who had the biggest batting average ever?

Answer 1

EVER is a very long time, longer than some people know. The American Association was considered a full-fledged major league in the 1890's--along with the National League before the American League was formed.

Hugh Duffy played 125 games for the Boston Braves in 1894.
He had 237 hits in 539 official at bats for a batting average of .440.

Before anyone questions this, it was not the one year that walks counted as hits for batting averages. That was 1887.

For the record, Tip O'Neal of the American Association's St. Louis Browns batted .435 in 1887. Rogers Hornsby batted .424 in 1924 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Note: John Paciorek, older brother of Jim and Tom Paciorek played one game, the last game of 1963. He went 3 for 3 with 2 walks and scored 4 runs. Due to injuries, that was the last game he ever played. His lifetime average is 1.000; the most official at bats without making an out.

Answer 2

Hugh Duffy (November 26, 1866 – October 19, 1954) was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. He was born in Cranston, Rhode Island.

Duffy entered the National League with the Chicago White Stockings in 1888 and shortly thereafter earned the reputation of an outstanding outfielder and powerful hitter. He switched leagues, joining the American Association's Boston Reds in 1891; he then returned to the NL with the Boston Beaneaters in 1892, where he enjoyed his best seasons. Playing in Boston from 1891 until 1900, Duffy knocked in 100 runs or more 8 times. In 1894 Duffy had one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, leading the league with 18 home runs, with 145 RBI and a .440 batting average (see Triple crown). Duffy's .440 average is the Major League single season batting average record. He played with two other Hall of Fame outfielders during his career, Tommy McCarthy (as half of the "Heavenly Twins") and Billy Hamilton. Duffy finished his career in 1906 with 106 home runs which was, at the time, one of the highest career totals ever.


Hugh Duffy
is a member of
the Baseball
Hall of Fame
Duffy managed the 1920 Toronto Maple Leafs to a .701 winning percentage—the best in the team's 83-year history, but still only good enough for second place in the International League.

Duffy was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

Answer 3

The "modern" record is Rogers Hornsby's .424

Hornsby is the greatest second baseman in the history of baseball, and one of the greatest to ever play the game.

2 time triple crown winner
7 time batting champion
10 time OB% champion
9 time SLG champion
Hit over .400 three times
Over a .700 SLG twice
Over a .600 SLG seven times

.358 BA is the second highest career BA in baseball history

single season best BA-424 OB%-507 SLG-756
Career average - >BA-358 OB%-434 SLG-577

I have heard some call him an "average" fielder. While he may have made a few more errors than some - FLD%-.965 his range factor of 5.36 is very-very good when you consider that's an average over 23 seasons.

Answer 4

People don't seem to want to acknowledge it for many reasons, but the highest batting average for one season in major league baseball was Tip O'Neill's .485 in 567 at bats in 1887. Under today's scoring rules (walks were officially recorded as base hits that year) it would have been lower (.435 without the walks), but we can't rewrite history. O'Neill played for the St. Louis Browns in the American Association. For the record, in the National Association (pre-National League), Levi Meyerle of the Philadelphia Athletics hit .492 in 1871.

Answer 5

In the Majors Cobb .367. That has to be official major league at bats. If you are looking for any at bats, I am sure a number of guys only got one hit in one at bat. Also, Negroe leagues didn't always keep accurate stats. Some players may have actually hit higher in that professional league.

Answer 6

Single season Hugh Duffy hit .440 in a season.Not Rogers Hornsby.All time Ty Cobb .367

Answer 7

In a season, Rogers Hornsby hit .424.

Answer 8

Ty Cobb lifetime Avg. 367 over 24 Pro seasons....highest lifetime Avg. ever.

Answer 9

Im sure there are some guys who got played in one game and went 1/1, but then got sent down to the minor leagues and never got back up, thatd make it 1.000.

Answer 10

Rogers Hornsby hit .424

thanks for the question