List of National League annual slugging percentage leaders

List of National League Slugging Percentage Leaders

The National League slugging percentage Leader is the Major League Baseball player in the National League who has the highest slugging percentage in a particular season.

In baseball statistics, slugging percentage' (abbreviated SLG) is a measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats:

where AB is the number of at-bats for a given player, and 1B, 2B, 3B, and HR are the number of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs, respectively. Walks are specifically excluded from this calculation.

Currently, a player needs to accrue an average of at least 3.1 plate appearances for each game his team plays in order to qualify for the title. An exception to this qualification rule is that if a player falls short of 3.1 plate appearances per game, but would still have the highest batting average if enough hitless at-bats were added to reach the 3.1 average mark, the player still wins the slugging percentage championship.

The latest example of this exception being employed was in 2007, when Ryan Braun had a .634 slugging percentage, but only 492 plate appearances – 10 short of the 502 necessary. The addition of 10 hitless at-bats would have lowered his slugging percentage to a value that was still better than anyone else in the league, so Braun was the National League slugging percentage champion. A similar situation occurred when Tony Gwynn won the NL batting title in 1996.

Year-by-Year National League Slugging Percentage Leaders

2024 Shohei Ohtani (LAD) .649 2023 Matt Olson (ATL) .604 2022 Paul Goldschmidt (STL) .578 2021 Bryce Harper (PHI) .615 2020 Juan Soto (WSN) .695 2019 Christian Yelich (MIL) .671 2018 Christian Yelich (MIL) .598 2017 Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) .631 2016 Daniel Murphy (WSN) .595 2015 Bryce Harper (WSN) .649 2014 Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) .555 2013 Paul Goldschmidt (ARI) .551 2012 Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) .608 2011 Ryan Braun (MIL) .597 2010 Joey Votto (CIN) .600 2009 Albert Pujols (STL) .658 2008 Albert Pujols (STL) .653 2007 Ryan Braun (MIL) **.634 2006 Albert Pujols (STL) .671 2005 Derrek Lee (CHC) .662 2004 Barry Bonds (SFG) .812 2003 Barry Bonds (SFG) .749 2002 Barry Bonds (SFG) .799 2001 Barry Bonds (SFG) .863 2000 Todd Helton (COL) .698 1999 Larry Walker (COL) .710 1998 Mark McGwire (STL) .752 1997 Larry Walker (COL) .720 1996 Ellis Burks (COL) .639 1995 Dante Bichette (COL) .620 1994 Jeff Bagwell (HOU) .750 1993 Barry Bonds (SFG) .677 1992 Barry Bonds (PIT) .624 1991 Will Clark (SFG) .536 1990 Barry Bonds (PIT) .565 1989 Kevin Mitchell (SFG) .635 1988 Darryl Strawberry (NYM) .545 1987 Jack Clark (STL) .597 1986 Mike Schmidt+ (PHI) .547 1985 Pedro Guerrero (LAD) .577 1984 Dale Murphy (ATL) .547 1983 Dale Murphy (ATL) .540 1982 Mike Schmidt+ (PHI) .547 1981 Mike Schmidt+ (PHI) .644 1980 Mike Schmidt+ (PHI) .624 1979 Dave Kingman (CHC) .613 1978 Dave Parker (PIT) .585 1977 George Foster (CIN) .631 1976 Joe Morgan+ (CIN) .576 1975 Dave Parker (PIT) .541 1974 Mike Schmidt+ (PHI) .546 1973 Willie Stargell+ (PIT) .646 1972 Billy Williams+ (CHC) .606 1971 Hank Aaron+ (ATL) .669 1970 Willie McCovey+ (SFG) .612 1969 Willie McCovey+ (SFG) .656 1968 Willie McCovey+ (SFG) .545 1967 Hank Aaron+ (ATL) .573 1966 Dick Allen (PHI) .632 1965 Willie Mays+ (SFG) .645 1964 Willie Mays+ (SFG) .607 1963 Hank Aaron+ (MLN) .586 1962 Frank Robinson+ (CIN) .624 1961 Frank Robinson+ (CIN) .611 1960 Frank Robinson+ (CIN) .595 1959 Hank Aaron+ (MLN) .636 1958 Ernie Banks+ (CHC) .614 1957 Willie Mays+ (NYG) .626 1956 Duke Snider+ (BRO) .598 1955 Willie Mays+ (NYG) .659 1954 Willie Mays+ (NYG) .667 1953 Duke Snider+ (BRO) .627 1952 Stan Musial+ (STL) .538 1951 Ralph Kiner+ (PIT) .627 1950 Stan Musial+ (STL) .596 1949 Ralph Kiner+ (PIT) .658 1948 Stan Musial+ (STL) .702 1947 Ralph Kiner+ (PIT) .639 1946 Stan Musial+ (STL) .587 1945 Tommy Holmes (BSN) .577 1944 Stan Musial+ (STL) .549 1943 Stan Musial+ (STL) .562 1942 Johnny Mize+ (NYG) .521 1941 Pete Reiser (BRO) .558 1940 Johnny Mize+ (STL) .636 1939 Johnny Mize+ (STL) .626 1938 Johnny Mize+ (STL) .614 1937 Joe Medwick+ (STL) .641 1936 Mel Ott+ (NYG) .588 1935 Arky Vaughan+ (PIT).607 1934 Ripper Collins (STL) .615 1933 Chuck Klein+ (PHI) .602 1932 Chuck Klein+ (PHI) .646 1931 Chuck Klein+ (PHI) .584 1930 Hack Wilson+ (CHC) .723 1929 Rogers Hornsby+ (CHC) .679 1928 Rogers Hornsby+ (BSN) .632 1927 Chick Hafey+ (STL) .590 1926 Cy Williams (PHI) .568 1925 Rogers Hornsby+ (STL) .756 1924 Rogers Hornsby+ (STL) .696 1923 Rogers Hornsby+ (STL) .627 1922 Rogers Hornsby+ (STL) .722 1921 Rogers Hornsby+ (STL) .639 1920 Rogers Hornsby+ (STL) .559 1919 Hy Myers (BRO) .436 1918 Edd Roush+ (CIN) .455 1917 Rogers Hornsby+ (STL) .484 1916 Zack Wheat+ (BRO) .461 1915 Gavvy Cravath (PHI) .510 1914 Sherry Magee (PHI) .509 1913 Gavvy Cravath (PHI) .568 1912 Heinie Zimmerman (CHC) .571 1911 Frank Schulte (CHC) .534 1910 Sherry Magee (PHI) .507 1909 Honus Wagner+ (PIT) .489 1908 Honus Wagner+ (PIT) .542 1907 Honus Wagner+ (PIT) .513 1906 Harry Lumley (BRO) .477 1905 Cy Seymour (CIN) .559 1904 Honus Wagner+ (PIT) .520 1903 Fred Clarke+ (PIT) .532 1902 Honus Wagner+ (PIT) .463 1901 Jimmy Sheckard (BRO) .534

+ Hall of Famer

A ** by the stat's value indicates the player had fewer than the required number of plate appearances for the SLG title that year. In order to rank the player, the necessary number of hitless at bats were added to the player's season total. The value here is their actual value, and not the value used to rank them.

References