on-base percentage
noun
on-base per·cent·age
ˈȯn-ˈbās-pər-ˈsen-tij 
baseball
: a statistic that is expressed as a 3-digit decimal and that indicates the frequency with which a batter reaches base by a hit, a walk, or being hit by a pitch
Note: A batter with an on-base percentage of .350 has reached base 3.5 times for every 10 at bats.
Through Sunday he led the league in on-base percentage (.479) and hits (40) and was second in runs scored (21) and ninth in slugging percentage (.515).—
Ivan Maisel
Ivan Maisel… he understood that on-base percentage was a far better tool to evaluate a hitter than batting average …—Tom Verducci
Tom VerducciExamples of on-base percentage in a Sentence
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Undergirding his declines in batting average, on-base percentage and power production were decreases in exit velocity and barrel rate and an increase in chase rate.
—Al Melchior, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
The 26-year-old had the worst offensive season of his career, with lows in batting average (.222), on-base percentage (.277), slugging percentage (.325) and OPS+ (73).
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
The 34-year-old Hernández hit .203 with an on-base percentage of .255 and .366 slugging percentage in 256 regular season plate appearances, with 10 home runs in 92 games last season.
—Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
His on-base percentage was fourth best in the league.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Dec. 2025
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Al Melchior, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
The 26-year-old had the worst offensive season of his career, with lows in batting average (.222), on-base percentage (.277), slugging percentage (.325) and OPS+ (73).
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
The 34-year-old Hernández hit .203 with an on-base percentage of .255 and .366 slugging percentage in 256 regular season plate appearances, with 10 home runs in 92 games last season.
—Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026
His on-base percentage was fourth best in the league.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on-base percentage
Cite this Entry
“On-base percentage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on-base%20percentage. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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