View source for Batting average (baseball)

{{Short description|Baseball player's batting statistics}}
{{sabermetric| formula = <math>AVG = \frac{H}{AB}</math>}}
In [[baseball]], '''batting average''' ('''BA''') is determined by dividing a player's [[Hits (baseball)|hits]] by their total [[at-bats]]. It is usually rounded to three decimal places and read without the decimal: A player with a batting average of .300 is "batting three hundred". If necessary to break ties, batting averages could be taken beyond the .001 measurement.  In this context, .001 is considered a "point", such that a .235 batter is five points higher than a .230 batter.

==History==
[[File:National League batting averages 1877.jpg|thumb|right|Top batting averages for the 1877 season, as published in ''The Buffalo Sunday Morning News''— Deacon White led the league]]
[[Henry Chadwick (writer)|Henry Chadwick]], an English statistician raised on [[cricket]], was an influential figure in the early history of baseball.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/436e570c |title=Henry Chadwick |first=Andrew |last=Schiff |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |date=2008 |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> He is credited with creating the modern [[box score]], in 1859, and the practice of denoting a [[strikeout]] with a "K".<ref name=hall>{{Cite web|url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/chadwick-henry|title=Henry Chadwick|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|language=en|access-date=2020-02-13}}</ref> Chadwick wrote in 1869: "In making up a score at the close of the match the record should be as follows:–Name of player, total number of times the first base was made by clean hits, total bases so made, left on bases after clean hits, and the number of times the first base has been made on errors..."<ref name=hersh/> This led to the recording of "clean" hits—times a batter reached base without benefit of an [[error (baseball)|error]].<ref name=hersh/> In 1869, another early baseball proponent, Alfred Wright, published an end-of-season summary that included the average number of times a batter had "clean" hits on a ''per game'' basis.<ref name=hersh/> In 1871, a writer for the ''[[New York Clipper]]'', Hervie Dobson, proposed that a batter's "average is found by dividing his total 'times first base on clean hits' by his total number of times he went to the bat"—hits divided by at bats.<ref name=hersh/> By 1874, some teams were calculating batting averages, and by 1876, it was being calculated by all teams of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]].<ref name=hersh>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/how-bases-on-balls-were-scored-1864-1888/ |title=How Bases on Balls were Scored: 1864–1888 |first=Richard |last=Hershberger |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |date=2018 |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref>

==Values==
[[File:Josh Gibson 1931c.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Josh Gibson has the highest major-league career batting average (.372). He is also the most recent player to hit .400 in a season (1943).]]
In modern times, a [[season (sport)|season]] batting average of .300 or higher is considered to be excellent, and an average higher than .400 is a nearly unachievable goal. The last [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) player to do so, with enough [[plate appearance]]s to qualify for the batting championship, was [[Ted Williams]] of the [[Boston Red Sox]], who hit .406 in 1941.<ref name=SeasonLeaders/> Note that batting averages are [[Rounding|rounded]];<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/research/do-motivated-players-have-higher-batting-averages |title=Do Motivated Players Have Higher Batting Averages? |first1=Paul |last1=Scott |first2=Phil |last2=Birnbaum |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]] |date=February 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2019 |quote="recorded batting averages are rounded to three decimal places"}}</ref> entering the final day of the 1941 season, Williams was at 179-for-448, which is .39955 and would have been recorded as .400 via rounding.<ref name=NowlinTed/> However, Williams played in both games of a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]], went 6-for-8, and ended the season 185-for-456,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/Pwillt103.htm |title=Ted Williams |website=[[Retrosheet]] |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> which is .40570 and becomes .406 when rounded.<ref name=NowlinTed>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/research/day-ted-williams-became-last-400-hitter-baseball |title=The Day Ted Williams Became the Last .400 Hitter in Baseball |first=Bill |last=Nowlin |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]] |date=2013 |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref>

