List of Major League Baseball batting champions
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The batting championship is awarded to the Major League Baseball player in each of the American League and the National League who has the highest batting average in a particular season.
Currently, a player needs to accrue an average of at least 3.1 plate appearances for each game his team plays in order to qualify for the batting title. An exception to this qualification rule is that, if a player falls short of 3.1 plate appearances per game -- but would still have the highest batting average if enough hitless at-bats were added to reach the 3.1 average mark, the player still wins the batting championship.
The latest example of this exception being employed was in 1996, when Tony Gwynn had a .353 batting average, but only 498 plate appearances -- 4 short of the 502 necessary. Inasmuch as 4 additional hitless at-bats would have lowered his batting average to .349, but .349 was still better than anyone else in the league, Gwynn was named the National League batting champion. [1]
Contents |
[edit] American League
- ^ Baseball Hall of Fame statistics for Delahanty
- ^ Baseball Hall of Fame plaque for Delahanty
- ^ Baseball-reference.com statistics for Delahanty
- ^ Different sources credit both Cobb and Lajoie as the 1910 batting champion due to possible statistical errors. Cobb was awarded the title at the time. Research in the 1990s shows Lajoie probably should have been awarded the title. MLB continues to recognize Cobb as the title holder. Baseball Reference statistics for Nap Lajoie.
The 1902 AL batting championship was awarded to Ed Delahanty at the time, and the Baseball Hall of Fame's statistics still credit Delahanty as the champion over Lajoie. The Hall of Fame lists Lajoie's 1902 stats as being 129 H / 352 AB / .368 BA, while Baseball-reference.com lists them as 133 H / 352 AB / .378 BA, which would place Lajoie above Delahanty.
Additionally, Lajoie had only 371 plate appearances to Delahanty's 535 or 536 (depending on which source you use), so there may also have been an issue of eligibility — Lajoie's 371 plate appearances falls well below the 424 that would be required under the current 3.1 plate appearances per team game standard of eligibility, and adding 53 hitless at bats would drop his average to .314.
This discrepancy is somewhat significant, as Delahanty is regarded as the only player to win a batting title in both leagues (.410, 1899 Phillies), as of the end of the 2007 season.
[edit] National League
[edit] American Association
[edit] Federal League
| Year | Player | Team(s) | Batting Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Benny Kauff | Indianapolis Hoosiers | .370 |
| 1915 | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Benny Kauff | Brooklyn Tip-Tops | .342 |
[edit] Player's League
| Year | Player | Team(s) | Batting Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Pete Browning | Cleveland Infants | .373 |
[edit] Union Association
| Year | Player | Team(s) | Batting Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Fred Dunlap | St. Louis Maroons | .412 |
[edit] National Association
[edit] References
- Baseball-Reference.comes:Anexo:Lista de Campeones de Bateo de las Grandes Ligas de Béisbol
fr:Liste des champions de la moyenne au bâton aux Ligues majeures de baseball ja:首位打者 (MLB) zh:美國職棒大聯盟打擊王
