Calculating Basic Baseball Stats - Slugging Percentage (SLG) and Total Bases
Slugging Percentage (or SLG for short) is a statistic that goes beyond simply a player's ability to get a hit or get on base, it measures his ability to get a hit and hit for power. Where batting average is ratio of hits per at bats a player gets, Slugging Percentage is the ratio of total bases to at bats.
Total Bases credits a player for extra-base hits (doubles, triples, and home runs). Put simply, a player gets a "base" for each base he reaches during a season. Singles are counted as one base, doubles two, triples three, and home runs four.
The formula for Total Bases is Singles (Total hits - 2b -3b - HR) + (2b x 2) + (3b x 3) + (HR x 4).
For hitter who has 150 total hits, 30 doubles, 1 triple, and 10 HR, the equation would look like this:
108 (150 - 30 -2 - 10) + 60 (30 x 2) + 6 (2 x 3) + 40 (10 x 4) = 240 Total Bases
Now, to calculate Slugging Percentage (SLG), take total bases and divide by the number of at bats a hitter has. For example, say the hitter above got those 240 Total Bases in 500 at bats. You'd calculate the equation like this:
240 Total Bases / 500 At Bats = .480 SLG
Slugging Percentage is displayed as a decimal, with three spaces after the decimal point.
Now, what makes a good Slugging Percentage? Well, it's generally accepted that a .500 Slugging Percentage is pretty darn good. Of course, that doesn't mean a hitter with an SLG lower than that isn't a good hitter, or that you'd always want to pick a hitter purely on his Slugging Percentage (or power). There are other things to keep in mind (such as how often a player walks and how often he strikes out) that are captured in other statistics.
Slugging percentage and Total Bases both favor a hitter who hits for both high average and for power. For example, in 2005, the leaders in Total Bases were Derrek Lee of the Chicago Cubs in the National League with 393, and Mark Teixeira of the Texas Rangers in the American League with 370. Both hit for high average (Lee led the NL with a .335 batting average, and Teixeira hit .301) and power (Lee had 50 doubles, 3 triples, and 46 HR, and Texeira 41 doubles, 3 triples, and 43 HR).
Lee also led the National League in Slugging Percentage in 2005, with a .662 SLG. This is not at all surprising when you see that he lead the league in Batting Average, Hits, and Extra Base Hits, and played in all 162 of the Cubs games. In the American League, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees led the league in SLG with a .610 mark. Rodriquez hit .321 with 194 hits, 29 doubles, 1 triple, and 48 home runs. He was second in the league in Total Bases, first in Home Runs, and played in all 162 of the Yankees games.
Babe Ruth accumulated the highest single season Total Base tally in 1921, when he had 457 Total Bases on 204 hits, 44 doubles, 16 triples, and 59 Home Runs. The all-time career leader in Total Bases is Hank Aaron with 6856. Ruth is 5th on the list with 5793.
The highest single season Slugging Percentage is owned by Barry Bonds, who in 2001 put up an amazing .8634 mark. Bonds had 156 hits, 32 doubles, 2 triples, and 73 Home Runs. Amazingly, Babe Ruth and Bonds hold the top six all-time high SLG seasons between them, plus number eight all time. Babe Ruth also holds the all time career mark for Slugging Percentage, with .6898.
Slugging percentage is a great indication of a hitter's ability to hit for high average and with power.
Published by Mike D.
A 33 year old interactive media professional, I write about what I know and enjoy...beer, books, food, technology, and especially baseball. View profile
- Music Review: Crunk Hits - Vol. 2: For Hip Hoppers Who Love to DanceGettin Crunk has become a whole new movement. Crunk is a way to have fun, a way to get drunk, and even a new style of music. The latest album in the Crunk Hits series, Volume 2 is hot guaranteeing fans will be rockin...
- CD Review: Gary Allan's Greatest HitsWhether you're someone who's a die-hard fan of country artist Gary Allan, or someone who just likes the songs you've heard on the radio, Gary Allan's new CD, Greatest Hits, is worth buying.
Next Total Eclipse of the Sun in America on Aug. 21, 2017The public interest in eclipses might be waning--but one can only hope that the next total solar eclipse visible in North America on Aug 21, 2017 will bring the same awe the las...- A Need-to-Know Basis: Cheating Methods in BaseballFrom the beginning of the game, players, coaches, and even owners have looked at ways that cheating can benefit the individual or the team in the game of baseball. A look at some of those methods.
- World Baseball Classic- Will the World Watch?With the announcement a year ago of the innaugural World Baseball Classic, baseball players,owners, and fans alike greeted the idea with fanfare. Now, in the World Baseball Classic, sixteen countries, some without st...
- A Glance at Baseball Slugging Percentage Records
- Calculating Baseball Stats - on Base Plus Slugging (OPS)
- Calculating Basic Baseball Stats - on Base Percentage (OBP)
- Carlos Delgado- the Mets' Slugging First Baseman
- Steriods and Baseball
- Trace Adkins Greatest Hits II, American Man Album Review
- Marketing Your Website with Auto Traffic Programs for More Hits
- Total Bases give a hitter credit for extra base hits
- Slugging Percentage is determined by dividing Total Bases by At Bats
- Total Bases and Slugging both favor a high average hitter with power.
5 Comments
Post a CommentI think your statement of fact is incorrect in this example. You first stated that the hitter had one (1) triple, then your corresponding formula indicates two (2) triples (?)
whoops my bad 109(150-30-1-10)+60(30x2)+3(1x3)+40(10x4)=212 thats better 212/500=.424
actually your both wrong its 212 109(150-30-1-40)+60(30x2)+3(1x3)+40(10x4)=212
Completely agree with colforbins. it's simple math. If the stats can't be figured correctly then the stats are worthless.
The numbers you use to figure you SLG % out do not work with the answers you provide. First you note the player has 1 triple, but then multiply by 2 triples in the formula. Also the numbers of total bases from the formula are equal to 214, but you note the player has hit for 240 total bases. Very minor, but when you provided easy statistical mathematics for a sport that prides itself more than any other sport on statistics, the numbers should right on.