1. What is Slugging Percentage?

Slugging Percentage (SLG) is a baseball statistic that measures the power of a hitter by calculating total bases per at bat. Unlike batting average, it gives more weight to extra-base hits.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Slugging Percentage formula:

Where:

• \( 1B \) — Singles
• \( 2B \) — Doubles
• \( 3B \) — Triples
• \( HR \) — Home Runs
• \( AB \) — At Bats

Explanation: Each type of hit is weighted by the number of bases gained (1 for single, 2 for double, etc.), summed, then divided by at bats.

3. Importance of Slugging Percentage

Details: SLG is a key metric for evaluating a player's offensive performance, especially their power hitting ability. It's often combined with on-base percentage to create OPS (On-base Plus Slugging).

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the count of each type of hit and total at bats. All values must be non-negative integers, and at bats must be greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a good slugging percentage?
A: In MLB, .450 is considered good, .550 is excellent, and .300 is poor. The league average typically ranges between .400-.420.

Q2: How does SLG differ from batting average?
A: Batting average counts all hits equally, while SLG weights hits by their power (extra bases).

Q3: Can SLG be greater than 1.000?
A: Yes, though rare. It would require averaging more than one base per at bat (e.g., 2 HR in 5 AB = 8 total bases = 1.600 SLG).

Q4: Does SLG include walks?
A: No, SLG only considers hits and at bats. Walks are excluded from both numerator and denominator.

Q5: What's the highest career SLG in MLB history?
A: Babe Ruth holds the record with .6897 career SLG. The active leader is Mike Trout with approximately .587 (as of 2023).