Batting Average Calculator

Calculate batting performance for cricket and baseball

Assess batsman skill with precise BA calculations from match statistics

Last updated: December 9, 2025

CreatorFrank Zhao

Calculator Mode

Cricket Batting

Calculate runs per dismissal

Runs Scored

Times Dismissed

Whether you're tracking your own performance at the local cricket club, analyzing your favorite MLB player's stats, or just settling a friendly debate about who's the better batsman, understanding batting average is your secret weapon. This simple yet powerful metric cuts through the noise and gives you a clear picture of batting skill—and our calculator makes finding it effortless.

What Is Batting Average, Anyway?

At its heart, batting average (often abbreviated as BA or AVG) is a straightforward way to measure how productive a batter is. Originally developed for cricket back in the 1800s, the concept was so elegant that baseball quickly adopted its own version.

⚾ Think of batting average as your "success rate" at the plate—the higher the number, the more consistently you're getting results.

What makes BA so useful? It boils down a batsman's entire performance into a single, easy-to-compare number. Whether someone has played 10 games or 100, you can stack their averages side by side and get a fair comparison of their batting effectiveness.

Key differences between the two sports:

Cricket: Measures runs per dismissal (typically ranges from 10 to 60+)
Baseball: Measures hits per at-bat (expressed as a decimal like .300)
Both indicate the same thing: batting consistency and skill

How to Calculate Cricket Batting Average

Cricket's batting average tells you how many runs a batsman scores, on average, before getting out. It's beautifully simple:

Batting Average = Total Runs Scored ÷ Times Dismissed

(Only counts innings where the batsman got out)

Step-by-Step Example: Club Cricketer's Season

Add up total runs scored

Let's say you scored: 45 + 23 + 78 + 12 + 0 + 56 + 34 + 91 = 339 runs

Count times you were dismissed

Out of 8 innings, you stayed not out twice, so: 6 dismissals

Calculate your average

339 ÷ 6 = 56.50

That's a very respectable club-level average!

💡

Why "times out" matters: If a batsman remains not out (the team's innings ends while they're still batting), that innings doesn't count toward the "times out" denominator. This is why some players have exceptionally high averages—they stay at the crease when others fall!

How to Calculate Baseball Batting Average

In baseball, batting average measures how often a batter gets a hit when they have an official at-bat. The formula is just as elegant:

Batting Average = Total Hits ÷ Official At-Bats

(Walks, hit-by-pitch, and sacrifices don't count as at-bats)

Step-by-Step Example: Tracking a Hot Streak

Count your hits

Over the last 10 games, you recorded: 15 hits (singles, doubles, triples, and home runs all count)

Count your official at-bats

You had 42 plate appearances, but 2 were walks and 1 was a sacrifice bunt: 39 at-bats

Calculate your average

15 ÷ 39 = 0.385 → displayed as .385

That's a scorching hot streak! You're "batting three-eighty-five."

💡

Baseball notation quirk: You'll notice baseball averages drop the leading zero. So 0.300 is written as .300 and pronounced "three hundred." This tradition dates back over a century—it's just how baseball does things!

What Does Your Cricket Average Actually Mean?

Cricket averages typically range from single digits for bowlers who occasionally bat, up to 50+ for world-class batsmen. Here's how to read the numbers:

Average Range	Skill Level	What It Means
Below 10	Struggling / Tailender	Usually a specialist bowler who chips in with the bat
10 - 20	Developing	Learning the ropes, room for improvement
20 - 30	Competent	Solid contributor, reliable club player
30 - 40	Very Good	Key batsman, consistent run-scorer
40 - 50	Excellent	International-caliber, team's backbone
50+	World Class	Elite performer, among the very best

Decoding Your Baseball Batting Average

In baseball, averages are expressed differently—as a three-decimal number without the leading zero. Most MLB players land between .200 and .300. Here's the breakdown:

Average	Skill Level	Reality Check
Below .200	Struggling	"Mendoza Line"—often benched or sent down
.200 - .250	Below Average	Might be kept for defense or power potential
.250 - .275	League Average	Solid everyday player, reliable contributor
.275 - .300	Above Average	Quality hitter, valuable to any lineup
.300 - .350	Excellent	All-Star caliber, consistently among the best
.350+	Elite / Historic	Batting title contender, potential MVP
.400+	Legendary	Last achieved in 1941—the holy grail of hitting

🎯

The "Mendoza Line": Named after Mario Mendoza, a .215 career hitter, this unofficial benchmark (around .200) represents the minimum average expected of a major leaguer. Dipping below it usually means your job is at risk—unless you're an exceptional defender or bring power off the bench.

