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Season Batting Average Leaders
current through 2006 season

bold = active player
-- min. 3.1 plate appearances per scheduled game
-- Note: In 1887, when a player received a base on balls (walk) he was also awarded a hit in his official statistics. The rules of the day and Major League Baseball recognize the statistics as they were recorded.
 
Name Batting Average Year Team League Rank
Tip O'Neill .485 (.48501) 1887 St. Louis Browns AA 1
Pete Browning .457 (.45681) 1887 Louisville Colonels AA 2
Bob Caruthers .456 (.45581) 1887 St. Louis Browns AA 3
Hugh Duffy .440 (.43970) 1894 Boston Beaneaters NL 4
Ross Barnes .429 (.42857) 1876 Chicago White Stockings NL 5
Yank Robinson .427 (.42720) 1887 St. Louis Browns AA 6
Nap Lajoie .426 (.42647) 1901 Philadelphia Athletics AL 7
Willie Keeler .424 (.42376) 1897 Baltimore Orioles NL 8
Rogers Hornsby .424 (.42351) 1924 St. Louis Cardinals NL 9
George Sisler .420 (.41979) 1922 St. Louis Browns AL 10
Ty Cobb .420 (.41963) 1911 Detroit Tigers AL 11
Denny Lyons .415 (.41491) 1887 Philadelphia Athletics AA 12
Fred Dunlap .412 (.41203) 1884 St. Louis Maroons UA 13
Reddy Mack .410 (.40998) 1887 Louisville Colonels AA 14
Ed Delahanty .410 (.40964) 1899 Philadelphia Phillies NL 15
Jesse Burkett .410 (.40956) 1896 Cleveland Spiders NL 16
Jesse Burkett .409 (.40909) 1895 Cleveland Spiders NL 17
Oyster Burns .409 (.40880) 1887 Baltimore Orioles AA 18
Ty Cobb .409 (.40868) 1912 Detroit Tigers AL 19
Joe Jackson .408 (.40806) 1911 Cleveland Naps AL 20
Sam Thompson .407 (.40732) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 21
George Sisler .407 (.40729) 1920 St. Louis Browns AL 22
Ed Delahanty .407 (.40695) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 23
Dave Orr .406 (.40599) 1887 New York Metropolitans AA 24
Ted Williams .406 (.40570) 1941 Boston Red Sox AL 25
Billy Hamilton .404 (.40441) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 26
Ed Delahanty .404 (.40417) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 27
Rogers Hornsby .403 (.40278) 1925 St. Louis Cardinals NL 28
Harry Heilmann .403 (.40267) 1923 Detroit Tigers AL 29
Rogers Hornsby .401 (.40128) 1922 St. Louis Cardinals NL 30
Bill Terry .401 (.40126) 1930 New York Giants NL 31
Hughie Jennings .401 (.40115) 1896 Baltimore Orioles NL 32
Ty Cobb .401 (.40114) 1922 Detroit Tigers AL 33
Cap Anson .399 (.39942) 1881 Chicago White Stockings NL 34
Lefty O'Doul .398 (.39812) 1929 Philadelphia Phillies NL 35
Harry Heilmann .398 (.39802) 1927 Detroit Tigers AL 36
Rogers Hornsby .397 (.39696) 1921 St. Louis Cardinals NL 37
Paul Radford .397 (.39696) 1887 New York Metropolitans AA 38
Ed Delahanty .397 (.39679) 1896 Philadelphia Phillies NL 39
Jesse Burkett .396 (.39606) 1899 St. Louis Perfectos NL 40
Joe Jackson .395 (.39511) 1912 Cleveland Naps AL 41
Harry Heilmann .394 (.39369) 1921 Detroit Tigers AL 42
Babe Ruth .393 (.39272) 1923 New York Yankees AL 43
Harry Heilmann .393 (.39267) 1925 Detroit Tigers AL 44
Babe Herman .393 (.39251) 1930 Brooklyn Robins NL 45
Joe Kelley .393 (.39250) 1894 Baltimore Orioles NL 46
Sam Thompson .392 (.39219) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 47
