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Ted Williams Has the Best On-Base Percentage of All Time

On-base percentage (OBP) has been utilized more and more over the years in evaluating a baseball player’s skill and value.

Back in the day (and we’re talking as late as the 1980s and 1990s), average, home runs and other basic statistics were the primary go-to numbers used in determining whether a player had the goods or not.

With the rise of Sabermetrics and other advanced stats, OBP, slugging percentage (SLG), on-base + slugging (OBS) and wins against replacement (WAR) have come to the forefront in player scouting.

So, what is on-base percentage?

Where average simply accounts for a player’s hits in getting on base, OBP accounts for his walks and hit-by-pitches, as well – basically any way of getting on base that either improves average or does not reduce it (as in the case of an error or fielder’s choice, for example).

Here is the math, courtesy my source, baseball-reference.com: (H + BB + HBP)/(At Bats + BB + HBP + SF)

It would make sense, then, that when one normally thinks of OBP, they may have in mind contact hitters who work the count.

How far from the truth when you look at the all-time career leaders.

Most of these guys are sluggers – led by Ted Williams himself.

There’s Babe Ruth in second, Lou Gehrig, Barry Bonds, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Frank Thomas and so on.

Of course, you have some of the best pure hitters in the game’s history too – Ty Cobb, Billy Hamilton, Tris Speaker and Eddie Collins.

Why the sluggers, though? Walks. Tons of walks. They were often pitched around.

And look at that at the bottom – the only active on the list, Todd Helton. Will that be one of many factors that helps Helton into the Hall of Fame?

Photo: biography.com