Since 1941, no [[American League]] or [[National League (baseball)|National League]] player has hit .400 or above—the highest single-season average in those leagues has been .394 by [[Tony Gwynn]] of the [[San Diego Padres]] in 1994.<ref name=SeasonLeaders>{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/history/leaders/_/breakdown/singlepost |title=MLB Single-Season (Post-1900) Batting Leaders |website=[[ESPN]] |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> [[Wade Boggs]] hit .401 over a 162-game span with Boston from June 9, 1985, to June 6, 1986,<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/wade-boggs-jersey-retirement-red-sox-25-retired-fenway/h8k2lfh1voh41qimtgugkd49n |title=Wade Boggs: 26 incredible Red Sox stats for No. 26 |first=Ryan |last=Spaeder |website=[[Sporting News]] |date=May 26, 2016 |access-date=September 13, 2019 |archive-date=December 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225135005/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/wade-boggs-jersey-retirement-red-sox-25-retired-fenway/h8k2lfh1voh41qimtgugkd49n |url-status=dead }}</ref> but never hit above .368 for an MLB season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pboggw001.htm |title=Wade Boggs |website=[[Retrosheet]] |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> There have been numerous attempts to explain the disappearance of the .400 hitter, with one of the more rigorous discussions of this question appearing in [[Stephen Jay Gould]]'s 1996 book ''[[Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin|Full House]]''. [[Josh Gibson]] hit .466 in 1943 while playing for the [[Homestead Grays]] of the [[Negro National League (1933–1948)|Negro National League]], one of several leagues within [[Negro league baseball]] that are now recognized by MLB.<ref name=JGStats>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5525148/2024/05/28/mlb-negro-leagues-records-josh-gibson-ty-cobb/ |title=As MLB changes its records, Josh Gibson, not Ty Cobb, is all-time batting leader |first=Tyler |last=Kepner |website=[[The Athletic|The Athletics]] |date=May 28, 2024 |via=nytimes.com}}</ref>

Gibson holds the record for highest major-league career batting average at .372,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/faq-negro-leagues-stats-major-league-record |title=What to know about Negro Leagues stats entering MLB record |first=Anthony |last=Castrovince |website=MLB.com |date=May 29, 2024 |accessdate=May 29, 2024}}</ref> six points higher than [[Ty Cobb]] who has the second-highest career average at .366.<ref name=BRcareer/> The record for lowest career batting average for a player with more than 2,500 at-bats belongs to [[Bill Bergen]], a catcher who played from 1901 to 1911 and recorded a .170 average in 3,028 career at-bats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/d0f5be23 |title=Bill Bergen |first=Joe |last=Dittmar |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]] |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> [[Hugh Duffy]], who played from 1888 to 1906, is credited with the highest single-season batting average, having hit .440 in 1894.<ref name=BAsingleseason>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hibavg2.shtml |title=Single Season Leaders for Batting Average |website=[[Baseball Almanac]] |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> The modern-era (post-1900) record for highest batting average for a season is held by [[Nap Lajoie]], who hit .426 in 1901,<ref name=BAsingleseason/> the first year of play for the [[American League]]. The modern-era record for the lowest batting average for a player that qualified for the batting title is held by [[Chris Davis (baseball)|Chris Davis]], who hit .168 in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/chris-davis-finishes-2018-with-the-worst-batting-average-in-mlb-history-after-orioles-shut-him-down/ |title=Chris Davis finishes 2018 with the worst batting average in MLB history after Orioles shut him down |first=Mike |last=Axisa |website=[[CBS Sports]] |date=September 29, 2018 |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> While finishing six plate appearances short of qualifying for the batting title, [[Adam Dunn]] of the [[Chicago White Sox]] hit .159 for the 2011 season, nine points lower than the record.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/2012/06/04/106198945/death-taxes-and-adam-dunn |title=Death, Taxes And Adam Dunn |first=Ben |last=Reiter |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=June 4, 2012 |access-date=April 28, 2019 |via=si.com/vault}}</ref> The highest batting average for a [[rookie]] was .408 in 1911 by [[Shoeless Joe Jackson]].<ref name=BArecords>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_bavg1.shtml |title=Batting Average Records |website=[[Baseball Almanac]] |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref>

The league batting average in MLB for the [[2018 Major League Baseball season|2018 season]] was .248, with the highest modern-era MLB average being .296 in 1930, and the lowest being .237 in 1968.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/bat.shtml |title=Major League Baseball Batting Year-by-Year Averages |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> For non-pitchers, a batting average below .230 is often considered poor, and one below .200 is usually unacceptable. This latter level is sometimes referred to as "The [[Mendoza Line]]", named for [[Mario Mendoza]]—a lifetime .215 hitter but a good defensive shortstop.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/how-did-the-mendoza-line-become-an-mlb-term/c-277392972 |title=How did Mario Mendoza become a shorthand for batting futility? |first=Chris |last=Landers |website=[[MLB.com]] |date=May 22, 2018 |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref>

