Stats

Batting Average (AVG) — Definition, Formula & Youth Baseball Context

Batting Average (AVG) measures how often a batter gets a hit. It's calculated by dividing hits by at-bats. A .300 batting average means a player gets a hit in 30% of their at-bats. It's the most widely known baseball statistic and the first one most youth coaches learn — but it doesn't tell the whole story.

Formula

Batting Average = Hits ÷ At-Bats

Example: A player with 24 hits in 80 at-bats has a .300 batting average (24 ÷ 80 = .300).

What counts as a hit: Singles, doubles, triples, and home runs.

What counts as an at-bat: Any plate appearance except walks (BB), hit-by-pitches (HBP), sacrifices (SAC), and catcher's interference.

What's a Good Batting Average at Each Age?

These are rough benchmarks. Youth batting averages vary widely by league competitiveness, pitching quality, and sample size.

Age Group	Below Average	Average	Good	Excellent
8U-9U	Below .250	.250-.350	.350-.450	.450+
10U-11U	Below .250	.250-.325	.325-.400	.400+
12U	Below .225	.225-.300	.300-.375	.375+
13U-14U	Below .225	.225-.300	.300-.350	.350+
15U-18U	Below .200	.200-.275	.275-.350	.350+

Batting averages trend downward as players face better pitching at older ages. A .400 average at 9U is common. A .400 average at 14U is outstanding. Context matters more than the number itself.

Full benchmarks by age →

When Batting Average Matters

It's a useful snapshot. Batting average tells you how consistently a player puts the ball in play and reaches base via hits. Over a full season (50+ at-bats), it's a reasonable indicator of a player's ability to make contact and find gaps.

It's easy to understand. Parents, players, and coaches all know what batting average means. That makes it useful for communication and motivation.

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When Batting Average Doesn't Tell the Full Story

It ignores walks. A player who walks 30% of the time and bats .250 is more valuable than a player who never walks and bats .275. That's why On-Base Percentage (OBP) is often a better measure of offensive contribution.

It ignores power. A .300 average from singles is not the same as a .300 average that includes doubles and home runs. Slugging Percentage (SLG) captures this difference.

Small sample sizes make it unreliable. In youth baseball, a player might have 25-40 at-bats in a season. At that sample size, one hot week can move an average by 100 points. Don't make major coaching decisions based on batting average from a short season.

It can discourage good plate discipline. A young hitter who takes a walk instead of swinging at a bad pitch just helped the team — but their batting average didn't change. If a coach overemphasizes batting average, players may swing at bad pitches to avoid "wasting" an at-bat. At the youth level, that's the wrong incentive.

Batting Average vs. OBP vs. OPS

Stat	What It Measures	Formula	Best For
AVG	Hit rate	H ÷ AB	Basic contact ability
OBP	Total times reaching base	(H + BB + HBP) ÷ (AB + BB + HBP + SF)	Overall offensive contribution
OPS	Reaching base + power combined	OBP + SLG	Comprehensive offensive value

For youth baseball coaches, OBP is often more useful than AVG because it rewards good plate discipline — something that matters enormously at the developmental level. More on quality at-bats →

How Rizzler Tracks Batting Average

Rizzler calculates batting average automatically when you score games or import stats from GameChanger. You can see each player's AVG in their player profile, in game-by-game breakdowns, and in the AI Stats Analysis dashboard (Pro plan). The AI also uses batting average as one of many inputs when generating AI Batting Orders.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should coaches start tracking batting average?

Most coaches start tracking around 9U-10U, when players are seeing kid-pitch for the first time. Before that, in coach-pitch leagues, batting averages tend to be very high and less meaningful. What stats to track at each age →

Should I share batting averages with players?

It depends on the age and maturity of the player. For younger players (10U and under), focus on effort and process rather than stats. For older players (13U+), batting average can be a useful benchmark — but always pair it with context. Sharing stats with kids →

Why is my kid's batting average different in GameChanger vs. Rizzler?

Check whether both systems are counting the same games and using the same definition of at-bats. Scoring inconsistencies (e.g., a reached-on-error scored differently) can cause small differences. GameChanger vs Rizzler stats →