1. What is Batting Average?

Batting average (BA) is a statistic in baseball that measures a batter's performance by dividing the number of hits by the number of at bats. It's one of the oldest and most traditional measures of batting performance.

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 formula calculates how often a batter gets a hit when they come to bat, excluding walks, sacrifices, and hit by pitches.

3. Importance of Batting Average

Details: While modern baseball analytics use more comprehensive metrics, batting average remains a fundamental statistic for evaluating hitters and is part of the "triple crown" of batting statistics.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter whole numbers for hits and at bats. At bats must be greater than 0, and hits cannot exceed at bats.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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

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

Q3: Can batting average be greater than 1?
A: No, since hits cannot exceed at bats, the maximum possible BA is 1.000 (a hit every at bat).

Q4: What's the difference between at bats and plate appearances?
A: Plate appearances include walks, sacrifices, and hit by pitches, while at bats exclude these.

Q5: Who holds the record for highest career batting average?
A: Ty Cobb with .366, though this is disputed due to record-keeping differences in early baseball.