[[Sabermetrics]], the study of baseball statistics, considers batting average a weak measure of performance because it does not correlate as well as other measures to runs scored, thereby causing it to have little predictive value. Batting average does not take into account [[Base on balls|bases on balls]] (walks) or power, whereas other statistics such as [[on-base percentage]] and [[slugging percentage]] have been specifically designed to measure such concepts. Adding these statistics together form a player's [[on-base plus slugging]] or "OPS". This is commonly seen as a much better, though not perfect, indicator of a player's overall batting ability as it is a measure of hitting for average, hitting for power, and drawing walks.

===Anomalies===
In {{mlby|1887}}, [[base on balls|bases on balls]] (walks) were counted as hits by the major leagues in existence at the time. This inflated batting averages, with 11 players batting .400 or better, and the experiment was abandoned the following season. Historical statistics for the season were later revised, such that "Bases on balls shall always be treated as neither a time at bat nor a hit for the batter."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/why-is-the-national-association-not-a-major-league-and-other-records-issues-7507e1683b66 |title=Why Is the National Association Not a Major League … and Other Records Issues |first=John |last=Thorn |website=ourgame.mlblogs.com |date=May 4, 2015 |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref>

In rare instances, players have concluded their careers with a perfect batting average of 1.000—through the 2021 season, there were 94 such players in major-league history, 83 of whom recorded exactly one hit in one at bat.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ballnine.com/2021/12/17/batting-1-000/ |title=Batting 1.000. Really. |first=Kevin |last=Czerwinski |website=ballnine.com |date=December 17, 2021 |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> Only one player with a 1.000 average has had three hits—outfielder [[John Paciorek]] (1963), who had three hits in three at bats; he also had two walks, and scored four runs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/P/Ppacij101.htm |title=John Paciorek |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/2015/07/10/106211233/the-perfect-game |title=The Perfect Game |first=Ted |last=Keith |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=July 9, 2012 |access-date=April 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317121920/https://www.si.com/vault/2015/07/10/106211233/the-perfect-game |archive-date=March 17, 2016 |via=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref> Players who had two hits in their only two at bats include: pitcher [[Frank O'Connor (baseball)|Frank O'Connor]] (1893),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/O/Poconf101.htm |title=Frank O'Connor |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> catcher [[Mike Hopkins (baseball)|Mike Hopkins]] (1902),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/H/Phopkm101.htm |title=Mike Hopkins |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> pitcher [[Doc Tonkin]] (1907),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/T/Ptonkd101.htm |title=Doc Tonkin |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> pitcher [[Hal Deviney]] (1920),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdevih101.htm |title=Hal Deviney |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> pitcher [[Fred Schemanske]] (1923),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Pschef103.htm |title=Fred Schemanske |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> pitcher [[Chet Kehn]] (1942),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/K/Pkehnc101.htm |title=Chet Kehn |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> second baseman [[Steve Biras]] (1944),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbiras101.htm |title=Steve Biras |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> and pitcher [[Jason Roach (baseball)|Jason Roach]] (2003).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Proacj001.htm |title=Jason Roach |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref> Pitcher [[Esteban Yan]], who played in 472 major-league games from 1996 to 2006, mainly in the [[American League]] (where pitchers have rarely batted since the introduction of the [[designated hitter]] in 1973), also had two hits in his only two at bats, one a home run.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Y/Pyan-e001.htm |title=Esteban Yan |website=[[Retrosheet]] |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref>

==Qualifications for the batting title==
The MLB batting averages championships (often referred to as "[[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|the batting title]]") are awarded annually to the player in each league who has the highest batting average. [[Ty Cobb]] holds the MLB and [[American League]] (AL) record for most batting titles, officially winning 11 in his career.<ref name=BaseballRefBattingTitles2>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/BA_leagues.shtml |title=Year-by-Year League Leaders for Batting Average |access-date=2007-01-30 |publisher=Sports Reference, Inc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209052936/http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/BA_leagues.shtml |archive-date=9 February 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) record of eight batting titles is shared by [[Honus Wagner]] and [[Tony Gwynn]]. Most of Cobb's career and all of Wagner's career took place in what is known as the [[dead-ball era]], which was characterized by higher batting averages by star players (although the overall league batting average was historically at its lowest during that era) and much less power, whereas Gwynn's career took place in the [[live-ball era]].

