Highest Single-Season Batting Average: Leaders & Records

Single Season

Includes the 2026 season through October 9, 2026

This board follows the record MLB adopted in 2024, when the statistics of the seven recognised Negro Leagues (1920–1948) became part of the official record. Because a Negro Leagues season ran roughly 69 games to the American and National Leagues’ 149, the career qualification is prorated from 3,000 at-bats to 1,389 for careers played mainly in those leagues, and from 400 plate appearances to 185 for a single Negro Leagues season. The all-time AL & NL board uses the traditional 3,000-at-bat rule and excludes Negro Leagues records.

As of October 9, 2026, the single-season leader in Batting Average is Levi Meyerle (1871) with .492. Hugh Duffy (1894) is second with .440 and Tip O'Neill (1887) is third with .435. This page ranks the top 100 seasons in Batting Average.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.

Data updated

Levi Meyerle holds the MLB single-season batting average record with a .492 batting average in 1871, ahead of Hugh Duffy (.440 in 1894) and Tip O'Neill (.435 in 1887).

Rankings cover the top 100 qualifying seasons (MLB's qualification rule of 3.1 plate appearances per game the player's team played).

Top 10 AVG

Single Season. Click a bar to view the player.

Highest Single-Season Batting Average: Leaders & Records (AL/NL + Negro Leagues Combined)
Rank Player Year Team AVG
1 Levi Meyerle 1871 PH1 .492
2 Hugh Duffy 1894 BSN .440
3 Tip O'Neill 1887 SL4 .435
T-4 Ross Barnes 1873 BS1 .431
T-4 Cal McVey 1871 BS1 .431
6 Ross Barnes 1872 BS1 .430
7 Ross Barnes 1876 CHN .429
8 Nap Lajoie 1901 PHA .426
T-9 Rogers Hornsby 1924 SLN .424
T-9 Willie Keeler 1897 BLN .424
T-11 Ty Cobb 1911 DET .420
T-11 George Sisler 1922 SLA .420
13 Davy Force 1872 2 teams .418
T-14 Cap Anson 1872 PH1 .415
T-14 Sam Thompson 1894 PHI .415
16 Fred Dunlap 1884 SLU .412
T-17 Jesse Burkett 1896 CL4 .410
T-17 Ed Delahanty 1899 PHI .410
19 Ty Cobb 1912 DET .409
20 Shoeless Joe Jackson 1911 CLE .408
21 George Sisler 1920 SLA .407
22 Ted Williams 1941 BOS .406
T-23 Jesse Burkett 1895 CL4 .405
T-23 Ed Delahanty 1894 PHI .405
25 Ed Delahanty 1895 PHI .404
T-26 Billy Hamilton 1894 PHI .403
T-26 Harry Heilmann 1923 DET .403
T-26 Rogers Hornsby 1925 SLN .403
29 Pete Browning 1887 LS2 .402
T-30 Ross Barnes 1871 BS1 .401
T-30 Ty Cobb 1922 DET .401
T-30 Rogers Hornsby 1922 SLN .401
T-30 Hughie Jennings 1896 BLN .401
T-30 Bill Terry 1930 NY1 .401
35 Cap Anson 1881 CHN .399
T-36 Cap Anson 1873 PH1 .398
T-36 Harry Heilmann 1927 DET .398
T-36 Lefty O'Doul 1929 PHI .398
T-39 Ed Delahanty 1896 PHI .397
T-39 Rogers Hornsby 1921 SLN .397
T-41 Jesse Burkett 1899 SLN .396
T-41 Steve King 1871 TRO .396
43 Shoeless Joe Jackson 1912 CLE .395
T-44 Tony Gwynn 1994 SDN .394
T-44 Harry Heilmann 1921 DET .394
T-44 Levi Meyerle 1874 CH2 .394
T-47 Harry Heilmann 1925 DET .393
T-47 Babe Herman 1930 BRO .393
T-47 Joe Kelley 1894 BLN .393
T-47 Babe Ruth 1923 NYA .393
T-51 Sam Thompson 1895 PHI .392
T-51 Deacon White 1873 BS1 .392
53 John McGraw 1899 BLN .391
T-54 George Brett 1980 KCA .390
T-54 Fred Clarke 1897 LS3 .390
T-54 Ty Cobb 1913 DET .390
T-54 Al Simmons 1931 PHA .390
T-58 Ty Cobb 1921 DET .389
T-58 Billy Hamilton 1895 PHI .389
T-58 Bill Lange 1895 CHN .389
T-58 Tris Speaker 1925 CLE .389
T-62 Luke Appling 1936 CHA .388
T-62 Rod Carew 1977 MIN .388
T-62 King Kelly 1886 CHN .388
T-62 Tris Speaker 1920 CLE .388
T-62 Ted Williams 1957 BOS .388
T-67 Lave Cross 1894 PHI .387
T-67 Rogers Hornsby 1928 BSN .387
T-67 Al Simmons 1925 PHA .387
T-67 Deacon White 1877 BSN .387
T-67 George Wright 1873 BS1 .387
T-72 Hughie Jennings 1895 BLN .386
T-72 Willie Keeler 1896 BLN .386
T-72 Chuck Klein 1930 PHI .386
T-72 Tris Speaker 1916 CLE .386
T-76 Willie Keeler 1898 BLN .385
T-76 Arky Vaughan 1935 PIT .385
T-78 Ty Cobb 1919 DET .384
T-78 Rogers Hornsby 1923 SLN .384
T-80 Jesse Burkett 1897 CL4 .383
T-80 Ty Cobb 1917 DET .383
T-80 Nap Lajoie 1910 CLE .383
T-80 Lefty O'Doul 1930 PHI .383
T-80 Tris Speaker 1912 BOS .383
T-85 Ty Cobb 1910 DET .382
T-85 Ty Cobb 1918 DET .382
T-85 Shoeless Joe Jackson 1920 CHA .382
T-88 Joe DiMaggio 1939 NYA .381
T-88 Babe Herman 1929 BRO .381
T-88 Al Simmons 1930 PHA .381
T-88 Honus Wagner 1900 PIT .381
T-92 Billy Hamilton 1893 PHI .380
T-92 Rogers Hornsby 1929 CHN .380
T-92 Cal McVey 1873 BL1 .380
T-92 Tris Speaker 1923 CLE .380
T-92 Paul Waner 1927 PIT .380
T-97 Lou Gehrig 1930 NYA .379
T-97 Goose Goslin 1928 WS1 .379
T-97 Willie Keeler 1899 BRO .379
T-97 Freddie Lindstrom 1930 NY1 .379

