What is OPS in Baseball?
On-Base Plus Slugging · Batting
OPS stands for On-Base Plus Slugging. It is calculated by adding a batter's on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG). OPS combines a batter's ability to get on base with their power, making it one of the most efficient single-number summaries of offensive production.
Formula
OPS = OBP + SLG
A batter with a .370 OBP and a .540 SLG has an OPS of .910. The stat is easy to calculate but highly predictive of run-scoring.
Benchmarks
| Level | OPS |
|---|---|
| Legendary | > 1.000 |
| Excellent | .900–1.000 |
| Above Average | .800–.900 |
| Average | .700–.800 |
| Below Average | < .700 |
ALL-TIME CAREER OPS LEADERS
| Rank | Player | OPS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Babe Ruth | 1.164 |
| 2 | Ted Williams | 1.116 |
| 3 | Lou Gehrig | 1.080 |
| 4 | Barry Bonds | 1.051 |
| 5 | Jimmie Foxx | 1.038 |
| 6 | Turkey Stearnes | 1.033 |
| 7 | Aaron Judge | 1.026 |
| 8 | Mule Suttles | 1.025 |
| 9 | Hank Greenberg | 1.017 |
| 10 | Rogers Hornsby | 1.010 |
BEST SINGLE-SEASON OPS IN MLB HISTORY
| Rank | Player | Year | Team | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry Bonds | 2004 | SFG | 1.422 |
| 2 | Babe Ruth | 1920 | NYY | 1.382 |
| 3 | Barry Bonds | 2002 | SFG | 1.381 |
| 4 | Barry Bonds | 2001 | SFG | 1.379 |
| 5 | Babe Ruth | 1921 | NYY | 1.359 |
| 6 | Mule Suttles | 1926 | SLS | 1.349 |
| 7 | Babe Ruth | 1923 | NYY | 1.309 |
| 8 | Ted Williams | 1941 | BOS | 1.287 |
| 9 | Barry Bonds | 2003 | SFG | 1.278 |
| 10 | Babe Ruth | 1927 | NYY | 1.258 |
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
OPS gained widespread adoption in the 1980s and 1990s as sabermetricians searched for simple metrics that correlated well with run production. It was popularized in John Thorn and Pete Palmer's 1984 book "The Hidden Game of Baseball."
Babe Ruth holds the all-time career OPS record at approximately 1.164, followed by Ted Williams (1.116) and Lou Gehrig (1.080). Among players active since 1980, Barry Bonds leads with a career OPS of 1.051. Bonds also holds the single-season record: his 2002 OPS of 1.381 — featuring a .582 OBP and .799 SLG — is the highest single-season mark in MLB history.
OPS has limitations: it treats OBP and SLG as equally valuable, even though research shows OBP is roughly 1.8 times more valuable per point. This led to the development of OPS+ (adjusted for ballpark and era) and wOBA (weighted on-base average).
Despite its imperfections, OPS remains one of the quickest ways to assess a hitter's overall offensive value and is now displayed on most baseball reference sites and broadcasts.
ERA COMPARISON: HOW THE LEAGUE AVERAGE HAS SHIFTED
League-average OPS reflects how much offense the game has featured in each era. Steroid Era averages were the highest in modern history.
| Era | Years | Lg Avg OPS |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Ball Era | 1900–1919 | .649 |
| Live Ball Era | 1920–1941 | .740 |
| Post-WWII Era | 1942–1960 | .711 |
| Year of the Pitcher | 1961–1968 | .686 |
| Expansion Era | 1969–1988 | .706 |
| Steroid Era | 1989–2005 | .747 |
| Post-Steroid Era | 2006–2019 | .736 |
| Modern Era | 2020–2024 | .722 |
Figures represent MLB combined league-average OPS per era. Computed from Lahman historical MLB data.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is OPS in baseball?
OPS stands for On-Base Plus Slugging. It is calculated by adding a batter's on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG). OPS combines a batter's ability to get on base with their power, making it one of the most efficient single-number summaries of offensive production.
How is OPS calculated?
OPS is simply the sum of on-base percentage and slugging percentage. OBP measures how often a batter reaches base (hits, walks, HBP divided by plate appearances). SLG measures total bases per at-bat, weighting extra-base hits more heavily.
What is a good OPS in baseball?
An OPS above 1.000 is legendary; .900+ is excellent; .800+ is above average; .700+ is average at the major league level. League average OPS is typically around .720–.750 in the modern era.
Who has the highest career OPS in MLB history?
Babe Ruth holds the all-time career OPS record at 1.164, followed by Ted Williams (1.116) and Lou Gehrig (1.080). Among players active since 1990, Barry Bonds leads at 1.051.
What is OPS+ in baseball?
OPS+ adjusts a player's OPS for the run environment of their home park and the offensive context of their era, then scales the result so 100 is league average. An OPS+ of 150 means a player was 50% better than the league-average hitter after park and era adjustments.
EXPLORE MORE STATS
Pitching
ERA
Learn more →
Batting
AVG
Learn more →
Batting
HR
Learn more →
Batting
RBI
Learn more →
Advanced
WAR
Learn more →
Pitching
WHIP
Learn more →
Batting
SLG
Learn more →
Batting
OBP
Learn more →
Pitching
Wins
Learn more →
Pitching
SO
Learn more →
Batting
SB
Learn more →
Pitching
SV
Learn more →
Batting
BB
Learn more →
Advanced
FIP
Learn more →
Pitching
K/9
Learn more →
Pitching
BB/9
Learn more →
Advanced
BABIP
Learn more →
Advanced
wOBA
Learn more →
Advanced
PIV
Learn more →