Batting Average
Also known as: batting average, batting avg, good batting average, what is a good batting average, how to calculate batting average, AVG stat, 300 hitter
Batting average is hits divided by official at-bats. Walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifices and catcher's interference do not count as at-bats. A .300 average has long been seen as a strong mark in pro baseball. What counts as good in youth or high school ball depends a lot on the league and the pitching.
To find it, divide hits by at-bats and round to three decimals. A hitter with 30 hits in 100 at-bats is batting .300. Reaching base on an error or a fielder's choice is an at-bat without a hit. MLB Rule 9.02(a) lists what does not count as an at-bat.
Batting average is easy to understand but leaves a lot out. It ignores walks and treats a single the same as a home run. On-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS fill those gaps. It also moves a lot on luck in small samples. A few bloop hits or line-drive outs can shift it far over a short season.
Youth and high school averages run high or low with the level of pitching and defense, field size and bat rules. Compare a player with teammates and the league rather than with pro numbers. Over a short season, hard-hit balls and strikeout rate often say more about progress.
Tips by skill level
Divide your hits by your official at-bats. Leave out walks, hit-by-pitches and sacrifices.
Read batting average with BABIP and hard-hit rate. A low average with hard contact usually turns around. A low average with weak contact is a real problem.
Example
A high school sophomore has 18 hits in 60 at-bats, plus 10 walks and 2 sacrifice bunts. Only the 60 at-bats count, so his average is .300. His walks show up in his on-base percentage instead.
Why it matters
Batting average is the most familiar hitting stat. Knowing what it leaves out keeps players and parents from over-reading it.
Common mistakes
- Counting walks or sacrifices as at-bats
- Comparing a youth average with pro numbers
- Judging a hitter on a few weeks of average
- Ignoring walks and extra-base hits
Frequently asked questions
What's a good batting average in high school?
It depends a lot on the league and the level of pitching, so compare with your league and teammates. In pro baseball, .300 has long been considered strong. Over a short season, look at hard contact and strikeouts too.
How do you calculate batting average?
Divide hits by official at-bats and round to three decimals. Thirty hits in 100 at-bats is a .300 average.
Do walks count against your batting average?
No. Walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts and sacrifice flies are not official at-bats. They count in on-base percentage instead.
Sources
Related terms
- On-Base PercentageOn-base percentage is the fraction of plate appearances in which a hitter reaches base safely — by hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch. It is the best single-stat predictor of a slow-pitch leadoff hitter's value.
- Slugging PercentageSlugging percentage is total bases divided by at-bats. A single counts one base, a double two, a triple three and a home run four. It measures how much damage a hitter does per at-bat. Walks and hit-by-pitches are not counted.
- On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS)OPS is a hitting stat that adds on-base percentage and slugging percentage. It combines reaching base and hitting for power in one number.
- BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play)BABIP is batting average on balls in play: hits that are not home runs, divided by the balls a hitter puts in play. The formula is (H − HR) ÷ (AB − K − HR + SF). League average is almost always around .300. Line drives fall for hits more often than ground balls, and ground balls more often than fly balls. As a result, hard line-drive contact helps. But short streaks are mostly luck.
- Quality At-BatA quality at-bat is judged by process and competitiveness, not just outcome. A long count, a hard-hit ball, a walk, or moving a runner can count without a hit.
Related guides & benchmarks
Work on the cause
Video shows how you move, not the ball itself. Film one swing to find the movement behind this result — free to start.
See a sample Baseball report first