Reading the single-season Batting Average board (combined view)

The final row on this board, rank T-97, is held at .379. The rows reach from the 1870s to the 1990s, and the 1890s supply more seasons than any other decade. The top ten leans toward the 1870s. The board repeats several players, among them Ross Barnes (1873, 1872, 1876, and 1871), Rogers Hornsby (1924, 1925, 1922, 1921, and 1928), and Willie Keeler (1897, 1896, 1898, and 1899). DET is the most common entry in the Team column. The largest tie on the board is at T-30, where Ross Barnes, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Hughie Jennings and others share .401. Levi Meyerle leads at .492 in 1871. Second place belongs to Hugh Duffy, at .440 (1894). No Negro Leagues entry reaches this board even with the prorated qualification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the highest single-season batting average (MLB's qualification rule of 3.1 plate appearances per game the player's team played)?
Levi Meyerle — a .492 batting average in 1871, among qualifying seasons (MLB's qualification rule of 3.1 plate appearances per game the player's team played). Next are Hugh Duffy (.440 in 1894) and Tip O'Neill (.435 in 1887).
What was Levi Meyerle's batting average in 1871?
Levi Meyerle posted a .492 batting average for PH1 in 1871 — the highest mark on this leaderboard.
Who else ranks in the top 5 for single-season batting average?
1. Levi Meyerle (.492 in 1871); 2. Hugh Duffy (.440 in 1894); 3. Tip O'Neill (.435 in 1887); 4. Ross Barnes (.431 in 1873); 5. Cal McVey (.431 in 1871).
Who qualifies for this Batting Average leaderboard?
This leaderboard ranks qualifying seasons (MLB's qualification rule of 3.1 plate appearances per game the player's team played), showing the top 100. Levi Meyerle leads with a .492 batting average in 1871.