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Slugging Leaders and Lifetime Batting Average Leaders (Active)
The slugging percentage indicates a player’s ability to get extra-base base hits, such as doubles, triples, and home runs. The slugging percentage tells you how many bases a player hits for each time at bat. The calculation for slugging percentage is the number of total bases achieved from all hits divided by the number of at bats, as shown here:
Total number of bases from hits (TB) divided by number of at bats (AB)
or
TB = 1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR / AB
Directions: Enter the following data into a spreadsheet. Notice that most of the cells in the table have been filled in, but some are blank. Use your knowledge of batting averages and slugging percentages to fill in the blank cells. Use the calculation capabilities in the spreadsheet program to add formulas to calculate the batting averages and slugging percentages. To do this, click an empty cell that you want to calculate. Determine the formula you need to use. Then, type an equal sign (=) in the Formula Bar, and enter your formula by clicking cells (or typing cell references) and typing operators. When your formula is completed, press Enter to calculate the formula. Be sure to format your table cells to round the percentages to the nearest thousandth.
| Player |
Current Team |
Batting Average |
Slugging % |
Games |
AB |
Hits |
1B |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
| Todd Helton |
Colorado Rockies |
0.333 |
|
1424 |
5106 |
1700 |
972 |
413 |
29 |
286 |
996 |
| Albert Pujols |
St. Louis Cardinals |
|
|
933 |
3489 |
|
637 |
260 |
12 |
250 |
758 |
| Ichiro Suzuki |
Seattle Mariners |
|
|
957 |
4096 |
1354 |
1088 |
155 |
60 |
51 |
359 |
| Vladimir Guerrero |
Los Angeles Angels |
0.325 |
|
1457 |
5502 |
|
1081 |
328 |
39 |
338 |
1052 |
| Nomar Garciparra |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
0.318 |
|
1193 |
4832 |
1537 |
|
336 |
52 |
211 |
833 |
Batting average = Hits divided by at bats
Games = Number of games played
AB = At bats
Hits = Total singles, doubles, triples, and home runs
1B = Singles
2B = Doubles
3B = Triples
HR = Home runs
RBI = Runs batted in
Use the data to answer the following questions:
- Which player is the best slugger?
- What does slugging percentage tell you about a player?
- Where in the lineup would you place a player with a high slugging percentage? Why?
- What does the slugging percentage tell you about a batter that the batting average does not?
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