How is batting average calculated?
The Formula and At-Bats
Batting average (BA) = hits (H) divided by at-bats (AB). For example, 30 hits in 100 at-bats is .300. At-bats are official plate appearances minus walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, and times reached on interference or obstruction. This means a walk does not count as an at-bat, so it does not lower batting average.
In MLB, a player must have at least 3.1 plate appearances per team game to qualify for the batting title (e.g., 502 plate appearances in a 162-game season). The league leader in batting average is often called the batting champion.
Context and Variations
Batting average is just one measure of hitting. It treats all hits equally, so a single and a home run count the same. Other stats like on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG) give a fuller picture. In modern analytics, batting average is less emphasized than OBP and OPS (OBP + SLG).
In softball, the calculation is the same. In youth leagues, the rule for at-bats may vary slightly, but the core idea is hits divided by official at-bats.
Common mistakes
- Counting walks as at-bats; they are not at-bats and do not affect batting average.
- Thinking a higher batting average always means a better hitter; it ignores power and walks.
