How to Calculate Batting Averages

Photo By: Salmaboskey Boskey

Baseball is often considered "America's Pastime." Since the beginning of baseball, statistics have been kept regarding team records and individual player's statistics, including batting averages. The batting average is used to determine how often a player hits the ball and reaches base. A good batting average is generally considered in the high .200s or .300s. Hall of Famer Ty Cobb has the highest career batting average of all time at .366.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator

Instructions

1. Determine the number of at-bats to begin calculating the batting average. When a batter is walked, hit by a pitch or hits a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, the attempt is not considered an at-bat.

2. Determine the number of hits. A hit is defined by hitting the ball and getting to base without aid of an error or a fielder's choice. If a player hits the ball and does not reach base safely with a single, double, triple or home run, it is not considered a hit.

3. Divide the number of hits by the number of at-bats. The result is a player's batting average. If a player has 320 hits out of 1,430 at-bats, his batting average would be .224 (320/1430=.22377). The batting average is displayed in three digits, rounded up.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful not to divide the number of at-bats by the number of hits. This will provide you with an errant number.

References

• Baseball Almanac