Batting Average (BA): 1903-2020 percent above league >= 20% and AB >= 370.

1,604 American and National League batter seasons qualified: BA percent above league >= 20% and AB >= 370.

Batting Average ("Leading the league in hitting."): minimum requirements for averages. Those requirements have changed a lot since early in the previous century. Monday, December 27, 2021

You can't make up stuff like this. And remember, Plate Appearances (PA) is not the denominator in Batting Average (BA): Hits/AB. Nor in SLG; it's AB there, too. PA is the denominator in On Base Percentage (OBP), which is an average, not a percent. Sit down before you start reading this.

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So, yes, I know that 370 AB does not conform with the official rules, which don't deserve conformity. I chose 370 because it includes BA leaders like Barry Bonds in in 2004 and Debs Garms in 1940. And ... it includes Ted Williams in 1954!

Batting Average (BA): should Barry Bonds have qualified the two times he led the league? Thursday, January 6, 2022

Debs Garms. Who? Led NL in BA in 1940. PA: 385, AB: 358, Hits: 127. But he played in 100 games! And Ted Williams 1954. Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Ted Williams in 1954 did not qualify for Batting Average (BA). Tuesday, April 5, 2016

The criteria in 1954 was silly but Williams should not have qualified for BA. He just didn't have enough AB (#43) or Hits (#24).

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It omits anyone in the 60 game 2020 short season. Surprisingly it does include batters from short seasons 1918, 1919, 1981 and 1994. And with room to spare:

1918: 10 batters; most AB: 509

1919: 11 batters; most AB: 538

1981: 10 batters; most AB: 431

1994: 11  batters; most AB: 431

So it's not all that difficult to get the 400 AB that was required in 1954 in a full 154 game schedule.

Here are the top 30 sorted by percent above the league BA, dominated by batters in the early 1900s as you would expect. Other eras will be broken down.

qryBattingBAPctOverLeague5_370AB

Year	L	Team	First	Last	Bats	PctAboveL	BAplayer	BAleag	BA_P-L	G	AB	H	BB
1910	AL	CLE	Nap	Lajoie	R	57.78%	.3834	.2430	.1404	159	592	227	60
1910	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	57.14%	.3819	.2430	.1389	140	508	194	64
1916	AL	CLE	Tris	Speaker	L	55.53%	.3864	.2485	.1380	151	546	211	82
1909	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	54.57%	.3770	.2439	.1331	156	573	216	48
1917	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	54.47%	.3827	.2477	.1349	152	588	225	61
1912	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	54.35%	.4087	.2648	.1439	140	553	226	43
1904	AL	CLE	Nap	Lajoie	R	53.89%	.3761	.2444	.1317	140	553	208	27
1911	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	53.66%	.4196	.2731	.1465	146	591	248	44
1913	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	52.54%	.3902	.2558	.1344	122	428	167	58
1957	AL	BOS	Ted	Williams	L	52.25%	.3881	.2549	.1332	132	420	163	119
1941	AL	BOS	Ted	Williams	L	52.24%	.4057	.2665	.1392	143	456	185	147
1918	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	50.84%	.3824	.2535	.1289	111	421	161	41
1924	NL	SLN	Rogers	Hornsby	R	49.69%	.4235	.2829	.1406	143	536	227	89
1911	AL	CLE	Shoeless Joe	Jackson	L	49.42%	.4081	.2731	.1350	147	571	233	56
1916	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	49.25%	.3708	.2485	.1224	145	542	201	78
1912	AL	CLE	Shoeless Joe	Jackson	L	49.22%	.3951	.2648	.1303	154	572	226	54
1915	AL	DET	Ty	Cobb	L	48.83%	.3694	.2482	.1212	156	563	208	118
1908	NL	PIT	Honus	Wagner	R	48.09%	.3539	.2390	.1149	151	568	201	54
1905	NL	CIN	Cy	Seymour	L	47.76%	.3769	.2551	.1218	149	581	219	51
1994	NL	SDN	Tony	Gwynn	L	47.57%	.3938	.2669	.1269	110	419	165	48
1922	AL	SLA	George	Sisler	L	47.41%	.4198	.2848	.1350	142	586	246	49
1913	AL	CLE	Shoeless Joe	Jackson	L	45.86%	.3731	.2558	.1173	148	528	197	80
1977	AL	MIN	Rod	Carew	L	45.74%	.3880	.2662	.1218	155	616	239	69
1980	AL	KCA	George	Brett	L	44.85%	.3898	.2691	.1207	117	449	175	58
1912	AL	BOS	Tris	Speaker	L	44.56%	.3828	.2648	.1180	153	580	222	82
1948	NL	SLN	Stan	Musial	L	44.32%	.3764	.2608	.1156	155	611	230	79
1971	NL	SLN	Joe	Torre	R	44.11%	.3628	.2517	.1110	161	634	230	63
1906	AL	SLA	George	Stone	L	43.97%	.3580	.2487	.1093	154	581	208	52
1907	NL	PIT	Honus	Wagner	R	43.73%	.3495	.2432	.1063	142	515	180	46
1920	AL	SLA	George	Sisler	L	43.68%	.4073	.2835	.1238	154	631	257	46

Ted Williams had a slightly higher percent above the league BA with his .388 in 1957 than with his .406 in 1941. Only six of the 30 are by right handed batters, including two each by Lajoie and Wagner. The only righty among the 30 after Hornsby in 1924 was Joe Torre in 1971.

Rod Carew at .388 in 1977 is slightly higher than George Brett at .390 in 1980.

