The third of the offensive trio of statistics one would commonly see in baseball analysis is called Slugging Percentage.
Slugging Percentage (SLG) determines a batter’s offensive power. It represents the total number of bases a player records per at-bat. Slugging Percentage differs from other offensive statistics because it puts weight on different extra-base hits.
Here is the formula for Slugging Percentage:
The more bases the batter reaches on a hit, the higher the value of the hit.
A single has a value of 1, doubles are multiplied by 2, triples are multiplied by 3, and home runs are multiplied by 4.
Slugging percentage differs from batting average and on-base percentage because it gives value to specific hits. Batting average provides the same value for all hits, while on-base percentage includes values like walks and hits by pitches.
A good slugging percentage is .450 or above.
Evaluating hitters with Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, and Slugging Percentage
Now that we know what batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage are, we can properly evaluate a hitter! So exciting.
When reading baseball statistics, you will see the three statistics listed in this order: BA/OBP/SLG.
Let’s look at an example of an offensive slash line:
Above are the statistics for a newly-retired player, Albert Pujols (fun fact: one time at a Mets game Albert Pujols was standing directly across from me for a good 5 minutes, and I didn’t recognize him because he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and I’m also super oblivious ☠️).
If we look at his 2022 season, we can see his batting average as .270, on-base percentage as .345, and slugging as .550. Not bad for a last season!
These stats would usually be listed as .270/.345/.550. Pujols performed well for the 2022 season with an above-average batting average, a good OBP, and an excellent SLG. He had a lot of success hitting for power, with his 24 home runs weighing heavily in his SLG. He had 0 triples and only 14 doubles, so these home runs were a critical factor in his power-hitting abilities.
It is important to know that SLG is not the end-all-be-all for hitting. While it does measure how well a player can hit for power, it can overlook the success of different types of hitters. For example, a contact hitter that gets on base often through singles, doubles, and walks but does not hit many home runs does not make him a poor hitter. He may have a low SLG, but a high BA and OBP. A player like this can be an excellent part of a lineup, as someone who gets on base often will more likely score often. An optimal lineup would have a mix of players that complement each other by getting on base and then driving in those runs.
Often with lineups, you’ll see the leadoff batter have a high OBP. Once he gets on base, it opens up the opportunity for the following batters to either get on base or (for a player with a high SLG) get an extra-base hit to bring that leadoff batter in for a run. Although having many players that can hit multiple home runs is nice, the probability of those players hitting a home run every game is low, making it riskier to score runs. This is why balance is key with lineups.
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