1. What is Batting Average?

Batting average (BA) is a statistic in baseball that measures a batter's success rate in achieving a hit during an at bat. It is calculated as hits divided by at bats.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the batting average formula:

Where:

• \( BA \) — Batting average (dimensionless)
• \( H \) — Hits (dimensionless)
• \( AB \) — At bats (dimensionless)

Explanation: The equation calculates the ratio of hits to official at bats, excluding walks, sacrifices, and hit by pitches.

3. Importance of Batting Average

Details: Batting average is one of baseball's oldest and most traditional statistics, used to evaluate a player's hitting ability. While modern analytics use more comprehensive metrics, BA remains a fundamental measure.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter whole numbers for hits and at bats. At bats must be greater than zero. The result is displayed as a decimal to three places (e.g., 0.300).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is considered a good batting average?
A: In modern MLB, .300 is excellent, .270 is average, and below .230 is poor. Historical averages were higher.

Q2: Why isn't batting average the best hitting metric?
A: BA doesn't account for walks or power (extra base hits). Metrics like OBP and OPS are more comprehensive.

Q3: What's the highest possible batting average?
A: 1.000 (a hit every at bat), though this is only achievable in very small samples.

Q4: How is batting average different from on-base percentage?
A: OBP includes walks and hit by pitches, while BA only counts official at bats with hits.

Q5: Why do batting averages decline over a career?
A: As players age, reaction times slow and bat speed decreases, making it harder to hit major league pitching.