Batting Average Records by Baseball Almanac

Batting Average Records

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book full of baseball milestones for batting averages — including career marks, single season plateaus, and game related records.

Important Note: In 1887, when a player received a bases on balls (walk) he was also awarded a hit in his official statistics. The rules of the day and Major League Baseball recognize the statistics as they were recorded and Baseball Almanac has also complied with the new direction — in our hitting charts section. For the sake of records, we have chosen to "even" the field else nearly every record would be held by players from the 1887 season.

"I never called a balk in my life. I didn't understand the rule." - Former Major League Umpire Ron Luciano

Batting Average Career Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Highest (In A Career) (Top 100)	AL	Ty Cobb	Detroit	.368	.366
	AL	Ty Cobb	Philadelphia	.343	.366
	NL	Rogers Hornsby	St. Louis	.359	.358
			New York	.361
			Boston	.387
			Chicago	.350
Batting Average Single Season Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Highest (In A Season) (Top 100)	AL	Nap Lajoie	Philadelphia	.426	1901
Highest (In A Season) (Top 100)	NL	Hugh Duffy	Boston	.440	1894
Highest (In A Season) (By A Lefthander)	AL	George Sisler	St. Louis	.420	1922
Highest (In A Season) (By A Lefthander)	NL	Willie Keeler	Baltimore	.424	1897
Highest (In A Season) (By A Righthander)	AL	Nap Lajoie	Philadelphia	.426	1901
Highest (In A Season) (By A Righthander)	NL	Hugh Duffy	Boston	.440	1894
Highest (In A Season) (By A Rookie)	AL	Ichiro Suzuki	Seattle	.350	2001
Highest (In A Season) (By A Rookie)	NL	George Watkins	St. Louis	.373	1930
Highest (In A Season) (By A Switch-Hitter)	AL	Mickey Mantle	New York	.365	1957
Highest (In A Season) (By A Switch-Hitter)	NL	George Davis	New York	.355	1893
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Catcher)	AL	Bill Dickey	New York	.362	1936
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Catcher)	NL	Mike Piazza	Los Angeles	.362	1997
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : First Base)	AL	George Sisler	St. Louis	.420	1922
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : First Base)	NL	Bill Terry	New York	.401	1930
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Outfielder)	AL	Ty Cobb	Detroit	.420	1911
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Outfielder)	NL	Hugh Duffy	Boston	.440	1894
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Pitcher)	AL	Walter Johnson	Washington	.433	1925
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Pitcher)	NL	Jack Bentley	New York	.427	1923
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Second Base)	AL	Nap Lajoie	Philadelphia	.426	1901
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Second Base)	NL	Rogers Hornsby	St. Louis	.424	1924
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Shortstop)	AL	Luke Appling	Chicago	.388	1936
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Shortstop)	NL	Hughie Jennings	Baltimore	.401	1896
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Third Base)	AL	George Brett	Kansas City	.390	1980
Highest (In A Season) (By Position : Third Base)	NL	John McGraw	Baltimore	.391	1899
Lowest (In A Season) (By The League Leader)	AL	Carl Yastrzemski	Boston	.301	1968
Lowest (In A Season) (By The League Leader)	NL	Tony Gwynn	San Diego	.313	1988
Most Seasons (Leading The League)	AL	Ty Cobb	Detroit	12	1907
			Detroit		1908
			Detroit		1909
			Detroit		1910
			Detroit		1911
			Detroit		1912
			Detroit		1913
			Detroit		1914
			Detroit		1915
			Detroit		1917
			Detroit		1918
			Detroit		1919
	NL	Tony Gwynn	San Diego	8	1984
			San Diego		1987
			San Diego		1988
			San Diego		1989
			San Diego		1994
			San Diego		1995
			San Diego		1996
			San Diego		1997
		Honus Wagner	Pittsburgh		1900
			Pittsburgh		1903
			Pittsburgh		1904
			Pittsburgh		1906
			Pittsburgh		1907
			Pittsburgh		1908
			Pittsburgh		1909
			Pittsburgh		1911
Most Seasons (Leading The League) (Consecutively)	AL	Ty Cobb	Detroit	9	1907-1915
Most Seasons (Leading The League) (Consecutively)	NL	Rogers Hornsby	St. Louis	6	1920-1925
Most Seasons (Batting Over .300)	AL	Ty Cobb	Detroit	23
	NL	Cap Anson	Chicago	18
	NL	Tony Gwynn	San Diego	18
Most Seasons (Batting Over .400)	AL	Ty Cobb	Detroit	3	1911
			Detroit		1912
			Detroit		1922
	NL	Rogers Hornsby	St. Louis	3	1922
			St. Louis		1924
			St. Louis		1925
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Batting Average Records

Did you know that the highest batting average over three consecutive seasons (1911-1913) is .408 (.4084), set by Hall of Famer Ty Cobb?

The highest batting average over four consecutive seasons (1922-1925) is .403 (.4039), set by Rogers Hornsby — who also set the record for highest batting average over five consecutive (1921-1925) seasons with .402 (.4024).

Abner Dalrymple (.354 in 1878), Tony Oliva (.323 in 1964) and Ichiro Suzuki (.350 in 2001) are the only three rookies who won a batting title during their rookie season.

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