Explain how a batter's batting average is computed by first calculating the number of times he or she reaches base by receiving a hit. This total number of hits is then divided by the number of times he is given the opportunity to hit (an "at bat"). The result is called the batter's batting average. For example, if the batter receives five hits in one game and no out is made during that time, his batting average for the game is.400 (5 hits out of 12 opportunities). A batting average of.500 means that the player got a hit every time he came to the plate. Such numbers are very high because it takes only one strike to get a hit; two strikes and you're out; three balls and you're out; and so on.
It is possible for a batter to have a batting average of.300 when he reaches base via any number of ways other than hitting itself. For example, if a pitcher allows him to reach base on an error or passed ball each time he comes to the plate, his average would rise to.300. Or if he gets picked off once but scores the next time he comes to the plate, his average would be.300 as well. Or if he walks several times but is thrown out while trying to steal home every time he goes to third, his average would be.300 as well.
Batting average is one of the oldest and most often used measures for determining a hitter's performance at the plate. It is calculated by dividing a player's hits by his total at-bats for a figure between zero (represented as.000) and one (1.000). The league-wide batting average has consistently been around.250 in previous years.
Hitting percentage is another way to measure a hitter's ability. It takes into account how many times he gets hit by a pitch, walks, strikes out, and gets caught stealing. Like batting average, hitting percentage is also divided by at-bats to produce a number between 0 and 1. However, since these other factors affect batting average, they will also affect its calculation method. For example, if a player walks more than he strikes out, his batting average will be higher than.300 because more bases are put on base. However, if a player only strikes out but never walks, his batting average will be lower because he does not get credit for reaching base.
Finally, some people may use other methods to calculate batting averages or percentages. For example, some folks may divide their team's batting average by the number of games played instead of using at-bats as the unit of measurement. This type of batting average can be difficult to compare across seasons or players because there is no way to determine how many games were played during each season or at what rate games were played during different time periods.
Subtract the amount of hits from the number of at-bats.
To calculate a player's batting average, divide his or her total hits (not the number of bases) by his or her total at bats. A walk is not considered an at-bat or a hit, and it has no effect on a player's batting average. A batter with a.400 batting average would have a total of 100 points in batting average. If he or she had 10 walks, his or her actual batting average would be.400.
Walking too many or too few batters can affect a player's average. For example, if a hitter walks 20 percent of the men he faces but only gets hit by pitches 70 percent of the time, then he is likely to see his average drop because there will be more walks than hits. Conversely, if a hitter strikes out 30 percent of the time but only gets hit by pitches 10 percent of the time, then he is likely to see his average rise because there will be more hits than walks. A batter who draws even more walks than this - for example, if he were to strike out 40 percent of the time - would have a lower average than you might expect.
The number of times a batter walks or strikes out does impact how many runs he or she scores, but not all scores are equal.
A batting average can range from 0 to 1.000 due to multiple factors such as home plate appearance limits, pitching staffs, and minimum game requirements. In modern baseball, a batter can only be awarded one base on walks, sacrifices, and intentional walks. Prior to the 1869 season, batters could also be awarded bases by hits into odd-numbered holes in the outfield (now known as "sac flies").
A batting average greater than.300 is considered excellent. The highest career batting average in Major League Baseball is Joe DiMaggio's.406 in 1941. The lowest career batting average in Major League Baseball is Billy Hamilton's.272 in 2014. Although many great hitters have had very high batting averages over their careers, it does not mean that they were able to beat the odds every time they got on base.
A hitter's batting average goes up when he or she gets a hit during an at bat. When a hitter reaches base any other way (walk, hit by pitch, error), he or she has already beaten the odds by doing so.
In baseball, we have a different calculation for batting average. "Runs Scored": The batter's total amount of runs scored. "Times Out": how many times the batter has been caught out. In 522 at-bats, a hitter scores 522 times and gets struck out 27 times. 522 divided by 27 equals 19.33. So, his batting average is.5133.
The calculation for batting average is similar to that of other sports. It depends on how many balls you get hit by during your career. If you are hit by 50 balls and not thrown out 75% of the time, then your batting average would be.4000 (50 divided by 75).
Here are some more examples: Barry Bonds' batting average was.280 in 2007. That means he was credited with scoring 280 runs while being awarded with only 270 hits. This is because he was caught stealing 29 times. If you were caught stealing once every other game, then your batting average would be about.270.
Ted Williams had a.406 batting average in 1941 when he led the American League in hits (176) and runs (145). That means he scored 406 times while being awarded with just 404 hits. He was excluded from games due to military service so many of those hits came during World War II. If you made an error every other game year-round, but were able to come back later in the season or following year then your batting average would be about.400.
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