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
Babe Herman .393 (.39251) 1930 Brooklyn Robins NL 21
Joe Kelley .393 (.39250) 1894 Baltimore Orioles NL 22
Sam Thompson .392 (.39219) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 23
John McGraw .391 (.39098) 1899 Baltimore Orioles NL 24
Fred Clarke .390 (.38996) 1897 Louisville Colonels NL 25
Bill Lange .389 (.38912) 1895 Chicago Colts NL 26
Billy Hamilton .389 (.38878) 1895 Philadelphia Phillies NL 27
Cap Anson .388 (.38824) 1894 Chicago Colts NL 28
King Kelly .388 (.38803) 1886 Chicago White Stockings NL 29
Deacon White .387 (.38722) 1877 Boston Red Caps NL 30
Rogers Hornsby .387 (.38683) 1928 Boston Braves NL 31
Willie Keeler .386 (.38603) 1896 Baltimore Orioles NL 32
Chuck Klein .386 (.38580) 1930 Philadelphia Phillies NL 33
Lave Cross .386 (.38563) 1894 Philadelphia Phillies NL 34
Hughie Jennings .386 (.38563) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 35
Willie Keeler .385 (.38503) 1898 Baltimore Orioles NL 36
Arky Vaughan .385 (.38477) 1935 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 37
Rogers Hornsby .384 (.38443) 1923 St. Louis Cardinals NL 38
Jesse Burkett .383 (.38298) 1897 Cleveland Spiders NL 39
Lefty O'Doul .383 (.38258) 1930 Philadelphia Phillies NL 40
Honus Wagner .381 (.38140) 1900 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 41
Babe Herman .381 (.38137) 1929 Brooklyn Robins NL 42
Paul Waner .380 (.38042) 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 43
Rogers Hornsby .380 (.38040) 1929 Chicago Cubs NL 44
Billy Hamilton .380 (.38028) 1893 Philadelphia Phillies NL 45
Freddie Lindstrom .379 (.37931) 1930 New York Giants NL 46
Larry Walker .379 (.37900) 1999 Colorado Rockies NL 47
Willie Keeler .379 (.37895) 1899 Brooklyn Superbas NL 48
John Cassidy .378 (.37849) 1877 Hartford Dark Blues NL 49
Ed Delahanty .377 (.37736) 1897 Philadelphia Phillies NL 50
Willie Keeler .377 (.37699) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 51
Cy Seymour .377 (.37694) 1905 Cincinnati Reds NL 52
Stan Musial .376 (.37643) 1948 St. Louis Cardinals NL 53
Jesse Burkett .376 (.37604) 1901 St. Louis Cardinals NL 54
Zack Wheat .375 (.37456) 1924 Brooklyn Robins NL 55
Joe Medwick .374 (.37441) 1937 St. Louis Cardinals NL 56
Dan Brouthers .374 (.37412) 1883 Buffalo Bisons NL 57
Jake Stenzel .374 (.37354) 1895 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 58
Dan Brouthers .373 (.37320) 1889 Boston Beaneaters NL 59
Paul Waner .373 (.37265) 1936 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 60
Sam Thompson .372 (.37248) 1887 Detroit Wolverines NL 61
Todd Helton .372 (.37241) 2000 Colorado Rockies NL 62
Bill Terry .372 (.37232) 1929 New York Giants NL 63
Bug Holliday .372 (.37182) 1894 Cincinnati Reds NL 64
Heinie Zimmerman .372 (.37163) 1912 Chicago Cubs NL 65
Tony Gwynn .372 (.37162) 1997 San Diego Padres NL 66
Roger Connor .371 (.37143) 1885 New York Giants NL 67
Willie Keeler .371 (.37119) 1894 Baltimore Orioles NL 68
Cap Anson .371 (.37103) 1886 Chicago White Stockings NL 69
Jim Bottomley .371 (.37094) 1923 St. Louis Cardinals NL 70
Paul Waner .370 (.37043) 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 71
Andres Galarraga .370 (.37021) 1993 Colorado Rockies NL 72
Dan Brouthers .370 (.37014) 1886 Detroit Wolverines NL 73
Tony Gwynn .370 (.37012) 1987 San Diego Padres NL 74
Rogers Hornsby .370 (.37012) 1920 St. Louis Cardinals NL 75
Sam Thompson .370 (.37000) 1893 Philadelphia Phillies NL 76
Barry Bonds .370 (.36973) 2002 San Francisco Giants NL 77
Billy Hamilton .369 (.36930) 1898 Boston Beaneaters NL 78
John McGraw .369 (.36856) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 79
Mike Tiernan .369 (.36852) 1896 New York Giants NL 80
Cal McVey .368 (.36842) 1877 Chicago White Stockings NL 81
Paul Waner .368 (.36842) 1930 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 82
Tony Gwynn .368 (.36822) 1995 San Diego Padres NL 83
Ed Delahanty .368 (.36807) 1893 Philadelphia Phillies NL 84
Lefty O'Doul .368 (.36807) 1932 Brooklyn Dodgers NL 85
Chuck Klein .368 (.36799) 1933 Philadelphia Phillies NL 86
Dan Brouthers .368 (.36752) 1882 Buffalo Bisons NL 87
Jack Doyle .367 (.36730) 1894 New York Giants NL 88
Elmer Flick .367 (.36697) 1900 Philadelphia Phillies NL 89
Jim Bottomley .367 (.36672) 1925 St. Louis Cardinals NL 90
Steve Brodie .366 (.36649) 1894 Baltimore Orioles NL 91
Pie Traynor .366 (.36620) 1930 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 92
Larry Walker .366 (.36620) 1997 Colorado Rockies NL 93
Rico Carty .366 (.36611) 1970 Atlanta Braves NL 94
George Hall .366 (.36567) 1876 Philadelphia Athletics NL 95
Stan Musial .365 (.36538) 1946 St. Louis Cardinals NL 96
Billy Hamilton .365 (.36520) 1896 Boston Beaneaters NL 97
Joe Kelley .365 (.36486) 1895 Baltimore Orioles NL 98
Chipper Jones .364 (.36446) 2008 Atlanta Braves NL 99
Johnny Mize .364 (.36429) 1937 St. Louis Cardinals NL 100
Current Through 2008 Season


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The code to write the single season batting average league splits was developed in 2005, launched during 2006 and made possible by your support — please continue helping us create these kinds of pages by supporting our site.

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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