Single Season Leaders for Batting Average in the National League

Ted Williams once commented about those that fail 'only' seven times out of ten attempts will be the greatest in the game. He was right about that and the list below reflects those great hitters who truly dominated during a single National League season.

Notes: Three point one plate (3.1) appearances per scheduled game are needed to make this list, raw averages are presented to further clarify the one-hundred greatest single season National League batting averages, and a bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season. Also, 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 and Baseball Almanac has also complied with the new direction.
"(Hugh) Duffy was a really great center fielder and an outstanding righthanded hitter. He was a choke hitter, who would rap hits everywhere with good power." - Fred Clarke on the BaseballHallofFame.org Website (Hugh Duffy Page)
Batting Average
Single Season National League Leaders

'Top 100'
Hugh Duffy .440 (.43970) 1894 Boston Beaneaters NL 1
Ross Barnes .429 (.42857) 1876 Chicago White Stockings NL 2
Willie Keeler .424 (.42376) 1897 Baltimore Orioles NL 3
Rogers Hornsby .424 (.42351) 1924 St. Louis Cardinals NL 4
Ed Delahanty .410 (.40964) 1899 Philadelphia Phillies NL 5
Jesse Burkett .410 (.40956) 1896 Cleveland Spiders NL 6
Jesse Burkett .409 (.40909) 1895 Cleveland Spiders NL 7
Sam Thompson .407 (.40732) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 8
Ed Delahanty .407 (.40695) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 9
Billy Hamilton .404 (.40441) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 10
Ed Delahanty .404 (.40417) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 11
Rogers Hornsby .403 (.40278) 1925 St. Louis Cardinals NL 12
Rogers Hornsby .401 (.40128) 1922 St. Louis Cardinals NL 13
Bill Terry .401 (.40126) 1930 New York Giants NL 14
Hughie Jennings .401 (.40115) 1896 Baltimore Orioles NL 15
Cap Anson .399 (.39942) 1881 Chicago White Stockings NL 16
Lefty O'Doul .398 (.39812) 1929 Philadelphia Phillies NL 17
Rogers Hornsby .397 (.39696) 1921 St. Louis Cardinals NL 18
Ed Delahanty .397 (.39679) 1896 Philadelphia Phillies NL 19
Jesse Burkett .396 (.39606) 1899 St. Louis Perfectos NL 20
Tony Gwynn .394 (.39379) 1994 San Diego Padres NL 21
Babe Herman .393 (.39251) 1930 Brooklyn Robins NL 22
Joe Kelley .393 (.39250) 1894 Baltimore Orioles NL 23
Sam Thompson .392 (.39219) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 24
John McGraw .391 (.39098) 1899 Baltimore Orioles NL 25
Fred Clarke .390 (.38996) 1897 Louisville Colonels NL 26
Bill Lange .389 (.38912) 1895 Chicago Colts NL 27
Billy Hamilton .389 (.38878) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 28
Cap Anson .388 (.38823) 1894 Chicago Colts NL 29
King Kelly .388 (.38803) 1886 Chicago White Stockings NL 30
Deacon White .387 (.38722) 1877 Boston Red Caps NL 31
Rogers Hornsby .387 (.38683) 1928 Boston Braves NL 32
Willie Keeler .386 (.38603) 1896 Baltimore Orioles NL 33
Chuck Klein .386 (.38580) 1930 Philadelphia Phillies NL 34
Lave Cross .386 (.38563) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 35
Hughie Jennings .386 (.38563) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 36
Willie Keeler .385 (.38503) 1898 Baltimore Orioles NL 37
Arky Vaughan .385 (.38477) 1935 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 38
Rogers Hornsby .384 (.38443) 1923 St. Louis Cardinals NL 39
Jesse Burkett .383 (.38298) 1897 Cleveland Spiders NL 40
Lefty O'Doul .383 (.38258) 1930 Philadelphia Phillies NL 41
Honus Wagner .381 (.38140) 1900 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 42
Babe Herman .381 (.38137) 1929 Brooklyn Robins NL 43
Paul Waner .380 (.38042) 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 44
