What is a Batting Average in Baseball?

what does batting average mean in baseball

Last updated on October 26th, 2023 at 06:20 am

A hitter’s batting average means what percentage they get a hit to get on base per every at-bat they take. The batting average is a straightforward baseball statistic that most fans and baseball players understand. For example, I had ten at bats and got three singles. Therefore, I would have a .300 batting average.

 

So, how do you calculate a batting average in more detail? What tends to be a good batting average in MLB? When was the last time a player hit for over 400? What are some of the highest batting averages in MLB history?

 

Here is the complete breakdown to what a batting average is baseball.

 

How Do you Calculate a Batting Average?

how do you calculate a batting average

Batting Average = The number of Hits / Number of Plate Appearances (excluding sacrifice hits and or walks)

 

For example, let’s pretend that a baseball player had a total of 225 at-bats during the regular season. Out of that 225 at-bats that did not include a walk or hit by pitch, they recorded 48 hits. That player’s batting average would be .213 for the season with those metrics. 

 

What is a Good Batting Average in Baseball?

what is a good batting average in baseball

A good hitter’s batting average in the MLB typically is over .300. However, baseball teams in the present day don’t value batting average as much anymore. Some new stats that teams value more include baseball OPS and baseball WAR. For example, baseball teams had an average have a .248 batting average. When you compare that to 1999, baseball teams had a .271 batting average. 

 

There are many reasons why the batting average for teams is decreasing. The most common causes include launch angle analysis, OPS, baseball WAR, individual contracts, and the value of a home run against a strikeout. Generally speaking, teams want run-scoring opportunities over reaching base via a single and or walk.

 

When was the Last Time Someone Had a .400 Batting Average?

When was the Last Time Someone Had a .400 Batting Average

The last time a batter had over a .400 batting was in 1941 with Ted Williams. Ted Williams was a baseball player on the Boston Red Sox and hit .406 that season. Remarkably, Ted Williams ended his career as a nineteen-time All-Star, two-time winner of the MVP award, and finished with a .344 batting average for their career.

 

Who Has the Highest Batting Average in Major League Baseball History?

Who Has the Highest Batting Average in Major League Baseball History

Below is the list of highest batting averages according to MLB.com in MLB history.

 

  • Ty Cobb: .367
  • Rogers Hornsby: .358
  • Ed Delahanty: .346
  • Tris Speaker: .345
  • Ted Williams: .344

 

What is the Highest Minor League Baseball Average of All-Time?

Gary Redus had a .462 batting average in a season with the Billings Mustangs in 1978. After hitting well above .400, Gary Redus had a thirteen-year career in the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Rangers. His career batting average during those thirteen years came out to .252. As you can see, the over 400 batting average in the minors doesn’t translate 100% to the majors. The pitching in the Major Leagues is better than the minors, so it’s difficult to hit .400 in the MLB.

 

Why I think Batting Average Alone is a Misleading Stat

is batting average a misleading stat

Batting average in baseball is a misleading stat for numerous reasons. First, the batting average does not take into account walking and or getting hit-by-pitches. Getting on base via a single or walk should count as a successful at-bat, which the batting average does not factor. That means players who see many pitches and can get on base via a walk don’t receive a credit via their batting average. OBP (on-base percentage) helps close that gap that the batting average left out, however.

 

The second misleading measurement of batting average pertains to counting extra-base hits as the same as a single. The current batting average formula calculates a single and a home run as the same in value via a successful hit. However, a home run hitter (or a double/triple) is more valuable than a hitter who only gets weak singles in the infield or outfield. At the surface level, they are hits, but the value in a double is more than a single since you move into scoring position for your team.

 

Third, the batting average doesn’t include RBI’s (runs batted in) into the equation. For example, let’s pretend you have two hitters on your team with three hundred at-bats. Player A has a .270 average, while player B has a .230 average. On the surface, the .270 batting average looks like a better hitter on the team. However, the .270 hitter only heats weak ground balls and only drove in thirty runs that season. Unlike the .270 hitter, the .230 hitter hit many home runs and drove in one hundred RBI’s for the season. A quick look at the batting average might incorrectly tell you that player A is a better hitter than B, which would not be the case.

 

Conclusion: What is a Batting Average in Baseball?

In summary, the batting average is an easy calculation for baseball fans to understand. It takes the number of hits a baseball player gets out of the qualified number of bats they had excluding HBP and walks.

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