1. What is Slugging Percentage?

Slugging Percentage (SLG) is a baseball statistic that measures the power of a hitter by calculating total bases divided by at bats. Unlike batting average, it gives more weight to extra-base hits.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Slugging Percentage formula:

Where:

• \( TB \) — Total bases (1 for single, 2 for double, 3 for triple, 4 for home run)
• \( AB \) — At bats (plate appearances excluding walks, sacrifices, etc.)

Explanation: The formula shows the average number of bases a player earns per at bat. Higher values indicate greater power hitting.

3. Importance of Slugging Percentage

Details: SLG is a key metric for evaluating a hitter's power production. It's used alongside on-base percentage to calculate OPS (On-base Plus Slugging), a comprehensive offensive statistic.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter total bases (sum of all hits weighted by base value) and at bats (official at bats, not plate appearances). AB must be greater than 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a good slugging percentage?
A: .450 is considered good, .550 is excellent. League average typically ranges between .400-.420.

Q2: How does SLG differ from batting average?
A: Batting average counts all hits equally, while SLG weights hits by their power (more bases = higher value).

Q3: Can SLG be higher than 1.000?
A: No, the theoretical maximum is 4.000 (home run every at bat), but in practice it rarely exceeds .800.

Q4: Why not use isolated power (ISO) instead?
A: ISO measures pure power (SLG minus BA), while SLG combines contact and power. Both are useful metrics.

Q5: Does SLG account for walks?
A: No, walks don't count in SLG calculation. For a metric that includes walks, see On-base Percentage (OBP).