A fundamental statistic in baseball, it represents a player’s success rate in getting a hit when at bat. Calculated by dividing the total number of hits by the total number of at-bats, the result is typically expressed as a decimal to three places. For example, a player with 150 hits in 500 at-bats would have a figure of .300.
This metric offers a quick and easily understandable snapshot of a hitter’s effectiveness. Historically, it has been a key indicator for evaluating player performance and making decisions regarding roster composition and player contracts. While not a complete representation of offensive value, it provides a baseline for understanding a player’s ability to get on base via a hit, and historically it was seen as crucial to the success of the team and a measure of how effective a player was.