on-base percentage

noun

on-base per·​cent·​age ˈȯn-ˈbās-pər-ˈsen-tij How to pronounce on-base percentage (audio)
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
… he understood that on-base percentage was a far better tool to evaluate a hitter than batting average …Tom Verducci

Examples of on-base percentage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nonetheless, his on-base percentage ranks fourth, a mark of just how scared pitchers have been of Judge during his decade at the plate. Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025 Suzuki's batting average and on-base percentage would be the worst marks of his four-year career, and his slugging percentage this season would be the second-lowest of his career. Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 In August, their offense led baseball in several stats, such as on-base percentage, slugging percentage and RBIs. Will Sammon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025 Bailey is currently posting career-lows in batting average (.218), on-base percentage (.276) and slugging percentage (.318) in what will likely be the worst offensive season of his career. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for on-base percentage

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of on-base percentage was in 1949

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“On-base percentage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on-base%20percentage. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!