Slugging Percentage
Also known as: slugging percentage, slugging pct, slugging average, SLG stat, total bases per at-bat, how to calculate slugging
Slugging 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.
Take a hitter with 10 singles, 4 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs in 50 at-bats. That adds up to 10 + 8 + 3 + 8 = 29 total bases. His slugging percentage is .580. Unlike batting average, it gives more credit for extra-base hits.
A hitter who homers in every at-bat would slug 4.000, so slugging can be well above 1.000 in theory. Slugging plus on-base percentage makes OPS. Subtracting batting average from slugging gives isolated power.
Field size, bat rules and the level of pitching all affect slugging. Compare players within the same league and age group. For a developing hitter, harder contact at better launch angles is what moves slugging up.
Tips by skill level
Add up your total bases and divide by at-bats. A double counts two, a home run four.
Read slugging next to isolated power. Two hitters with the same slugging can get there with very different mixes of average and power.
Example
Two hitters both bat .300 over 100 at-bats. One has 30 singles and slugs .300. The other has 18 singles, 8 doubles and 4 home runs and slugs .500. The second hitter does far more damage per at-bat.
Why it matters
Slugging shows the power side of hitting that batting average hides. It is half of OPS.
Common mistakes
- Counting walks in total bases
- Using plate appearances instead of at-bats
- Comparing slugging across very different leagues or fields
- Treating slugging as a measure of how often a hitter reaches base
Frequently asked questions
What is slugging percentage?
It is total bases divided by at-bats. Singles count one base, doubles two, triples three and home runs four.
How do you calculate slugging percentage?
Add singles, two times doubles, three times triples and four times home runs. Divide that total by at-bats.
What is the difference between batting average and slugging?
Batting average counts every hit the same. Slugging gives more credit for extra-base hits, so it shows power as well as contact.
Sources
Related terms
- 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.
- Batting AverageBatting 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.
- Isolated Power (ISO)Isolated power (ISO) measures a hitter's extra-base power: slugging percentage minus batting average. You can also figure it as doubles plus twice the triples plus three times the home runs, divided by at-bats. In MLB, about .140 is league average, .200 is great and .250 is excellent.
- 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.
- Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA)Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) gives each hitting outcome a run value. It combines walks and hits into one rate that is scaled like on-base percentage.
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