Baseball Stats · Batting Average · Analytics
What Is a Good Batting Average? — Every Level Explained
In MLB, .300 is great and .250 is the average. But what's good at the youth, high school, and college level is completely different. Here's the full breakdown.Quick Answer
In MLB, .300 is great. .250 is average. Below .200 is the Mendoza Line.
At the youth and high school level the benchmarks shift significantly — a .400 batting average is excellent in high school, while the same number would be extraordinary in MLB. What counts as a good batting average depends entirely on the level you're playing at.
What Is a Good Batting Average — The Visual Guide
.300+
Elite / Great
The historic benchmark for excellence. Consistent .300 hitters are premium players at any level.
.270–.299
Above Average
Solid, productive hitter. Above the league average and contributing meaningfully at the plate.
.240–.269
Average
Near the MLB league average of .248. Acceptable but not a standout bat in the lineup.
Below .200
Mendoza Line
Below the "Mendoza Line" — generally considered the threshold for concerning offensive performance.
Batting average is the oldest and most recognizable hitting statistic in baseball — divide hits by at-bats and you get a number that tells you how often a player gets a hit. It's simple, clean, and has been the default measure of hitting success for over 150 years.
The problem is that "good" means something different at every level of the game. A .350 batting average in MLB is a historic season. A .350 batting average in Little League might be below average on a competitive travel ball team. Understanding what the numbers actually mean at your level is what matters.
What Is a Good Batting Average by Level?
| Level | Average BA | Good BA | Elite BA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | ~.248 | .270–.290 | .300+ | League average has declined slightly in the modern era due to strikeouts and launch angle emphasis |
| Triple-A / MiLB | ~.260 | .280–.300 | .320+ | Minor league averages run slightly higher than MLB due to development-focused pitching |
| College Baseball (D1) | ~.290 | .320–.340 | .360+ | Top college programs see .350+ as a benchmark for draft-worthy hitters |
| High School Varsity | ~.330 | .350–.380 | .400+ | Pitching quality varies widely — strong programs see more meaningful averages |
| 14U–16U Travel Ball | ~.350 | .380–.420 | .450+ | At elite travel ball levels these numbers compress toward college benchmarks |
| 12U Travel Ball | ~.400 | .430–.480 | .500+ | Pitching is less consistent at younger ages — higher averages are expected |
| 10U and Below | ~.450 | .500+ | .600+ | Batting average is a less meaningful metric at very young ages — focus on plate approach |
Why batting average is higher at younger levels
Younger pitchers throw fewer strikes consistently, have less breaking ball movement, and face hitters who are still developing their pitch recognition — all of which inflate batting averages compared to older levels. A .500 batting average at 10U doesn't mean your player is half as good as a .250 MLB hitter — it means the competition and pitching quality are incomparable. Focus on trends and improvement over absolute numbers at youth ages.
Is .250 a Good Batting Average?
Direct Answer
In MLB — .250 is average, not good. At high school level — below average.
The MLB league batting average hovers around .248. So .250 is essentially the league average — acceptable but not what you'd call good. For a high school player where the average is closer to .330, hitting .250 would be below average. For a college player, .250 is struggling.
Specific Batting Averages — Are They Good?
The most searched batting average questions on the internet are "is .XXX a good batting average" — here are the direct answers.
.200
⚠️ The Mendoza Line — Not Good
Named after Mario Mendoza (.215 career average), this is widely considered the minimum acceptable batting average in MLB. A player hitting .200 is below average at any level of competitive baseball.
.250
📊 Average in MLB, Below Average in HS
The MLB league average. Acceptable but not standout. At the high school level where averages are closer to .330, hitting .250 is below average.
.300
✅ Great in MLB — The Historic Benchmark
Hitting .300 in MLB has been the gold standard for over 100 years. About 10–15% of qualified hitters reach .300 in a given season. In high school this is well below average.
.344
🏆 Elite in MLB — Top 5% Territory
Batting .344 in MLB puts you in batting title contention. Ted Williams' career average was .344 — one of the greatest hitting achievements in baseball history.
.400
🐐 Mythical in MLB — Not Done Since 1941
Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941 — the last player to hit .400 in MLB. In modern baseball, a .400 average in high school is excellent but not extraordinary.
.500+
⚾ Youth Context Only
A .500+ batting average is common at younger youth levels (10U and below) due to inconsistent pitching. It reflects development-stage conditions more than elite hitting ability.
