Batting Average Calculator
Batting average (BA) is calculated by dividing the number of hits by the number of official at-bats. It is expressed as a three-decimal value (e.g., .300 meaning the batter gets a hit in 30% of at-bats). Walks, hit-by-pitches, and sacrifice plays do not count as at-bats, keeping batting average focused purely on contact quality. While modern analysis supplements batting average with OBP and slugging, it remains the foundational offensive statistic tracked by every level of baseball.
Batting average formula
BA = Hits / At-Bats
The result is rounded to three decimal places and expressed without a leading zero (e.g., .300 rather than 0.300). This convention has been standard in official MLB statistics since the 19th century.
Batting average benchmarks
- .350 and above: Elite, rare; typical of batting title contenders.
- .300 to .349: Excellent; considered the gold standard for a good hitter.
- .270 to .299: Above average at the MLB level.
- .240 to .269: Around league average in the modern era.
- Below .220: Below average; a concern for regular starters.
Batting average calculator: frequently asked questions
What is batting average?
Batting average is the ratio of hits to official at-bats. It is expressed as a three-decimal fraction, such as .300 (meaning 30 hits in 100 at-bats). It is the oldest and most recognized offensive statistic in baseball.
What counts as an at-bat?
An official at-bat is recorded when a batter reaches base via a hit, makes an out on a batted ball, or strikes out. Walks, hit by pitches, sacrifice flies, and sacrifice bunts do not count as official at-bats.
What is a good batting average in MLB?
Historically, .300 is considered excellent in MLB. League-average batting averages have hovered around .240 to .260 in recent decades. A batting average above .280 is above average; below .220 is considered poor for a regular starter.
Is batting average still useful?
Batting average does not capture walks or extra-base power, so advanced analysts prefer On-Base Percentage (OBP) or wOBA. However, batting average remains useful as a simple measure of a batter's contact skill.
What is the highest single-season batting average in MLB history?
Hugh Duffy hit .440 in 1894. In the modern era (post-1900), Ty Cobb's .420 in 1911 is widely regarded as the modern record. Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, the last player to bat .400 in a season.
Official sources
- MLB Official Baseball Rules: mlb.com/official-information/official-rules.
- Society for American Baseball Research (SABR): sabr.org.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 15 June 2026. See our methodology.