| 6 | Bobby Bonilla | 85 |
| 6 | Darryl Strawberry | 85 |
| 8 | John Kruk | 80 |
| 9 | Dale Murphy | 74 |
| 9 | Ozzie Smith | 74 |
Stolen BasesSB
| 1 | Vince Coleman | 81 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Gerald Young | 65 |
| 3 | Ozzie Smith | 57 |
| 4 | Otis Nixon | 46 |
| 4 | Chris Sabo | 46 |
| 6 | Brett Butler | 43 |
| 7 | Steve Sax | 42 |
| 8 | Willie McGee | 41 |
| 9 | Barry Larkin | 40 |
| 10 | Eric Davis | 35 |
Wins Above ReplacementWAR
| 1 | Andy Van Slyke | 7.0 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Bobby Bonilla | 6.4 |
| 3 | Barry Larkin | 6.2 |
| 4 | Brett Butler | 6.0 |
| 5 | Will Clark | 5.5 |
| 6 | Ozzie Smith | 5.4 |
| 7 | Kirk Gibson | 5.4 |
| 8 | Darryl Strawberry | 5.4 |
| 9 | Andres Galarraga | 5.2 |
| 10 | Barry Bonds | 5.0 |
Batting Averagemin 502 PA
| 1 | Tony Gwynn | .313 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Rafael Palmeiro | .307 |
| 3 | Andre Dawson | .303 |
| 4 | Andres Galarraga | .302 |
| 5 | Gerald Perry | .300 |
| 6 | Mark Grace | .296 |
| 6 | Barry Larkin | .296 |
| 8 | Vance Law | .293 |
| 9 | Willie McGee | .292 |
| 10 | Kal Daniels | .291 |
On-Base Percentagemin 502 PA
| 1 | Kal Daniels | .397 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Brett Butler | .393 |
| 3 | Will Clark | .386 |
| 4 | Kirk Gibson | .377 |
| 5 | Tony Gwynn | .373 |
| 6 | Mark Grace | .371 |
| 7 | Barry Bonds | .368 |
| 8 | Bobby Bonilla | .366 |
| 8 | Darryl Strawberry | .366 |
| 10 | Eric Davis | .363 |
Slugging Percentagemin 502 PA
| 1 | Darryl Strawberry | .545 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Andres Galarraga | .540 |
| 3 | Will Clark | .508 |
| 4 | Andy Van Slyke | .506 |
| 5 | Andre Dawson | .504 |
| 6 | Kevin McReynolds | .496 |
| 7 | Barry Bonds | .491 |
| 8 | Eric Davis | .489 |
| 9 | Kirk Gibson | .483 |
| 10 | Glenn Davis | .478 |
On-Base Plus Sluggingmin 502 PA
| 1 | Darryl Strawberry | .911 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Will Clark | .894 |
| 3 | Andres Galarraga | .893 |
| 4 | Kal Daniels | .860 |
| 4 | Kirk Gibson | .860 |
| 6 | Barry Bonds | .859 |
| 7 | Eric Davis | .852 |
| 8 | Andy Van Slyke | .851 |
| 9 | Andre Dawson | .849 |
| 10 | Bobby Bonilla | .842 |
Pitching10 categories
WinsW
| 1 | Orel Hershiser | 23 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danny Jackson | 23 |
| 3 | David Cone | 20 |
| 4 | Rick Reuschel | 19 |
| 5 | Tom Browning | 18 |
| 5 | Dwight Gooden | 18 |
| 5 | Greg Maddux | 18 |
| 8 | Ron Darling | 17 |
| 8 | Tim Leary | 17 |
| 10 | Dennis Rasmussen | 16 |
| 10 | Eric Show | 16 |
SavesSV
| 1 | John Franco | 39 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Jim Gott | 34 |
| 3 | Todd Worrell | 32 |
| 4 | Steve Bedrosian | 28 |
| 4 | Mark Davis | 28 |
| 6 | Dave Smith | 27 |
| 7 | Randy Myers | 26 |
| 8 | Jay Howell | 21 |
| 9 | Tim Burke | 18 |
| 10 | Roger McDowell | 16 |
StrikeoutsSO
| 1 | Nolan Ryan | 228 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | David Cone | 213 |
| 3 | Jose DeLeon | 208 |
| 4 | Mike Scott | 190 |
