The Short Answer: SLG (slugging percentage) measures how many total bases a player gets per at-bat. It indicates a player's ability to hit for power, with higher numbers indicating a greater number of extra-base hits.
Total Bases ÷ At-Bats = SLG
Baseball fans and analysts use statistics to tell the complete story of a player's performance at the plate. While batting average has been the traditional measure of a hitter's success, slugging percentage (SLG) reveals the true impact of those hits. This number helps distinguish between singles hitters and power hitters who regularly blast doubles, triples, and home runs.
In this guide, you'll learn:
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How to calculate SLG using a simple formula
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What makes a good slugging percentage
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How SLG compares to other batting statistics
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Real examples from baseball's greatest sluggers
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Tips for using SLG to evaluate players
Whether you're a fantasy baseball manager, a baseball fan looking to understand the numbers better, or just curious about what makes certain hitters more valuable than others, understanding slugging percentage will give you deeper insight into America's pastime.
The Basics of Slugging Percentage in Baseball
Slugging percentage is a crucial baseball statistic that measures the total number of bases a player gets per at-bat, showing the player's power at the plate. A baseball player who hits more extra base hits like doubles, triples, and home runs will have a higher SLG than someone who mostly hits singles, even if they have the same batting average overall.
What SLG Measures
Slugging percentage, a key offensive statistic, tells us how many total bases a player averages each time they make a plate appearance. Unlike batting average, which treats all hits equally, SLG gives more credit to players who hit for extra bases. This makes it a clear indicator of a player's power and their ability to drive the ball deep into the field.
A player's SLG directly reflects their offensive contribution to scoring runs. When a batter hits doubles, triples, and home runs regularly, they create more scoring opportunities for their team by advancing runners multiple bases or driving them in with a single swing.
How SLG Is Calculated
The basic formula for slugging percentage is:
Total Bases ÷ At-Bats = SLG
Here's how total bases are counted:
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Singles = 1 base
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Doubles = 2 bases
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Triples = 3 bases
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Home runs = 4 bases
Let's look at a real example: A player has 10 at-bats with:
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2 singles (2 bases)
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1 double (2 bases)
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1 triple (3 bases)
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1 home run (4 bases)
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5 outs (0 bases)
Total bases = (2 × 1) + (1 × 2) + (1 × 3) + (1 × 4) = 11 bases SLG = 11 ÷ 10 = 1.100
This calculation shows only official at-bats count. Walks, hit-by-pitches, and sacrifices don't affect SLG because they aren't counted as at-bats. This keeps the focus purely on how well a player hits for power when they put the ball in play.
Understanding SLG Values
Modern SLG Benchmarks
A player's slugging percentage, a key batting statistic in major league baseball, tells us how well they hit for power, with distinct tiers of performance in today's MLB:
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Below .400: This represents below-average power production, typical of contact hitters focusing on batting average
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.400-.450: League average range for MLB hitters
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.450-.500: Above-average power numbers, indicating solid extra base hit ability
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.500-.600: Premium power hitters who regularly drive extra bases and home runs
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.600+: Elite power territory, rarely sustained across a full season of total plate appearances
In recent years, coaches and scouts have placed even greater value on slugging percentage as part of a broader measure known as OPS (on-base plus slugging). A player's OPS combines their slugging percentage with their on-base average to evaluate total offensive production. This stat is especially helpful when comparing hitters across positions and levels of play. For instance, the average OPS for a first base slugger may be significantly higher than that of a middle infielder due to expectations of power production from the corner spots.
Looking at a given player's OPS can also reveal more about how they contribute beyond just contact rate or average. The best hitters typically combine patience at the plate with the ability to rack up extra-base hits over a high number of total at-bats.
In high school and college scouting, slugging and OPS have become critical metrics in evaluating player performance early. While batting average can be misleading, stats like SLG help explain how often a player drives in runners, advances teammates past home plate, or forces pitchers into high-stress situations that lead to earned runs. It’s no wonder SLG remains one of the most telling numbers in MLB history.
What Affects SLG Numbers
Baseball isn't played in a vacuum, and several factors influence offensive statistics:
Ballpark Dimensions: Different stadiums have unique characteristics that affect a player's power numbers. Coors Field in Denver, with its high altitude and spacious outfield, tends to boost slugging average. Meanwhile, parks like Oracle Park in San Francisco often suppress power stats.
League Trends: Professional baseball goes through different eras that impact slugging:
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Dead-ball era (pre-1920): .300-.400 SLG was common
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Steroid era (1990s): Saw inflated numbers above .500
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Modern era: Advanced pitching and defensive shifts have brought averages down
Record Books
Single-Season Leaders: Barry Bonds holds the single-season record with an .863 SLG in 2001. Other notable seasons in baseball history:
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Babe Ruth: .847 (1920)
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Rogers Hornsby: .756 (1925)
Career SLG Leaders:
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Babe Ruth: .690
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Ted Williams: .634
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Lou Gehrig: .632
Recent Standouts: Modern baseball players like Mike Trout (.582 career) and Aaron Judge (regularly exceeding .600) demonstrate that elite power hitting remains possible in today's game, even with improved pitching.
SLG in Player Evaluation
Understanding the Numbers
A baseball player's slugging percentage tells a different story from traditional batting average. Take these examples:
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Player A: .300 batting average, .450 SLG
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Player B: .260 batting average, .520 SLG
While Player A gets more total bases overall, Player B generates more extra base hits with doubles, triples, and home runs.
Beyond Basic Statistics
Slugging works alongside other offensive statistics to paint a complete picture:
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On-base percentage (OBP) shows how often a player reaches base
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Batting average (AVG) measures hit frequency
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OPS combines on-base and slugging averages
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Isolated Power (ISO) specifically measures extra-base hit ability
Real-World Applications
Professional baseball scouts use SLG in several ways:
Scouts look at:
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Minor league performance trends
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Extra-base hit patterns
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Player's power development potential
Managers consider:
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Lineup construction
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Matchup advantages
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Late-game substitutions
Modern Examples
Recent major league baseball stars demonstrate SLG's importance:
Aaron Judge (Yankees):
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Career .583 SLG
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Known for home runs
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Extra-base power
Jose Altuve (Astros):
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Career .462 SLG
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Combines a high batting average with surprising power
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Frequent doubles hitter
These examples show how SLG helps evaluate players regardless of their hitting style or physical size.
How Bruce Bolt Helps Boost Your SLG
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