To determine which players are eligible to win the batting title, the following conditions have been used over the sport's history:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/leader_glossary.shtml#min_req |title=Leaderboard Glossary – Baseball |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2012-05-26}}</ref>

*Pre-1920 – A player generally is required to appear in at least 100 or more games when the schedule was 154 games, and 90 games when the schedule was 140 games. An exception to the rule was made for [[Ty Cobb]] in 1914, who appeared in 98 games but had a big lead and was also a favorite of American League President [[Ban Johnson]].
*1920–1949 – A player had to appear in 100 games to qualify in the NL; the AL used 100 games from 1920 to 1935, and 400 at-bats from 1936 to 1949. The NL was advised to adopt 400 at-bats for the 1945 season, but National League President [[Ford Frick]] refused, feeling that 100 games should stand for the benefit of catchers and injured players. ([[Taffy Wright]] is often erroneously said to have been cheated out of the 1938 batting title; he batted .350 in exactly 100 games, with 263 ABs. [[Jimmie Foxx]] hit .349, in 149 games and 565 AB. But since the AL requirement that year was 400 at-bats, Foxx's batting title is undisputed.)
*1950–1956 – A player needed 2.6 at-bats per team game originally scheduled. (With the 154-game schedule of the time, that meant a rounded-off 400 at-bats.) From 1951 to 1954, if the player with the highest average in a league failed to meet the minimum at-bat requirement, the remaining at-bats until qualification (e.g., five at-bats, if the player finished the season with 395 at-bats) were hypothetically considered hitless at-bats; if his recalculated batting average still topped the league, he was awarded the title. This standard was applied in the AL from 1936 to 1956.
*1957 to the present – A player has needed 3.1 plate appearances per team game originally scheduled; thus, players were no longer penalized for walking so frequently, nor did they benefit from walking so rarely. (In 1954, for example, [[Ted Williams]] batted .345 but had only 386 ABs, while topping the AL with 136 walks. Williams thus lost the batting title to Cleveland's [[Bobby Ávila]], who hit .341 in 555 ABs.) In the 154-game schedule, the required number of plate appearances was 477, and since the era of the 162-game schedule, the requisite number of plate appearances has been 502. Adjustments to this figure have been made during [[MLB lockout|strike-shortened seasons]], such as 1972, 1981, 1994, and 1995.

From 1967 to the present, if the player with the highest average in a league fails to meet the minimum plate-appearance requirement, the remaining at-bats until qualification (e.g., five at-bats, if the player finished the season with 497 plate appearances) are hypothetically considered hitless at-bats; if his recalculated batting average still tops the league, he is awarded the title. This is officially Rule 10.22(a), but it is also known as the {{anchor|Tony Gwynn rule}}'''[[Tony Gwynn]] rule''' because the Padres' player won the batting crown in 1996 with a .353 average on just 498 plate appearances (i.e., he was four short). Gwynn was awarded the title since he would have led the league even if he had gone 0-for-4 in those missing plate appearances. His average would have dropped to .349, five points better than second-place [[Ellis Burks]]' .344.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://triblive.com/sports/2424892-74/cabrera-batting-crown-rule-league-baseball-gwynn-mccutchen-347-anyone |title=Cadon't crown cheating Cabrera |first=Dejan |last=Kovacevic |website=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]] |date=August 16, 2012}}</ref> In 2012, a one-time amendment to the rule was made to disqualify [[Melky Cabrera]] from the title. Cabrera requested that he be disqualified after serving a suspension that season for a positive [[Testosterone (medication)|testosterone]] test. He had batted .346 with 501 plate appearances, and the original rule would have awarded him the title over [[San Francisco Giants]] teammate [[Buster Posey]], who won batting .336.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cabrera, Posey are MVPs |date=16 November 2012 |newspaper=The State |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.thestate.com/2012/11/16/2521422/cabrera-posey-are-mvps.html#.UMpcaKxCN8E |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627080512/http://www.thestate.com/2012/11/16/2521422/cabrera-posey-are-mvps.html#.UMpcaKxCN8E |archive-date=27 June 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy |access-date=13 October 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Baggarly |first=Andrew |title=Melky Cabrera ruled ineligible to win batting crown |url=http://www.csnbayarea.com/baseball-san-francisco-giants/giants-talk/EXCLUSIVE-Melky-Cabrera-ruled-ineligible?blockID=777029&feedID=10850 |work=CSN Bay Area |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304203557/http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/andrew-baggarly/exclusive-melky-cabrera-ruled-ineligible-win-batting-crown |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref>

