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
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the past six games, New York’s lineup is hitting .204 with a .279 on-base percentage, .289 slugging percentage and .568 OPS.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 20 June 2025
So do their left fielders, and their .248 on-base percentage is the lowest among any team’s left fielders.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
This season, in 53 games, Harris has a .223 batting average with three home runs and a paltry .255 on-base percentage.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
Wong retires with a .256 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, and .390 slugging percentage in 1,189 games with the Cardinals, Brewers, Mariners, and Dodgers.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
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Tim Britton, New York Times, 20 June 2025
So do their left fielders, and their .248 on-base percentage is the lowest among any team’s left fielders.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
This season, in 53 games, Harris has a .223 batting average with three home runs and a paltry .255 on-base percentage.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
Wong retires with a .256 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, and .390 slugging percentage in 1,189 games with the Cardinals, Brewers, Mariners, and Dodgers.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 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 28 Jun. 2025.
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