What is a good batting average?

By most standards, a good batting average in baseball is .300, which is the benchmark that separates good hitters from average hitters. The average is calculated by dividing a player's number of base hits by his at-bats.

To solidify his stance on the psychological importance of batting .300, New York Times writer Alan Schwartz examined the season batting averages of all players over the course of 50 years with at least 300 at-bats. In examining all players hitting between .290 and .310, statistics indicated a much higher frequency of players hitting just above .300 than just below it. As of 2014, Ty Cobb holds the record for the most .300 seasons, 23, and the highest career batting average, .366.