The slugging percentage is one way to help determine the production of a hitter in baseball. But it doesn't other important statistics, such as walks and runs scored.
In determining slugging percentage, a single translates to one base, a double is two bases, a triple is three bases and a home run is four bases.
The slugging percentage is calculated as the total number of bases a hitter earns divided by his number of at-bats. If a batter hits 100 singles, 30 doubles, 10 triples and 30 home runs during the course of a season, that would add up to 310 total bases. If he recorded 620 at-bats, his slugging percentage would be .500.
Power hitters
Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard has a high slugging percentage because he hits a lot of home runs.
Those who value slugging percentage must understand that it is weighted toward power hitters. Those who hit more home runs and doubles are going to have higher slugging percentages.
The top power hitters in baseball often hit 40 or more home runs during the course of a season. And most of them also hit 30-plus doubles because they tend to hit the ball deep.
When determining the potential of a young power hitter, his slugging percentage is a telling statistic. But keep in mind that minor league hitters are facing weaker pitching and that young major league hitters who have high slugging percentages have weaknesses that pitchers have yet to figure out.
Singles Hitters
Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki doesn't have a great slugging percentage, but he's still a fantastic hitter.
What the slugging percentage fails to measure is a player's overall contribution to a team. Many of the premier players in baseball take a lot of walks and hit mostly singles, but they can score more than 100 runs in a season and steal 40 or more bases.
The slugging percentage also doesn't take into consideration how often a hitter strikes out. A batter can move a runner from second to third base by hitting the ball to the right side of the field and making an out. That player can be far more valuable than one who hits 30 home runs in a season and strikes out 150 times, yet it is the latter that boasts a higher slugging percentage.
The idea in baseball is to produce runs either by scoring them or driving them in. And the slugging percentage is certainly not the most telling indicator of overall production.
Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard has a high slugging percentage because he hits a lot of home runs.Those who value slugging percentage must understand that it is weighted toward power hitters. Those who hit more home runs and doubles are going to have higher slugging percentages.
Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki doesn't have a great slugging percentage, but he's still a fantastic hitter.What the slugging percentage fails to measure is a player's overall contribution to a team. Many of the premier players in baseball take a lot of walks and hit mostly singles, but they can score more than 100 runs in a season and steal 40 or more bases.
