While Ty Cobb's legendary .366 career batting average may seem untouchable, the art of hitting a baseball has produced a fascinating constellation of historic records, modern marvels, and statistical extremes that define baseball's ultimate challenge.
Key Takeaways
- Ty Cobb holds the all-time MLB record for career batting average at .3664 over 11,429 at-bats from 1905-1928.
- Rogers Hornsby ranks second in MLB history with a .3585 career batting average across 8,173 at-bats from 1915-1937.
- Shoeless Joe Jackson finished third all-time with a .3558 career batting average in 2,730 at-bats from 1908-1920.
- Barry Bonds holds MLB single-season home run record with 73 in 2001 for the Giants.
- Hank Aaron career 755 home runs over 23 seasons 1954-1976.
- Babe Ruth second all-time with 714 HR in 8,399 AB career.
- Rickey Henderson career RBI leader? No, Hank Aaron holds MLB career RBI record with 2,297 from 1954-1976.
- Albert Pujols second all-time 2,218 RBIs 2001-2022.
- Babe Ruth third with 2,214 RBIs 1914-1935.
- Ted Williams led AL walks career record 2,019 from 1939-1960.
- Barry Bonds second all-time 2,558 walks 1986-2007.
- Babe Ruth third 2,062 BB power patience.
- Ted Williams career .482 OBP highest all-time minimum 3,000 PA.
- Babe Ruth .4738 OBP second revolutionized on-base.
- John McGraw .4659 OBP early era 1891-1906.
This post covers the legendary career batting averages of MLB's all-time great hitters.
Advanced Batting Metrics
- Ted Williams career .482 OBP highest all-time minimum 3,000 PA.
- Babe Ruth .4738 OBP second revolutionized on-base.
- John McGraw .4659 OBP early era 1891-1906.
- Billy Hamilton .4551 OBP speed walks 1888-1901.
- Barry Bonds .4444 OBP Giants/Pirates.
- Lou Gehrig .4438 OBP Yankees streak.
- Rogers Hornsby .4337 OBP hitter pitcher.
- Oscar Charleston .444 Negro Leagues equivalent.
- Highest single-season OBP Barry Bonds 2004 .609.
- 2023 MLB OBP leader Juan Soto .410 Yankees.
- Babe Ruth career .690 slugging highest ever.
- Ted Williams .634 SLG second all-time.
- Lou Gehrig .632 SLG power consistency.
- Barry Bonds .570 SLG walks power.
- Jimmie Foxx .609 SLG peak slugger.
- Hank Aaron .555 SLG longevity.
- Rogers Hornsby .577 SLG NL.
- Albert Pujols career OPS 1.222? Wait .918 actually third 2001-2022.
- Highest career OPS Babe Ruth 1.164.
- Ted Williams 1.116 OPS walks power.
- Single-season OPS Bonds 2001 1.379 record.
- 2023 leader Ronald Acuna Jr. 1.012 OPS 40-70 season.
- wOBA leader career Mike Trout .395 active.
- 2023 wRC+ leader Acuna 190 insane production.
- WAR batting leader Babe Ruth 182.6 career.
- Mike Trout active WAR bat leader 73.8 as of 2023.
- Highest BABIP single-season Ichiro 2004 .455.
- ISO leader 2023 Matt Olson .288 slug minus avg.
- Hard hit rate leader 2023 Shohei Ohtani 57.1%.
- Exit velo avg highest Giancarlo Stanton 95.5 mph career.
- xwOBA leader Aaron Judge 2022 .448 Statcast.
Advanced Batting Metrics Interpretation
Ted Williams, who famously declared his goal was to walk down the street and have people say, "There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived," statistically achieved just that, reaching base nearly half the time he ever stepped to the plate.
Batting Average Stats
- Ty Cobb holds the all-time MLB record for career batting average at .3664 over 11,429 at-bats from 1905-1928.
- Rogers Hornsby ranks second in MLB history with a .3585 career batting average across 8,173 at-bats from 1915-1937.
- Shoeless Joe Jackson finished third all-time with a .3558 career batting average in 2,730 at-bats from 1908-1920.
- Ed Delahanty posted a .3459 career batting average over 7,121 at-bats between 1888-1903.
- Tris Speaker achieved a .3447 career batting average in 10,195 at-bats from 1907-1928.
- Ted Williams recorded a .344 career batting average with 7,792 at-bats from 1939-1960.
- Nap Lajoie hit for a .3382 career average in 8,243 at-bats from 1896-1916.