Rogers Hornsby .380 (.38040) 1929 Chicago Cubs NL 45
Billy Hamilton .380 (.38028) 1893 Philadelphia Phillies NL 46
Freddie Lindstrom .379 (.37931) 1930 New York Giants NL 47
Larry Walker .379 (.37900) 1999 Colorado Rockies NL 48
Willie Keeler .379 (.37895) 1899 Brooklyn Superbas NL 49
John Cassidy .378 (.37849) 1877 Hartford Dark Blues NL 50
Ed Delahanty .377 (.37736) 1897 Philadelphia Phillies NL 51
Willie Keeler .377 (.37699) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 52
Cy Seymour .377 (.37694) 1905 Cincinnati Reds NL 53
Stan Musial .376 (.37643) 1948 St. Louis Cardinals NL 54
Jesse Burkett .376 (.37604) 1901 St. Louis Cardinals NL 55
Zack Wheat .375 (.37456) 1924 Brooklyn Robins NL 56
Joe Medwick .374 (.37441) 1937 St. Louis Cardinals NL 57
Dan Brouthers .374 (.37412) 1883 Buffalo Bisons NL 58
Jake Stenzel .374 (.37354) 1895 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 59
Dan Brouthers .373 (.37320) 1889 Boston Beaneaters NL 60
Paul Waner .373 (.37265) 1936 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 61
Sam Thompson .372 (.37248) 1887 Detroit Wolverines NL 62
Todd Helton .372 (.37241) 2000 Colorado Rockies NL 63
Bill Terry .372 (.37232) 1929 New York Giants NL 64
Bug Holliday .372 (.37182) 1894 Cincinnati Reds NL 65
Heinie Zimmerman .372 (.37163) 1912 Chicago Cubs NL 66
Tony Gwynn .372 (.37162) 1997 San Diego Padres NL 67
Roger Connor .371 (.37143) 1885 New York Giants NL 68
Willie Keeler .371 (.37119) 1894 Baltimore Orioles NL 69
Cap Anson .371 (.37103) 1886 Chicago White Stockings NL 70
Jim Bottomley .371 (.37094) 1923 St. Louis Cardinals NL 71
Paul Waner .370 (.37043) 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 72
Andres Galarraga .370 (.37021) 1993 Colorado Rockies NL 73
Dan Brouthers .370 (.37014) 1886 Detroit Wolverines NL 74
Tony Gwynn .370 (.37012) 1987 San Diego Padres NL 75
Rogers Hornsby .370 (.37012) 1920 St. Louis Cardinals NL 76
Sam Thompson .370 (.37000) 1893 Philadelphia Phillies NL 77
Barry Bonds .370 (.36973) 2002 San Francisco Giants NL 78
Billy Hamilton .369 (.36930) 1898 Boston Beaneaters NL 79
John McGraw .369 (.36856) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 80
Mike Tiernan .369 (.36852) 1896 New York Giants NL 81
Cal McVey .368 (.36842) 1877 Chicago White Stockings NL 82
Paul Waner .368 (.36842) 1930 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 83
Tony Gwynn .368 (.36822) 1995 San Diego Padres NL 84
Ed Delahanty .368 (.36807) 1893 Philadelphia Phillies NL 85
Lefty O'Doul .368 (.36807) 1932 Brooklyn Dodgers NL 86
Chuck Klein .368 (.36799) 1933 Philadelphia Phillies NL 87
Dan Brouthers .368 (.36752) 1882 Buffalo Bisons NL 88
Jack Doyle .367 (.36730) 1894 New York Giants NL 89
Elmer Flick .367 (.36697) 1900 Philadelphia Phillies NL 90
Jim Bottomley .367 (.36672) 1925 St. Louis Cardinals NL 91
Steve Brodie .366 (.36649) 1894 Baltimore Orioles NL 92
Pie Traynor .366 (.36620) 1930 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 93
Larry Walker .366 (.36620) 1997 Colorado Rockies NL 94
Rico Carty .366 (.36611) 1970 Atlanta Braves NL 95
George Hall .366 (.36567) 1876 Philadelphia Athletics NL 96
Stan Musial .365 (.36539) 1946 St. Louis Cardinals NL 97
Billy Hamilton .365 (.36520) 1896 Boston Beaneaters NL 98
Joe Kelley .365 (.36486) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 99
Johnny Mize .364 (.36429) 1937 St. Louis Cardinals NL 100
Current Through 2006 Season


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The American League single season record for batting average was set in 1901 by Nap Lajoie of the Philadelphia Athletics. The National League single season record for batting average is on this page. Is either one the Career Leader for Batting Average?
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