==All-time leaders==
{{update|section|date=May 2024}}
===Major League Baseball===
{{main article|List of Major League Baseball career batting average leaders}}
Different sources of baseball records present somewhat differing lists of career batting average leaders. There is consensus that [[Ty Cobb]] leads this category.{{efn|As of May 2024, with MLB formally recognizing Negro league baseball statistics, [[Josh Gibson]] has the highest career batting average—updates to the cited sources are expected.}} Further rankings vary by source, primarily due to differences in minimums needed to qualify (number of games played or [[plate appearance]]s), or differences in early baseball records. [[Baseball-Reference.com]] includes the [[Negro league baseball|Negro League]] teams considered major leagues by Major League Baseball.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Negro Leagues Are Major Leagues|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/negro-leagues-are-major-leagues.shtml|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en}}</ref> The below table presents the top ten lists as they appear in four well-known sources, with the rankings and degree of precision (decimal places) as provided in the source. The main article linked above is sourced from Baseball-Reference.com, which is also presented here. None of the players listed below are still living; each is an inductee of the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]], except for [[Lefty O'Doul]], [[Pete Browning]], and [[Shoeless Joe Jackson]] (who is ineligible due to his alleged role in the [[Black Sox Scandal]] of 1919).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;"
! colspan=3| [[Baseball-Reference.com]]<ref name=BRcareer>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/batting_avg_career.shtml |title=Career Leaders & Records for Batting Average |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=June 29, 2021}}</ref>
|rowspan=13|
! colspan=3| [[Baseball Almanac]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hibavg1.shtml |title=Career Leaders for Batting Average |website=[[Baseball Almanac]] |access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref>
|rowspan=12|
! colspan=3| [[ESPN]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/history/leaders |title=MLB Career Batting Leaders |website=[[ESPN]] |access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref>
|rowspan=12|
! colspan=3| [[MLB.com]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/stats/batting-average/all-time-totals |title=Statistics |quote=All-Time Totals, sorted by AVG |website=[[MLB.com]] |access-date=May 29, 2024}}</ref>
|-
! Rank || Player || Average
! Rank || Player || Average
! Rank || Player || Average
! Rank || Player || Average
|-
| 1 || [[Ty Cobb]] || .3662
| 1 || Ty Cobb || .36636
| 1 || Ty Cobb || .366
| 1 || [[Josh Gibson]] || .372
|-
| 2 || [[Oscar Charleston]] || .3643
| 2 || Rogers Hornsby || .35850
| 2 || Rogers Hornsby || .358
| 2 || Ty Cobb || .367
|-
| 3 || [[Rogers Hornsby]] || .3585
| 3 || Shoeless Joe Jackson || .35575
| 3 || Shoeless Joe Jackson || .356
| 3 || Oscar Charleston || .363
|-
| 4 || [[Shoeless Joe Jackson]] || .3558
| 4 || Ed Delahanty || .34590
| 4 || Ed Delahanty || .346
| 4 || Rogers Hornsby || .358
|-
| 5 || [[Jud Wilson]] || .3519
| 5 || Tris Speaker || .34468
| 5 || Tris Speaker || .345
| 5 || Jud Wilson || .350
|-
| 6 || [[Lefty O'Doul]] || .3493
| 6 || [[Ted Williams]] || .34441
| rowspan=2|6 || Billy Hamilton || .344
| 6 || [[Turkey Stearnes]]|| .348
|-
| 7 || Turkey Stearnes || .3490
| 7 || Billy Hamilton || .34429
| <!--Tied 6th-->Ted Williams || .344
| 7 || [[Ed Delahanty]] || .346
|-
| 8 || Ed Delahanty || .3458
| 8 || [[Babe Ruth]] || .34206
| rowspan=3|8 || Dan Brouthers || .342
| 8 || [[Buck Leonard]]|| .345
|-
| 9 || [[Tris Speaker]] || .3447
| 9 || [[Harry Heilmann]] || .34159
| <!--Tied 8th-->Harry Heilmann || .342
| 9 || Tris Speaker || .345
|-
| rowspan=2|10 || [[Billy Hamilton (baseball, born 1866)|Billy Hamilton]] || .3444
| 10 || [[Pete Browning]] || .34149
| <!--Tied 8th-->Babe Ruth || .342
| rowspan=2|10 || Billy Hamilton || .344
|-
| <!--Tied 10th-->Ted Williams || .3444
| colspan=9|
| <!--Tied 10th-->Ted Williams || .344
|-
|}