| 5 | Sid Fernandez | 189 |
| 6 | Tim Leary | 180 |
| 7 | Orel Hershiser | 178 |
| 8 | Dwight Gooden | 175 |
| 9 | Kevin Gross | 162 |
| 10 | Ron Darling | 161 |
| 10 | Danny Jackson | 161 |
Innings PitchedIP
| 1 | Orel Hershiser | 267.0 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Danny Jackson | 260.7 |
| 3 | Tom Browning | 250.7 |
| 4 | Greg Maddux | 249.0 |
| 4 | Rick Mahler | 249.0 |
| 6 | Dwight Gooden | 248.3 |
| 7 | Rick Reuschel | 245.0 |
| 8 | Ron Darling | 240.7 |
| 9 | Dennis Martinez | 235.3 |
| 10 | Eric Show | 234.7 |
Complete GamesCG
| 1 | Orel Hershiser | 15 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danny Jackson | 15 |
| 3 | Eric Show | 13 |
| 4 | Rick Sutcliffe | 12 |
| 5 | Dwight Gooden | 10 |
| 6 | Tim Leary | 9 |
| 6 | Greg Maddux | 9 |
| 6 | Dennis Martinez | 9 |
| 9 | David Cone | 8 |
| 9 | Mike Scott | 8 |
ShutoutsSHO
| 1 | Orel Hershiser | 8 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Danny Jackson | 6 |
| 2 | Tim Leary | 6 |
| 4 | Bob Ojeda | 5 |
| 4 | Mike Scott | 5 |
| 6 | David Cone | 4 |
| 6 | Ron Darling | 4 |
| 8 | Kelly Downs | 3 |
| 8 | Dwight Gooden | 3 |
| 8 | Greg Maddux | 3 |
| 8 | Joe Magrane | 3 |
| 8 | Pete Smith | 3 |
Wins Above ReplacementWAR
| 1 | Dwight Gooden | 5.6 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Danny Jackson | 4.8 |
| 3 | David Cone | 4.8 |
| 4 | Bob Ojeda | 4.7 |
| 5 | Tim Leary | 4.6 |
| 6 | Jose DeLeon | 4.5 |
| 7 | Orel Hershiser | 4.0 |
| 8 | Rick Mahler | 3.9 |
| 9 | Tim Belcher | 3.8 |
| 10 | Mike Scott | 3.8 |
Earned Run Averagemin 162 IP
| 1 | Joe Magrane | 2.18 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | David Cone | 2.22 |
| 3 | Orel Hershiser | 2.26 |
| 4 | John Tudor | 2.32 |
| 5 | Jose Rijo | 2.39 |
| 6 | Pascual Perez | 2.44 |
| 7 | Don Robinson | 2.44 |
| 8 | Bob Walk | 2.71 |
| 9 | Dennis Martinez | 2.71 |
| 10 | Danny Jackson | 2.73 |
Walks and Hits per Inningmin 162 IP
| 1 | Pascual Perez | 0.94 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mike Scott | 0.98 |
| 3 | Bob Ojeda | 1.00 |
| 4 | Orel Hershiser | 1.05 |
| 5 | Sid Fernandez | 1.05 |
| 6 | Danny Jackson | 1.06 |
| 7 | Bryn Smith | 1.07 |
| 8 | Tom Browning | 1.07 |
| 9 | Tim Belcher | 1.08 |
| 10 | Eric Show | 1.08 |
Fielding Independent Pitchingmin 162 IP
| 1 | Bob Ojeda | 2.36 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dwight Gooden | 2.54 |
| 3 | Tim Belcher | 2.54 |
| 4 | Jose Rijo | 2.58 |
| 5 | David Cone | 2.58 |
| 6 | Tim Leary | 2.75 |
| 7 | Jose DeLeon | 2.84 |
| 8 | Joe Magrane | 2.99 |
| 9 | Mike Scott | 3.00 |
| 10 | Sid Fernandez | 3.01 |
How this page is built
The qualifying line for 1988 is 502 plate appearances and 162 innings pitched. It comes from the length of the schedule — 162 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.
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. 1988 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, 21 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 1988 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.