- Harry Heilmann maintained a .3425 career batting average over 8,138 at-bats 1916-1932.
- Stan Musial batted .3314 for his career in 10,972 at-bats from 1941-1963.
- Tony Gwynn holds the modern era lead with .3384 career BA in 9,288 at-bats 1982-2001.
- In 2023, Luis Arraez led MLB with a .354 batting average in 499 at-bats for the Marlins/Padres.
- The 1994 MLB league average batting average was .270 due to shortened season.
- Ichiro Suzuki's 2004 season .372 BA is the highest in modern MLB since 1980.
- MLB career BA leader minimum 3,000 PA is Joe Jackson at .356.
- Al Simmons career .334 BA over 8,739 AB 1924-1944.
- George Sisler 1922 season .420 BA in 639 AB highest since 1900.
- 2022 AL batting avg leader Xander Bogaerts .307 in 550 AB.
- NL 1901 league BA avg .279 highest in early 20th century.
- Babe Ruth career .342 BA despite 8,399 AB power focus.
- Luis Arraez 2022 .316 BA won AL batting title in 522 AB.
- Highest BA in World Series history is Billy Hatcher .750 in 1990 (7-10).
- 1930 MLB BA avg .303 era of high offense.
- Pete Rose career .303 BA in 14,053 AB all-time hits leader.
- 2023 NL BA leader Ronald Acuna Jr. .337 in 547 AB.
- Nap Lajoie 1901 .426 BA in 544 AB AL record.
- Modern 500+ AB BA leader Tony Gwynn 1994 .394.
- 1968 MLB BA avg .237 Year of the Pitcher.
- Honus Wagner career .3278 BA 10,132 AB 1897-1917.
- Freddie Freeman 2020 .341 BA in 164 AB shortened season.
- All-time rookie BA leader Tommy Holmes .352 in 1944 567 AB.
Batting Average Stats Interpretation
Ty Cobb's .366 career average looks even more unassailable when you consider that in over a century since, with seasons waxing and waning from pitcher dominance to offensive explosions, no one has come remotely close to matching his sustained excellence across such an enormous number of at-bats.
Plate Discipline
- Ted Williams led AL walks career record 2,019 from 1939-1960.
- Barry Bonds second all-time 2,558 walks 1986-2007.
- Babe Ruth third 2,062 BB power patience.
- Rickey Henderson 2,190 BB leadoff master.
- Joe Morgan 1,865 BB small ball great.
- Carl Yastrzemski 1,845 BB Red Sox icon.
- Jim Thome 1,747 BB power patience.
- Mickey Mantle 1,733 BB switch hitter.
- Mel Ott 1,708 BB early power.
- Frank Thomas 1,667 BB Big Hurt.
- Reggies Jackson single-season 149 BB 1974 record.
- Barry Bonds 2004 232 BB intentional walks record.
- 2023 MLB walk leader Juan Soto 132 BB Yankees/Padres.
- Highest career strikeout rate active Joey Gallo 32.4%.
- Reggies Jackson career 1,809 K three true outcomes.
- Jim Thome 2,289 strikeouts all-time leader until 2019.
- Adam Dunn 1,947 K power contact issues.
- Chris Carter 1,637 K high rate slugger.
- Mark Reynolds 1,744 K groundball issues.
- Most single-season strikeouts Mark Reynolds 223 in 2009.
- 2023 MLB K leader Matt Strike 212 for Mariners.
- Lowest career K rate Tony Gwynn 6.8% contact king.
- Joe Sewell career 114 K in 8,333 AB record low.
- Bill Bergen 1909 .139 BA 27 K absurd low contact.
- Juan Soto career BB/K ratio 1.32 elite plate vision.
- Lloyd Waner 1931 0.7 K/9IP but career low K.
- Ichiro Suzuki career 1,632 K in 10,734 AB 15.2% rate.
- Most IBB career Barry Bonds 688.
- 1968 Bob Uecker 5 BB 27 PA absurd ratio.
- Active leader strikeouts Miguel Sano 1,400+ high rate.
- Babe Ruth career BB% 20.7% revolutionary.
- Luis Arraez 2023 8.8% K rate contact god.
Plate Discipline Interpretation
The greatest hitters understood that mastering the art of not swinging—from Babe Ruth's revolutionary patience to Barry Bonds's record-shattering intentional walks—was just as powerful as mastering the art of the swing itself, though occasionally you'd get a Bob Uecker who took this to a comically literal extreme.
Power Hitting
- Barry Bonds holds MLB single-season home run record with 73 in 2001 for the Giants.