===Minor League Baseball===
The highest recorded single-season batting average in [[Minor League Baseball]] is .462, accomplished by [[Gary Redus]] in 1978, when he played for the [[Billings Mustangs]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/redus-462-in-1978-still-minor-league-best/c-112451 |title=Redus' .462 in 1978 still Minor League best |first=Kevin T. |last=Czerwinski |website=MiLB.com |date=August 2, 2006 |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/20959/in-78-redus-hit-462-in-season-for-the-ages|title=In '78, Redus hit .462, a season for the ages|work=[[ESPN.com]]|date=April 16, 2013|access-date=April 16, 2013|last=Williams|first=Doug}}</ref> an affiliate of the [[Cincinnati Reds]] in the [[Rookie Advanced]]-level [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]. Redus was 117-for-253 in 68 games,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=redus-001gar |title=Gary Redus Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> as the Pioneer League only plays from June to early September. Redus went on to play in MLB from 1982 through 1994, batting .252 during his MLB career.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/redusga01.shtml |title=Gary Redus Stats |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref>

===Nippon Professional Baseball===
In [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] (NPB), the leader in career batting average is [[Isao Harimoto]], a member of the [[Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame]], who hit .319 in his NPB career.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=harimo000isa|title=Isao Harimoto|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=January 5, 2023}}</ref> [[Nori Aoki]], an active NPB player, has a career NPB batting average of .316 {{as of|2023|04|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/31135119.html |title=Aoki, Norichika |website=npb.jp |access-date=April 16, 2023}}</ref> [[Ichiro Suzuki]] batted .353 in NPB,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a26895236/ichiro-suzuki-retires/ |title=Ichiro Suzuki Retires at 45: Inside His Stats, Teams, and Legendary MLB Career |first=Eric |last=Lutz |website=[[Men's Health]] |date=March 21, 2019 |access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> but does not have enough NPB career at-bats to qualify for the league's title. [[Sadaharu Oh]] batting average of .355 in 1973 season. [[Randy Bass]] had a batting average of .389 in 1986 season.

===KBO League===
In [[KBO League]] (KBO), the leader in career batting average is [[Jung-hoo Lee]], who hit .340 in his KBO career. And he is an active player. [[Baek In-chun]] batting average of .412 in 1982 season. This is the highest batting average of one season in KBO League.

==See also==
*[[List of Major League Baseball batting champions]]
*[[Baseball statistics]]
*[[Batting average (cricket)]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/explaining-sabermetrics-batting-average-criticism-ops-wrc-fangraphs-statcast/1d6p94zlvv3a01kqajw7vzrm3f |title=Stat to the Future: Why it's time to stop relying on batting average |first=John |last=Edwards |website=[[Sporting News]] |date=August 17, 2017 |access-date=April 17, 2020}}
*{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/17/sports/defense-batting-average/ |title=In defense of the batting average |first=Bob |last=Ryan |author-link=Bob Ryan |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |url-access=limited |date=April 17, 2020 |access-date=April 17, 2020}}

==External links==
*[https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/batting_avg_career.shtml Career Leaders & Records for Batting Average] at [[Baseball-Reference.com]]

{{Baseball statistics}}
{{Baseball}}

[[Category:Batting statistics]]