Highest Single-Season Batting Average: Leaders & Records

Single Season

Includes the 2026 season through August 26, 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.

Josh Gibson holds the MLB single-season batting average record with a .466 batting average in 1943, ahead of Charlie Smith (.449 in 1929) and Hugh Duffy (.440 in 1894).

Rankings cover the top 100 qualifying seasons (a minimum of 400 plate appearances).

These rankings combine AL/NL and Negro Leagues statistics (1920–1948), which MLB recognized as major league in 2020 — 38 of the 100 seasons listed here were played in the Negro Leagues.

Top 10 AVG

Single Season. Click a bar to view the player.

Rank Player Year Team AVG
1 Josh Gibson NgL 1943 HG .466
2 Charlie Smith NgL 1929 NLG .449
3 Hugh Duffy 1894 BSN .440
4 Tip O'Neill 1887 SL4 .435
5 Oscar Charleston NgL 1921 SLG .434
6 Charlie Blackwell NgL 1921 SLG .432
7 Biz Mackey NgL 1923 HIL .428
8 Oscar Charleston NgL 1925 HBG .427
9 Nap Lajoie 1901 PHA .426
10 Mule Suttles NgL 1926 SLS .425
T-11 Rogers Hornsby 1924 SLN .424
T-11 Willie Keeler 1897 BLN .424
T-11 Jud Wilson NgL 1927 BBS .424
14 Roy Parnell NgL 1927 BBB .423
T-15 Ty Cobb 1911 DET .420
T-15 George Sisler 1922 SLA .420
T-17 Rap Dixon NgL 1929 BBS .415
T-17 Sam Thompson 1894 PHI .415
19 Mule Suttles NgL 1930 SLS .413
20 Fred Dunlap 1884 SLU .412
T-21 Jesse Burkett 1896 CL4 .410
T-21 Oscar Charleston NgL 1924 HBG .410
T-21 Ed Delahanty 1899 PHI .410
24 Ty Cobb 1912 DET .409
T-25 Willard Brown NgL 1948 KCM .408
T-25 Shoeless Joe Jackson 1911 CLE .408
T-25 Heavy Johnson NgL 1922 KCM .408
28 George Sisler 1920 SLA .407
T-29 Heavy Johnson NgL 1923 KCM .406
T-29 Ted Williams 1941 BOS .406
T-31 Jesse Burkett 1895 CL4 .405
T-31 Ed Delahanty 1894 PHI .405
T-33 John Beckwith NgL 1925 BBS .404
T-33 Ed Delahanty 1895 PHI .404
T-33 Edgar Wesley NgL 1925 DS .404
T-33 Jud Wilson NgL 1929 BBS .404
T-37 Billy Hamilton 1894 PHI .403
T-37 Harry Heilmann 1923 DET .403
T-37 Rogers Hornsby 1925 SLN .403
40 Pete Browning 1887 LS2 .402
T-41 Ty Cobb 1922 DET .401
T-41 Rogers Hornsby 1922 SLN .401
T-41 Hughie Jennings 1896 BLN .401
T-41 Bill Terry 1930 NY1 .401
T-45 Willie Wells NgL 1930 SLS .399
T-45 Jud Wilson NgL 1924 BBS .399
T-45 Jud Wilson NgL 1928 BBS .399
T-48 Rap Dixon NgL 1928 BBS .398
T-48 Harry Heilmann 1927 DET .398
T-48 Lefty O'Doul 1929 PHI .398
T-51 Oscar Charleston NgL 1927 HBG .397
T-51 Ed Delahanty 1896 PHI .397
T-51 Rogers Hornsby 1921 SLN .397
54 Jesse Burkett 1899 SLN .396
T-55 Josh Gibson NgL 1933 PC .395
T-55 Shoeless Joe Jackson 1912 CLE .395
T-57 Tony Gwynn 1994 SDN .394
T-57 Harry Heilmann 1921 DET .394
T-59 Steel Arm Davis NgL 1927 CAG .393
T-59 Harry Heilmann 1925 DET .393
T-59 Babe Herman 1930 BRO .393
T-59 Joe Kelley 1894 BLN .393
T-59 Babe Ruth 1923 NYA .393
T-59 Cristóbal Torriente NgL 1920 CAG .393
T-65 Al Simmons 1927 PHA .392
T-65 Ben Taylor NgL 1921 ABC .392
T-65 Sam Thompson 1895 PHI .392
T-68 John Beckwith NgL 1921 COG .391
T-68 John McGraw 1899 BLN .391
T-68 Turkey Stearnes NgL 1929 DS .391
T-71 George Brett 1980 KCA .390
T-71 Fred Clarke 1897 LS3 .390
T-71 Ty Cobb 1913 DET .390
T-71 George Scales NgL 1923 SLS .390
T-71 Al Simmons 1931 PHA .390
T-76 Walter Cannady NgL 1925 HBG .389
T-76 Ty Cobb 1921 DET .389
T-76 Valentín Dreke NgL 1924 CSW .389
T-76 Josh Gibson NgL 1936 PC .389
T-76 Billy Hamilton 1895 PHI .389
T-76 Judy Johnson NgL 1925 HIL .389
T-76 Bill Lange 1895 CHN .389
T-76 Tris Speaker 1925 CLE .389
T-84 Luke Appling 1936 CHA .388
T-84 Rod Carew 1977 MIN .388
T-84 King Kelly 1886 CHN .388
T-84 Leroy Morney NgL 1932 MRM .388
T-84 Tris Speaker 1920 CLE .388
T-84 Ted Williams 1957 BOS .388
T-90 Lave Cross 1894 PHI .387
T-90 Rogers Hornsby 1928 BSN .387
T-90 Al Simmons 1925 PHA .387
T-90 Cristóbal Torriente NgL 1923 CAG .387
T-94 Hughie Jennings 1895 BLN .386
T-94 Willie Keeler 1896 BLN .386
T-94 Chuck Klein 1930 PHI .386
T-94 Tris Speaker 1916 CLE .386
T-94 Turkey Stearnes NgL 1935 CAG .386
T-99 Monte Irvin NgL 1941 NE .385
T-99 Willie Keeler 1898 BLN .385

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the highest single-season batting average (a minimum of 400 plate appearances)?
Josh Gibson — a .466 batting average in 1943, among qualifying seasons (a minimum of 400 plate appearances). Next are Charlie Smith (.449 in 1929) and Hugh Duffy (.440 in 1894).
What was Josh Gibson's batting average in 1943?
Josh Gibson posted a .466 batting average for HG in 1943 — the highest mark on this leaderboard.
Who else ranks in the top 5 for single-season batting average?
1. Josh Gibson (.466 in 1943); 2. Charlie Smith (.449 in 1929); 3. Hugh Duffy (.440 in 1894); 4. Tip O'Neill (.435 in 1887); 5. Oscar Charleston (.434 in 1921).
Do these Batting Average rankings include the Negro Leagues?
Yes. MLB recognized the Negro Leagues (1920–1948) as major league in 2020, so their statistics are ranked alongside AL/NL records here — 38 of the 100 seasons listed here were played in the Negro Leagues.