How to Calculate Batting Average in Baseball

Batting average (BA) is baseball's most traditional hitting statistic. It measures how often a batter gets a hit per at-bat. A .300 average is considered excellent — it means getting a hit about once every 3.3 at-bats. The all-time career leader is Ty Cobb at .366.

Batting Average (BA or AVG)

BA = Hits / At-Bats

Step-by-Step Method

Count Your Hits (H)

A hit is any time you reach base safely due to your batted ball (single, double, triple, home run). Reaching base by walk, hit-by-pitch, error, or fielder's choice does NOT count as a hit.

H = 1B + 2B + 3B + HR

Count Your At-Bats (AB)

An at-bat is any plate appearance that ends with a hit, out, or error. Walks (BB), hit-by-pitch (HBP), sacrifice bunts (SH), sacrifice flies (SF), and catcher interference do NOT count as at-bats.

AB = PA − BB − HBP − SH − SF − CI

Divide Hits by At-Bats

Example: 45 hits in 150 at-bats. BA = 45/150 = .300 (read as "three hundred"). This means you get a hit 30% of the time.

BA = 45/150 = .300

Interpret Your Average

.300+ = Excellent (All-Star level). .270-.299 = Good (solid regular). .250-.269 = Average (league average is ~.250). .200-.249 = Below average. Below .200 = Mendoza Line (struggling).

Rating scale

Beyond Batting Average

Modern analytics use OBP (On-Base Percentage), SLG (Slugging), and OPS (OBP+SLG) alongside BA. OBP counts walks and HBP, rewarding batters who get on base any way possible. SLG weights extra-base hits (doubles count more than singles). OPS combines both.

Real-World Applications

Batting average is used for: evaluating hitter performance, determining contract values, qualifying for the batting title (minimum 502 plate appearances), comparing players across eras, and making lineup decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good batting average?▼

In MLB, .300+ is excellent (top ~15% of players), .270-.299 is good, .250 is roughly league average, and below .200 (the Mendoza Line) is very poor.

Why don't walks count in batting average?▼

Walks (BB) are not at-bats because the batter didn't put the ball in play — the pitcher failed to throw strikes. BA measures hitting ability specifically, not overall on-base ability.

Has anyone batted .400 in a season?▼

Ted Williams was the last to hit .400, batting .406 in 1941. No one has done it since, though Tony Gwynn came close with .394 in the shortened 1994 season.

What is the Mendoza Line?▼

The Mendoza Line is a batting average of .200, named after Mario Mendoza who hovered around that mark. Batting below .200 is considered the minimum threshold for a major league player.

Try It Yourself

Skip the manual calculations. Use our free Batting Average Calculator for instant results.

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