Calculating Slugging Percentages Task

Name:_____________________________

Date:______________

Now that we have discussed how to be able to use weighted averages to discover your
final percentage grades in you classes, lets focus on another application of weighted averages.
Baseball is all about numbers. How fast can you throw the ball? How many home runs did you
hit? How many hot dogs can you eat? But seriously, one of the most overrated numbers in
baseball is the amount of home runs that you hit. Too often this number alone is used to calculate
how good a hitter you are. Today we are going to focus on another number; a number which
many experts agree is a better gauge of your abilities as a baseball player. This number is called
the slugging percentage and the formula for calculating the slugging percentage is found below:
(1gamount of singles) + (2gamount of doubles) + (3gamount of triples) + (4gamount of home runs)
amount of at bats

1. How is this formula an example of a weighted average?

2. Why is this formula a better option when considering how well a baseball player hits?

In his first season with the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth set a record for slugging average
that stood for more than 80 years. In 1920, Ruth pounded 172 hits in 458 at-bats. His hits
consisted of 73 singles, 36 doubles, 9 triples, and 54 home runs, resulting in a total base count of
(73 1) + (36 2) + (9 3) + (54 4) = 388. When his total number of bases (388) is divided by his
total at-bats (458), the result is .847, his slugging percentage for the season. This record was
broken in 2001 by Barry Bonds, who had 411 total bases in 476 at-bats for a slugging average
of .863. (Statistics from www.baseball-almanac.com)
3. Find the slugging average for a player with the following statistics where S = singles, D =
doubles, T = triples, HR = home runs, and AB = total at-bats.:
S = 68
D = 40
T=4
HR = 16
AB = 320

4. Find the slugging average for a player with the following statistics where S = singles, D =
doubles, T = triples, HR = home runs, and AB = total at-bats.:

S = 40
D = 68
T = 16
HR = 4
AB = 320
5. The table below contains statistics for several Atlanta Braves players during the 2014
MLB season. Calculate the batting average and slugging average for each player and
answer the questions. (Batting average = number of hits/numbers of at bats)
Player
Chris
Johnson
Evan
Gattis
Jason
Heyward
Justin
Upton

Games

At
Bats

Hits

Singles

Doubles

Triples

Home
Runs

153

582

153

116

27

10

108

369

97

57

17

22

149

573

155

115

26

11

154

566

153

88

34

29

Batting
Average

Slugging
Average

a. Based on batting averages, would you want Chris Johnson or Evan Gattis on your team?
b. Based on slugging averages, would you want Chris Johnson or Evan Gattis on your
team?
c. Based on batting averages, would you want Jason Heyward or Evan Gattis on your team?
d. Based on slugging averages, would you want Jason Heyward or Evan Gattis on your
team?
e. A friend tells you that since Chris Johnson and Justin Upton both have 153 hits, their
value as batters are equal. How would you respond?

f. That same friend tells you that since Evan Gattis hit twice as many home runs as Jason
Heyward, you could double Heywards slugging average to calculate Gattiss slugging
average. How would you respond?
6. Would you be able to get a slugging average that is greater than 1? Why or why not?

7. Would you be able to get a batting average greater than 1? Why or why not?

8. What is the highest slugging average that you could achieve? Why do you think this
never happens?

9. Four of the teachers at TCHS are partaking in the local church baseball league. Their
statistics are found below.
a. Before performing any calculations, state who you think the best baseball player
is and why you choose them.

Player
Mikey
Branson
Brad
Winger
Randy
Sellars
Paul
Horst

Games

At
Bats

Hits

Singles

Doubles

Triples

Home
Runs

25

105

83

32

17

33

30

123

63

23

10

14

16

31

140

90

73

10

27

115

50

47

Batting
Average

Slugging
Average

b. Based off of slugging percentage, who is the best hitter?

c. Based off of batting average, who is the best hitter?

d. Why are you not guaranteed to have both the best batting average and the best

slugging percentage?