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
Xavier Edwards pushed the lead to 3-0 with a solo homer in the fifth, the second home run of the season for the National League leader in on-base percentage.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
The Rangers’ seven home runs and their OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) at home rank second-to-last in baseball.
—Mac Engel
april 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
While the walks have helped increase his on-base percentage, his slugging percentage has gone down.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The Cubs rank in the top four among big-league teams in multiple key offensive categories, including on-base percentage (first), fWAR (second), weighted on-base average (third), batting average (third), OPS (third), walk rate (fourth) and slugging percentage (fourth).
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
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Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
The Rangers’ seven home runs and their OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) at home rank second-to-last in baseball.
—Mac Engel
april 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
While the walks have helped increase his on-base percentage, his slugging percentage has gone down.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The Cubs rank in the top four among big-league teams in multiple key offensive categories, including on-base percentage (first), fWAR (second), weighted on-base average (third), batting average (third), OPS (third), walk rate (fourth) and slugging percentage (fourth).
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
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 12 May. 2026.
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