Batting Average Vs. Slugging Percentage
- The batting average (AVG) has been around since the late 19th century when Henry Chadwick devised the statistic based on his cricket background. Batting average represents the ratio of a player's hits to at-bats. Walking, getting hit by a pitch, making a sacrifice fly or bunt, and reaching base on an error are not counted as hits or at-bats. In sabermetrics, batting average is a relatively weak measure of offensive production because it fails to take into account walks and hitting power.
- Slugging percentage (SLG) focuses on the ratio of the total number of bases a player hits for to the player's at-bats. A single is equal to one base, a double equals two, a triple equals three and a home run equals four. First awarded in 1980, Major League Baseball's Silver Slugger award takes into account a player's slugging percentage. While this statistic adequately measures batting power, it also fails to account for at-bats that result in walks or hit batters.
- A batter who hits one triple and strikes out twice would have a slugging percentage equal the batting average of player who went three for three but hit all singles. Or, consider two batters who each go one for three. If the first player's hit was a single, his batting average would be .333 and his slugging percentage would be .333. If the second player's hit was a double, his batting average would also be .333, but his slugging percentage would be .666. His higher slugging percentage indicates that when he hits, he does so with more power than the first player.
- On-base percentage (OBP) is a measure of a player's ability to get on base, regardless of the means. The statistic represents the ratio of hits, walks and hits-by-pitch to at-bats, walks, hits-by-pitch and sacrifice flies. Sacrifice bunts are not included so the player's stats are not penalized for a tactical decision by the manager. On-base percentage is an important statistic for lead-off hitters. However, while it successfully accounts for hits and walks, it fails to account for power.
- While each of these statistics are valuable, they all fail to provide a comprehensive statistic that represents a player's overall offensive production. In 1982, James introduced the "runs created" statistic. This broader statistic incorporates hits, walks and total bases. However, it can be a little tedious to compute. In 1984, statisticians began using a statistic called "on-base plus slugging" (OPS). It is calculated by adding a player's slugging percentage and on-base percentage, providing a comprehensive measurement that is simple to calculate.