The Legends: Record-Breaking Batting Averages

🏏

Cricket's Untouchable: Sir Donald Bradman

If there's one number every cricket fan knows, it's 99.94. That was "The Don's" career Test batting average—a figure so far ahead of everyone else that statisticians have called it the greatest achievement in any major sport.

To put this in perspective: the next best Test average in history is around 61. Bradman's average is nearly 40 runs higher per dismissal. He played from 1928 to 1948, and his record has stood for over 75 years with no one coming close.

Top 5 Career Test Batting Averages:

1. Don Bradman (Australia) — 99.94
2. Adam Voges (Australia) — 61.87
3. Steve Smith (Australia) — 61.37
4. Graeme Pollock (South Africa) — 60.97
5. George Headley (West Indies) — 60.83

⚾

Baseball's Last .400 Hitter: Ted Williams

In 1941, Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox accomplished something no one has done since—he finished the season batting .406. More than 80 years later, the .400 mark remains baseball's most elusive milestone.

"Teddy Ballgame" retired with a career .344 average and also holds the all-time on-base percentage record (.482). His scientific approach to hitting influenced generations of players.

Top 5 Career MLB Batting Averages:

1. Ty Cobb — .367
2. Rogers Hornsby — .358
3. Shoeless Joe Jackson — .356
4. Lefty O'Doul — .349
5. Ted Williams — .344

Pro Tips for Using Batting Average Wisely

Sample Size Matters

A .500 average over 10 at-bats is nice, but it doesn't mean much yet. Look for at least 100+ at-bats (baseball) or 10+ innings (cricket) before drawing conclusions.

Context Is Everything

A .280 average with 40 home runs tells a different story than .280 with mostly singles. BA is one piece of the puzzle—pair it with other stats for the full picture.

Compare Apples to Apples

Different eras, leagues, and conditions produce different averages. A .300 hitter in the "dead-ball era" meant something different than today's game.

Track Trends, Not Just Totals

Calculate your average over different time periods to spot patterns. Maybe you hit better against left-handers, or struggle in day games. The data tells stories!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do cricket and baseball use different formulas?

Great question! It comes down to how each sport defines "success" at bat:

Cricket cares about runs scored—how many points you put on the board before getting out.
Baseball cares about getting on base safely—whether it's a single or a home run, it counts as one hit.

Both formulas perfectly capture what matters most in their respective sports.

What's a "not out" in cricket, and why does it matter?

When a cricket innings ends while a batsman is still at the crease (the team runs out of wickets or declares), that batsman is "not out." These runs count toward their total, but the innings doesn't count as a dismissal.

Example: If you score 50 runs and stay not out, those 50 runs boost your total runs but your "times out" stays the same—which actually raises your average!

Why don't walks count as at-bats in baseball?

Baseball's at-bat statistic is designed to measure hitting skill specifically. A walk (base on balls) is the pitcher's "fault" for throwing four balls outside the strike zone—the batter didn't really get a chance to hit.

That's why walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts, and sacrifice flies don't count against your batting average. They're tracked separately through on-base percentage (OBP) instead.

Can batting average be over 100 in cricket?

Theoretically, yes! If a player scores runs in multiple innings but never gets out (always remaining "not out"), their batting average would technically be infinite—though it's usually just shown as their total runs or marked with an asterisk.

Fun fact: Some players early in their careers show very high averages (like 150+) simply because they've only batted a few times and haven't been dismissed much. This is why sample size is so important!

Is batting average the best stat for measuring a player?

Batting average is a fantastic starting point—it's simple, intuitive, and has stood the test of time. But modern analytics have given us additional tools:

OBP (On-Base Percentage): Accounts for walks and HBPs
SLG (Slugging Percentage): Values extra-base hits more
OPS (OBP + SLG): Combines both for a fuller picture
Strike Rate (Cricket): How fast runs are scored

Think of batting average as the foundation—reliable and important, but best used alongside other metrics for the complete picture.

How can I improve my batting average?

Whether you're on the cricket pitch or baseball diamond, a few principles apply:

Plate discipline: Swing at good pitches, leave the bad ones
Practice with purpose: Work on your weaknesses in training
Study yourself: Use your stats to identify patterns
Stay patient: Batting is a game of failure—even the best fail 70% of the time in baseball!