Overview
Batting average is calculated by dividing hits by at-bats. Walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts, and sacrifice flies are excluded from at-bats. In NPB, a .300 average is considered the benchmark for elite hitters, while exceeding .350 makes a player a strong contender for the batting title. The all-time career record is Isao Harimoto's .319. Since batting average doesn't reflect power or plate discipline, it is increasingly used alongside composite metrics like OPS and wOBA.