What Does AB Mean in Baseball?
Quick Answer
AB = At-Bat — the denominator in the batting average formula.
An at-bat is any plate appearance that results in a hit, out, or fielder's choice. Walks (BB), hit-by-pitches (HBP), sacrifice bunts, and sacrifice flies do NOT count as at-bats — they count as plate appearances but not at-bats, which is why batting average and on-base percentage are calculated differently.
| Plate Appearance Result | Counts as AB? | Counts as PA? |
|---|---|---|
| Hit (single, double, triple, HR) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Out (groundout, flyout, strikeout) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Walk (BB) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Hit by pitch (HBP) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Sacrifice bunt | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Sacrifice fly | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Catcher interference | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
How Is Batting Average Calculated?
Batting Average Formula
BA = Hits ÷ At-Bats
Example: A player with 45 hits in 150 at-bats has a batting average of .300 (45 ÷ 150 = 0.300). Batting average is always expressed as a three-decimal number. A .300 average means the player gets a hit in 30% of their at-bats.
The key thing to understand is that at-bats don't include every plate appearance. Walks, hit-by-pitches, and sacrifice plays are excluded from the at-bat denominator — which is why a player who draws a lot of walks can have a higher on-base percentage than batting average, and why batting average alone doesn't tell the full story of a hitter's value.
What Is a Good RBI Total?
This is one of the most searched companion questions to batting average — and the answer depends heavily on position and lineup spot.
| RBI Total | MLB Context | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ RBI | Elite season | 100 RBI in a season is the traditional benchmark for a premier run producer — roughly 15–20 players reach it annually |
| 80–99 RBI | Very good | Solid run producer, typically a middle-of-the-order hitter with good plate opportunities |
| 60–79 RBI | Above average | Good contribution, particularly from hitters who bat lower in the order or on teams with weaker hitters around them |
| 40–59 RBI | Average | Expected production from a starting position player over a full season |
| Below 40 | Below average | May reflect injury, part-time role, or lineup position (leadoff hitters typically have lower RBI totals) |
Why RBI is an imperfect stat
RBI is heavily dependent on lineup context — a hitter who bats third with fast leadoff and second hitters getting on base consistently will accumulate more RBI opportunities than a hitter in the same lineup spot on a weaker team. A player can have a great season and still have a modest RBI total if teammates don't get on base in front of them. Modern analytics favor metrics like wRC+ and OPS that better isolate individual contribution from team context.
Batting Average vs OBP vs OPS — What Really Matters
Batting average is the most recognized stat but it's not the most useful for evaluating a hitter's true value. Here's how the key offensive stats compare:
| Stat | What It Measures | Good / Elite Benchmark | What It Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting Average (BA) | Hits per at-bat | Good: .270+ · Elite: .300+ | Walks, power, hit type value |
| On-Base Percentage (OBP) | Times reached base per PA | Good: .340+ · Elite: .380+ | Power, extra-base hits |
| Slugging Percentage (SLG) | Total bases per at-bat | Good: .430+ · Elite: .500+ | Plate discipline, walks |
| OPS (OBP + SLG) | Combined on-base and power | Good: .750+ · Elite: .900+ | Park factors, lineup context |
| Quality At Bats (QAB) | Productive plate appearances | Good: 55–65% · Elite: 65%+ | Individual hit values |
What Is a Good Batting Average for Youth Baseball?
At the youth level, batting average is a less reliable development metric than it appears — but parents and coaches still track it. Here's how to put the numbers in context:
For travel ball parents — what the numbers mean at youth levels
A .400 batting average at 12U travel ball is solid but not exceptional — the best players on elite teams often hit .450–.500+ against weaker competition during the season. The meaningful indicator at youth ages isn't the absolute number but the trend line: is your player improving their approach, drawing walks, hitting the ball hard? A player going 2-for-5 with two walks and a hard-hit out had a better at-bat session than a player going 3-for-5 on weak contact. Pair batting average with Quality At Bat percentage for a fuller picture at the youth level.
What Is a Good Batting Average in Softball?
