In what follows you will find the baselines for hitters in a variety of categories. What is the league average for the slash lines? What are the levels of performance for each position on the diamond? Hard hit balls? Fly balls? That stuff is in here too.
AVG/OBP/SLG
We all know what those abbreviations mean, but do you know the context of each? That’s why we’re here, to help you figure it all out.
Average: The 2016 major league average was .255.
On-base percentage: The 2016 major league average was .321.
Slugging Percentage: The 2016 major league average was .417.
There were 203 men who had at least 400 plate appearances last season. Of that group…
Average: 137, or 67.5 percent, of qualifiers were able to reach the league average.
On-base: 131, or 64.5 percent, of the qualifiers were able to reach the league average.
Slugging: 134, or 66.0 percent, of the qualifiers were able to reach the league average.
Of the 203 men with 400 plate appearances last season, 77 reached all three levels of .255/.321/.417.
POSITIONAL SLASH LINES
Hera is how each position faired in 2016.
C: .243/.310/.393
1B: .259/.338/.453
2B: .277/.334/.436
3B: .266/.331/.445
SS: .263/.318/.408
INFIELD: .262/.327/.427
LF: .254/.322/.417
CF: .263/.330/.416
RF: .259/.329/.434
OUTFIELD: .259/.3274/.422
DH: .254/.326/.449
BABIP
(H-HR / TBF-HR-HBP-K-BB)
BABIP, also referred to as a player's hit rate, is the rate at which batted balls end up as base hits. There is one caveat with BABIP – it removes home runs from the equation because technically the ball isn't in the field of play on a home run. The major league average is usually in the .290-.300 range but players establish their own levels so that some hitters consistently come in at the .270 range while others seem to record marks in the .330's etc. The league leaders are usually above .380, a level that is nearly impossible to repeat year-to-year. Of the 203 men with 400 plate appearances last season 127 of them reached the league average BABIP mark (.298).
*You can find more in Understanding BABIP and Line Drive Rates.
LINE DRIVE, GROUND BALL, FLY BALL RATES
In 2016…
20 percent of batted balls were line drives
45 percent of batted balls are ground balls
35 percent of batted balls are fly balls
*You can find more in Understanding GB/FB and HR/F Rates.
There were 203 men who had at least 400 plate appearances last season. Of that group…
Line drive: 135 men, 66.5 percent, of the qualifiers were able to reach the league average.
Ground ball: 86 men, 42.4 percent, of the qualifiers were above the league average.
Fly ball: 117 men, 57.1 percent, of the qualifiers were above the league average.
PLATE DISCIPLINE
0.39 BB/K ratio
77 percent contact rate
ISOLATED POWER
Slugging Percentage - Batting Average
A sabermetric measure which attempts to describe a hitters overall effectiveness by measuring the players ability to generate extra base hits. Batting average measures all hits without any attention being paid to what type of knock they are. SLG measures all bases earned (including singles). ISO measures only extra base hits while excluding the other hits. Of the 203 men with 400 plate appearances last season 123 of them reached the league average ISO mark (.162).
wOBA
Weighted on Base Average is a simply understood measure of offensive success (the number generated is akin to on-base average so you should be very conversant with what the number represents). Of the 203 men with 400 plate appearances last season 141 of them reached the league average wOBA mark (.318). Here is a nice little primer on the topic.
* Note: We also have a primer set up for you to view when it comes to sabermetric measures.