John McGraw .391 (.39098) 1899 Baltimore Orioles NL 48
Ty Cobb .390 (.39019) 1913 Detroit Tigers AL 49
Dave Foutz .390 (.39013) 1887 St. Louis Browns AA 50
Fred Clarke .390 (.38996) 1897 Louisville Colonels NL 51
Al Simmons .390 (.38986) 1931 Philadelphia Athletics AL 52
George Brett .390 (.38976) 1980 Kansas City Royals AL 53
Tris Speaker .389 (.38928) 1925 Cleveland Indians AL 54
Bill Lange .389 (.38912) 1895 Chicago Colts NL 55
Billy Hamilton .389 (.38878) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 56
Ty Cobb .389 (.38856) 1921 Detroit Tigers AL 57
Cap Anson .388 (.38823) 1894 Chicago Colts NL 58
Ted Williams .388 (.38810) 1957 Boston Red Sox AL 59
King Kelly .388 (.38803) 1886 Chicago White Stockings NL 60
Rod Carew .388 (.38799) 1977 Minnesota Twins AL 61
Luke Appling .388 (.38783) 1936 Chicago White Sox AL 62
Tris Speaker .388 (.38768) 1920 Cleveland Indians AL 63
Deacon White .387 (.38722) 1877 Boston Red Caps NL 64
Al Simmons .387 (.38685) 1925 Philadelphia Athletics AL 65
Rogers Hornsby .387 (.38683) 1928 Boston Braves NL 66
Tris Speaker .386 (.38645) 1916 Cleveland Indians AL 67
Willie Keeler .386 (.38603) 1896 Baltimore Orioles NL 68
Chuck Klein .386 (.38580) 1930 Philadelphia Phillies NL 69
Lave Cross .386 (.38563) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 70
Hughie Jennings .386 (.38563) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 71
Willie Keeler .385 (.38503) 1898 Baltimore Orioles NL 72
Arky Vaughan .385 (.38477) 1935 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 73
Rogers Hornsby .384 (.38443) 1923 St. Louis Cardinals NL 74
Ty Cobb .384 (.38431) 1919 Detroit Tigers AL 75
Nap Lajoie .384 (.38410) 1910 Cleveland Naps AL 76
Ty Cobb .383 (.38340) 1910 Detroit Tigers AL 77
Jesse Burkett .383 (.38298) 1897 Cleveland Spiders NL 78
Tris Speaker .383 (.38276) 1912 Boston Red Sox AL 79
Ty Cobb .383 (.38265) 1917 Detroit Tigers AL 80
Lefty O'Doul .383 (.38258) 1930 Philadelphia Phillies NL 81
Joe Jackson .382 (.38246) 1920 Chicago White Sox AL 82
Ty Cobb .382 (.38242) 1918 Detroit Tigers AL 83
Honus Wagner .381 (.38140) 1900 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 84
Babe Herman .381 (.38137) 1929 Brooklyn Robins NL 85
Joe DiMaggio .381 (.38095) 1939 New York Yankees AL 86
Al Simmons .381 (.38087) 1930 Philadelphia Athletics AL 87
Paul Waner .380 (.38042) 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 88
Rogers Hornsby .380 (.38040) 1929 Chicago Cubs NL 89
Billy Hamilton .380 (.38028) 1893 Philadelphia Phillies NL 90
Tris Speaker .380 (.37979) 1923 Cleveland Indians AL 91
Goose Goslin .379 (.37939) 1928 Washington Senators AL 92
Freddie Lindstrom .379 (.37931) 1930 New York Giants NL 93
Larry Walker .379 (.37900) 1999 Colorado Rockies NL 94
Willie Keeler .379 (.37895) 1899 Brooklyn Superbas NL 95
Lou Gehrig .379 (.37866) 1930 New York Yankees AL 96
John Cassidy .378 (.37849) 1877 Hartford Dark Blues NL 97
Pete Browning .378 (.37847) 1882 Louisville Eclipse AA 98
Ty Cobb .378 (.37831) 1925 Detroit Tigers AL 99
Babe Ruth .378 (.37807) 1924 New York Yankees AL 100
Name Batting Average Year Team League Rank