With the steady flow of premier free agents from the National League to the American League in recent seasons, a number of my friends have made the case that the Junior Circuit is the superior league. Measuring talent is tricky business, but it’s hard to disagree.

Pitchers tend to get their ERA dinged up when they move from the NL to the AL. Going the other way often is a good career move. The DH has something to do with the difference, but there's more to it than that.

Certainly the AL has had the upper hand in interleague play of late. Since the start of the 2005 season, it has gone 449-348 for a winning percentage of .563 against the Senior Circuit.

Don’t look for Games 6 & 7 of the World Series to be played in an NL park any time soon, as the NL hasn’t won an All-Star game since 1996. OK, the All-Star format doesn’t put the best team on the field, but that’s another issue.

So, should it come as a surprise that the eight players with the highest on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) in the majors come from the same league. . . and it’s not the American League?

The major league leader is Houston’s Lance Berkman (1.280), who is slugging 1.065 in May, with seven doubles, eight homers and 19 RBIs in 16 games.

Top 12 in On-Base-Plus-Slugging (OPS)

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPS
Lance Berkman, Hou. . . . . . . . . 191. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.280
Chipper Jones, Atl. . . . . . . . . . .179. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.154
Albert Pujols, StL. . . . . . . . . . . .201. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.085
Dan Uggla, Fla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.066

Rafael Furcal, LAD. . . . . . . . . . .154. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.045
Geovany Soto, ChC. . . . . . . . . . 168. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.036
Chase Utley, Phi. . . . . . . . . . . . 201. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.024
Pat Burrell, Phi. . . . . . . . . . . . .183. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.015

Milton Bradley, Tex. . . . . . . . . .162. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.014
Nate McLouth, Pit. . . . . . . . . . .201. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.010
Carlos Quentin, CWS. . . . . . . . . 176. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.004
Kevin Youkilis, Bos. . . . . . . . . . .191. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.003

Ninth on the list is the American League leader: the Rangers’ Milton Bradley. Only three of the top dozen are from the AL.

Maybe there isn’t much to read into the NL’s OPS dominance, but the leader board offers a conflicting view of how we tend to perceive the two leagues.

Or maybe pitching in the AL is better, too.