- Hank Aaron career 755 home runs over 23 seasons 1954-1976.
- Babe Ruth second all-time with 714 HR in 8,399 AB career.
- Albert Pujols finished career with 703 home runs 2001-2022.
- Willie Mays 660 HR career total 1951-1973 Giants/Mets.
- Ken Griffey Jr. 630 HR over 22 seasons 1989-2010.
- Jim Thome 612 HR career primarily with Indians/Phillies.
- Sammy Sosa 609 HR including 66 in 1998 and 64 in 2001.
- Frank Robinson 586 HR career 1956-1976 across multiple teams.
- Mark McGwire 583 HR highlighted by 70 in 1998 record.
- Rafael Palmeiro 569 HR career 1986-2005 Rangers/Orioles.
- Aaron Judge 2022 AL record 62 HR in 611 AB Yankees.
- Roger Maris 61 HR in 1961 broke Ruth's record Yankees.
- Giancarlo Stanton single-season hardest hit HR 121.1 mph 2018.
- 2023 MLB leader Matt Olson 54 HR for Atlanta Braves.
- Most HR in a doubleheader is 5 by Nate Colbert 1972.
- Babe Ruth 1927 60 HR season Yankees Murderers Row.
- Most career HR as leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson 81.
- Junior Griffey 1997 56 HR MVP season Mariners.
- 500 HR club has 28 members as of 2023 led by Bonds.
- Most postseason HR Manny Ramirez 29 in 111 games.
- Shohei Ohtani 2023 44 HR as two-way player Angels.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. 42 HR in 2021 Padres rookie-like power.
- Most HR by switch-hitter Mickey Mantle 536 career.
- Pete Alonso 2019 NL rookie record 53 HR Mets.
- 1920 MLB deadball to liveball transition 447 total HR.
- Most consecutive seasons 30+ HR Alex Rodriguez 13 1998-2010.
- Yordan Alvarez 2022 37 HR .306 BA Astros powerhouse.
Power Hitting Interpretation
Barry Bonds' towering single-season record stands like a lonely, asterisked monument on a landscape of legendary longevity built by Aaron and Ruth, a testament to a peak so surreal it almost seems separate from the sport's rich, cumulative history.
Run Production
- Rickey Henderson career RBI leader? No, Hank Aaron holds MLB career RBI record with 2,297 from 1954-1976.
- Albert Pujols second all-time 2,218 RBIs 2001-2022.
- Babe Ruth third with 2,214 RBIs 1914-1935.
- Alex Rodriguez 2,086 RBIs fourth all-time 1994-2016.
- Stan Musial 1,951 RBIs career 1941-1963 Cardinals.
- Ty Cobb 1,938 RBIs despite high BA focus 1905-1928.
- Jimmie Foxx 1,922 RBIs 1925-1945 slugger.
- Eddie Murray 1,917 RBIs switch-hitter 1977-1997.
- Lou Gehrig 1,995 RBIs fifth all-time Yankees.
- Most single-season RBIs Hack Wilson 191 in 1930 Cubs.
- Ted Williams 1949 159 RBIs Red Sox MVP.
- 2023 MLB RBI leader Matt Olson 139 for Braves.
- Most career runs scored Rickey Henderson 2,295 1979-2003.
- Ty Cobb second 2,246 runs 1905-1928.
- Barry Bonds third 2,227 runs Giants/Pirates.
- Hank Aaron 2,174 runs career total.
- Babe Ruth 2,174 runs tied fourth all-time.
- Pete Rose 2,165 runs hits king.
- Willie Mays 2,062 runs Giants legend.
- Stan Musial 1,949 runs Cardinals.
- Lou Gehrig single-season 167 runs 1936 record.
- 2023 runs leader Ronald Acuna Jr. 149 for Braves.
- Most RBI in World Series 12 by multiple including Duke Snider.
- Ted Williams career 1,798 RBIs 1939-1960.
- Mel Ott 1,860 RBIs Giants pioneer.
- Most grand slams career 25 by Lou Gehrig.
- Alex Bregman 2023 99 RBIs Astros.
- 1996 MLB RBI leader Andres Galarraga 121 Rockies.
- Most runs in doubleheader 7 by Red Murray 1913.
- Shohei Ohtani 2023 102 RBIs with 44 HR.
- Vladimir Guerrero Sr. career 1,496 RBIs 1994-2011.
Run Production Interpretation
This table delightfully captures the often overlooked truth that while home runs get the headlines, the true titans of the game are the relentless producers who, season after season, turned all those runners on base into cold, hard runs.