Softball batting averages run higher than baseball across all levels due to shorter pitching distances and the underhand delivery being less deceptive than overhand pitching. Here are the benchmarks:
| Softball Level | Average BA | Good BA | Elite BA |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA Division I Softball | ~.280 | .310–.340 | .360+ |
| High School Varsity | ~.350 | .380–.420 | .450+ |
| Travel Ball (14U–18U) | ~.380 | .420–.480 | .500+ |
Batting Average History — All-Time Leaders
| Player | Career BA | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Cobb | .366 | 1905–1928 | All-time career batting average record — likely never to be broken |
| Rogers Hornsby | .358 | 1915–1937 | Hit .424 in 1924 — highest single season average in the 20th century |
| Shoeless Joe Jackson | .356 | 1908–1920 | Career average third all-time despite being banned from baseball |
| Ted Williams | .344 | 1939–1960 | Last player to hit .400 in a season (.406 in 1941) — considered greatest pure hitter ever |
| Tony Gwynn | .338 | 1982–2001 | Eight batting titles, never struck out more than 40 times in a season |
| Hugh Duffy | N/A (single season) | 1894 | Highest single-season average ever recorded — .440 in 1894 |
Why modern players can't hit .400
Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941 — no player has hit .400 in MLB since. The reasons are well-documented: modern pitching specialization with multi-reliever bullpens means hitters never see the same arm twice in a game, defensive shifts reduce hit probability on hard-hit balls, and the emphasis on home runs and launch angle has produced more strikeouts at the expense of contact rate. The best single-season average in modern baseball has been around .370 — a number that would have been merely above average in the dead-ball era.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good batting average in baseball?
In MLB, a .270–.290 batting average is solid and above average. A .300 average is great — only the best hitters sustain it over a full season. The MLB league average hovers around .248. At the high school level, .350–.380 is solid and .400+ is excellent. At youth levels the benchmarks are higher due to less competitive pitching.
Is .250 a good batting average?
In MLB, .250 is essentially the league average — not good, but not bad. For a high school player where the average is closer to .330, hitting .250 would be below average. For a travel ball player, context matters — .250 against elite competition is different from .250 against weak competition.
Is .300 a good batting average?
In MLB, yes — .300 is the historic benchmark for excellent hitting. Only about 10–15% of qualified MLB hitters reach .300 in a given season. At the high school level, .300 is below average. In college baseball, .300 is solid but not exceptional.
What is the Mendoza Line?
The Mendoza Line refers to a .200 batting average — named after Mario Mendoza, a former MLB shortstop known more for his defense than his bat. A player hitting below .200 is considered to be performing at an unacceptably poor level offensively. The term is used in broader culture to mean any threshold below which performance is considered unacceptable.
What does AB mean in baseball?
AB stands for At-Bat — the denominator in the batting average formula. An at-bat is any plate appearance that results in a hit, out, or fielder's choice. Walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts, and sacrifice flies do NOT count as at-bats. That's why batting average and on-base percentage are calculated differently.
What is a good batting average for high school baseball?
At the high school varsity level, a .350–.380 batting average is solid, .400+ is excellent, and .450+ is elite. The league average at the high school level is roughly .330 — significantly higher than MLB because pitching quality and consistency vary much more at the prep level.
What is a perfect batting average?
A perfect batting average is 1.000 — meaning the player got a hit on every single at-bat. This is statistically possible over a very small sample (1-for-1 is a 1.000 average) but completely impossible to maintain over a full season. Hugh Duffy's .440 in 1894 is the highest batting average ever recorded in a full season, and it remains nowhere near a perfect average.
Is batting average still important in modern baseball?
Batting average is still tracked and discussed but modern analytics have largely shifted to OPS, wRC+, and exit velocity as more complete measures of offensive performance. Batting average's main limitation is that it treats all hits equally (a single counts the same as a home run) and ignores walks entirely. A player who hits .240 but walks 100 times may be more valuable than a player who hits .280 with 30 walks. That said, batting average remains the most universally understood hitting stat and is still a useful quick reference for general hitting performance.
The bottom line
In MLB: .300 is great, .270 is solid, .250 is the league average, below .200 is the Mendoza Line. At high school: .400 is excellent, .350 is solid. At youth levels: focus less on the number and more on the quality of at-bats and the trend line over time.
The number only means something in context. A .250 average against elite travel ball pitching tells a different story than .250 in a rec league. And batting average alone never tells the whole story — pair it with on-base percentage and quality at-bat percentage to get a real picture of what's happening at the plate.