What is a good OPS in baseball? All the details explained

What is a good OPS in baseball? All the details explained

Lenah Ann
updated at November 21, 2023 at 6:56 AM

Baseball is one of the most popular sports worldwide. Like most sports, it has its terminology and rules that might be tough to grasp, especially for those unfamiliar with the sport. Among baseball's most important concepts is OPS, one of the many statistics players and fans use to evaluate players. But what is a good OPS in baseball, and why is it important?

What is a good OPS in baseball?
Damiano Palmegiani of the Surprise Saguaros fields a ball during the 2023 Arizona Fall League against Peoria Javelinas on 11 November 2023 in Surprise, Arizona. Photo: Jason Hanna (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The introduction of OPS dates back to the 20th century when statisticians began using on-base and slugging percentages to quantify batting performance. It combines these two statistics into a single metric at its most basic. Here are all the details explained about what is a good OPS in baseball and how it is used to evaluate players.

What is OPS?

On-base plus slugging is a baseball sabermetric statistic determined by adding a player's on base and slugging percentages. The ability of a player to get on base and hit for power, both of which are vital offensive talents, is shown.

What is a good OPS in the MLB?

Most sports enthusiasts have been asking what is considered a good OPS in Major League Baseball. A good on base plus slugging in the MLB is .800 or more, indicating that the batter is enjoying an above-average season in the league.

An on base plus slugging of .900 or higher indicates that the player is having an All-Star season, while an on base plus slugging of 1.000 or higher indicates that the batter is having an MVP season.

What is a good OPS in college baseball?

A good on base plus slugging is above .750 at college or the MLB. However, individual baseball players, such as Aaron Judge, who had an on base plus of 1.049 in 2017, have been known to have substantially higher figures.

What is a good OPS in Little League Baseball?

What is a good OPS in baseball
Japan players applaud fans after the Asia Professional Baseball Championships against South Korea at Tokyo Dome on 19 November 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Gene
Source: Getty Images

Little League Baseball, LLB, is a non-profit organisation that arranges and holds local youth baseball and softball leagues in the United States of America and all around the world. Like the college on base plus slugging, a good OPS plus in the LLB is over .750.

What is a good OPS percentage in baseball?

A good on-base plus slugging percentage in the MLB has to be over .800 to put the player in the upper echelon of hitters. Typically, the league leader in OPS will score near, if not above, 1.000.

What is a good OPS stat in baseball?

Statistically, a good on bases plus will range between .750 and .950 in the MLB. However, some great hitters have posted even higher odds.

How is OPS calculated in baseball?

It is determined using a simple arithmetic equation: on bases percentage (OBP) plus slugging percentage (SLG) = on-base plus. An athlete with a .460 OBP and a .490 (SLG) has a .950 on-base plus.

The higher the on bases plus number, the better the batter is rated, with above-average athletes often having an OPS of over .800 and average athletes typically having an on-bases plus of .700 to .800. Anything less than .700 is considered poor for MLB players.

What is a good OPS in college baseball?
Infielder Kaito Kozono of Japan hits a single in the 3rd inning during the Asia Professional Baseball Championships against South Korea at Tokyo Dome on 19 November 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Gene
Source: Getty Images

What is the difference between OPS and slugging?

On-base plus slugging is an easily understandable metric calculated by adding the on-base and slugging percentages. On-base plus is calculated as ON-BASE PERCENTAGE + SLUGGING PERCENTAGE = OPS; therefore, the result is a comprehensive look at a batter.

What is considered a good slugging percentage in baseball?

Regarding slugging percentage in the renowned sport, .400 is outstanding; .450 is pretty good, and over .550 is perfect.

Frequently Asked Questions

While an average on-base plus in MLB changes from season to season and ranges from .720 to .760, a hitter with an on-base plus of .800 or more has a solid season at the plate. Here are some questions that are often asked about a good on bases plus in the famous sport.

1. Is a 750 OPS good in baseball?

Slugging and on-base percentages are combined to get on-base plus slugging. The average on-base plus in the MLB is .750. A top player's on-base plus will be close to 1.000.

2. Who has the highest OPS in 2023?

With an on-base plus slugging of 1.066 in 2023, Shohei Ohtani has the best OPS of any player this season.

3. Is OPS more important than the batting average?

On-base plus slugging has shortcomings but correlates to runs far better than the batting average. Since singles are included in both OBP and SLG, but walks are only included in OBP, it counts singles twice and walks once.

What is considered a good OPS in Major League Baseball
Pitcher Kojiro Yoshimura of Japan throws 10 during the Asia Professional Baseball Championships against South Korea at Tokyo Dome on 19 November 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Kenta Harada
Source: Getty Images

4. Do sacrifice flies count in OPS?

Yes. When calculating a player's on-base percentage, sacrifice flies are considered plate appearances.

5. Who has the highest career OPS?

As of 2023, Babe Ruth has the highest career on-base plus in the sport's history, with an on-base plus slugging of 1.1636.

6. Who has the highest single-season OPS?

In 1937, Josh Gibson became the first-ever player to post the highest single-season on bases plus slugging in history with 1.4744 points.

Final word

Once you comprehend what a good OPS in baseball is, you will understand why it is such an important number for evaluating players since it allows coaches and scouts to quickly compare players across different positions. Nonetheless, it has become popular among clubs trying to bolster their line-up or add talent.

READ MORE: The top 10 best MLB stadiums in the world at the moment

Sports Brief published an article detailing the top 10 MLB stadiums in the world as of 2023. Baseball stadiums, old or new, are significant to the fans and the sport's history. Fans will want to sit in the best stadiums and watch their favourite games go down, and on the other hand, they would also like to know about other best stadiums out there.

The best MLB stadiums have a reputation and a great history behind them and are home to major, well-known baseball clubs. Check out the article above about the top 10 best MLB stadiums worldwide.

Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.