Top 30 1946-2020:

qryBattingBAPctOverLeague5_370AB

Year	L	Team	First	Last	Bats	PctAboveL	BAplayer	BAleag	BA_P-L	G	AB	H	BB
1957	AL	BOS	Ted	Williams	L	52.25%	.3881	.2549	.1332	132	420	163	119
1994	NL	SDN	Tony	Gwynn	L	47.57%	.3938	.2669	.1269	110	419	165	48
1977	AL	MIN	Rod	Carew	L	45.74%	.3880	.2662	.1218	155	616	239	69
1980	AL	KCA	George	Brett	L	44.85%	.3898	.2691	.1207	117	449	175	58
1948	NL	SLN	Stan	Musial	L	44.32%	.3764	.2608	.1156	155	611	230	79
1971	NL	SLN	Joe	Torre	R	44.11%	.3628	.2517	.1110	161	634	230	63
1959	AL	CLE	Tito	Francona	L	43.58%	.3634	.2531	.1103	122	399	145	35
1967	NL	PIT	Roberto	Clemente	R	43.52%	.3573	.2489	.1083	147	585	209	41
1957	AL	NYA	Mickey	Mantle	B	43.18%	.3650	.2549	.1101	144	474	173	146
1946	NL	SLN	Stan	Musial	L	42.91%	.3654	.2557	.1097	156	624	228	73
2002	NL	SFN	Barry	Bonds	L	42.66%	.3697	.2592	.1106	143	403	149	198
1987	NL	SDN	Tony	Gwynn	L	42.00%	.3701	.2607	.1095	157	589	218	82
1970	NL	ATL	Rico	Carty	R	41.88%	.3661	.2580	.1081	136	478	175	77
1997	NL	SDN	Tony	Gwynn	L	41.33%	.3716	.2629	.1087	149	592	220	43
1988	AL	BOS	Wade	Boggs	L	41.32%	.3664	.2593	.1071	155	584	214	125
1999	NL	COL	Larry	Walker	L	41.27%	.3790	.2683	.1107	127	438	166	57
1961	AL	DET	Norm	Cash	L	41.10%	.3607	.2557	.1051	159	535	193	124
1974	AL	MIN	Rod	Carew	L	40.87%	.3639	.2583	.1056	153	599	218	74
1985	AL	BOS	Wade	Boggs	L	40.69%	.3675	.2612	.1063	161	653	240	96
1993	NL	COL	Andres	Galarraga	R	40.44%	.3702	.2636	.1066	120	470	174	24
2000	NL	COL	Todd	Helton	L	40.07%	.3724	.2659	.1065	160	580	216	103
1985	NL	SLN	Willie	McGee	B	39.97%	.3529	.2521	.1008	152	612	216	34
2008	NL	ATL	Chipper	Jones	B	39.96%	.3645	.2604	.1041	128	439	160	90
1995	NL	SDN	Tony	Gwynn	L	39.82%	.3682	.2633	.1049	135	535	197	35
1959	AL	DET	Harvey	Kuenn	R	39.45%	.3529	.2531	.0998	139	561	198	48
1997	NL	COL	Larry	Walker	L	39.27%	.3662	.2629	.1033	153	568	208	78
1975	AL	MIN	Rod	Carew	L	39.14%	.3589	.2579	.1010	143	535	192	64
2018	AL	BOS	Mookie	Betts	R	38.88%	.3462	.2492	.0969	136	520	180	81
1969	NL	CIN	Pete	Rose	B	38.88%	.3477	.2504	.0973	156	627	218	88
1998	NL	COL	Larry	Walker	L	38.87%	.3634	.2617	.1017	130	454	165	64

Number 7 Tito Francona did not qualify with his 399 AB in 1959. Harvey Kuenn officially led AL in 1959 with .353: number 25 on this list of 30.

Surprisingly, there are four in this millennium.

Just for the heck of it here are 30 in the middle, #800-829 of the 1,604:

qryBattingBAPctOverLeague5_370AB

Year	L	Team	First	Last	Bats	PctAboveL	BAplayer	BAleag	BA_P-L	G	AB	H	BB
2004	AL	ANA	Vladimir	Guerrero	R	24.70%	.3366	.2699	.0667	156	612	206	52
1930	AL	CHA	Carl	Reynolds	R	24.70%	.3588	.2877	.0711	138	563	202	20
2014	NL	SFN	Buster	Posey	R	24.68%	.3108	.2493	.0615	147	547	170	47
1929	AL	PHA	Jimmie	Foxx	R	24.67%	.3540	.2839	.0700	149	517	183	103
1958	NL	ML1	Hank	Aaron	R	24.65%	.3261	.2616	.0645	153	601	196	59
1983	NL	HOU	Jose	Cruz	L	24.60%	.3182	.2554	.0628	160	594	189	65
1981	AL	OAK	Rickey	Henderson	R	24.59%	.3191	.2562	.0630	108	423	135	64
2011	AL	BOS	Jacoby	Ellsbury	L	24.58%	.3212	.2578	.0634	158	660	212	52
1991	NL	SFN	Willie	McGee	B	24.58%	.3119	.2503	.0615	131	497	155	34
1946	AL	DET	Barney	McCosky	L	24.57%	.3183	.2555	.0628	117	399	127	60
2006	AL	NYA	Robinson	Cano	L	24.57%	.3423	.2748	.0675	122	482	165	18
2014	AL	DET	J. D.	Martinez	R	24.57%	.3152	.2530	.0622	123	441	139	30
1956	NL	SLN	Bill	Virdon	L	24.57%	.3190	.2561	.0629	157	580	185	38
1957	AL	BAL	Bob	Boyd	L	24.56%	.3175	.2549	.0626	141	485	154	55
1967	AL	BAL	Paul	Blair	R	24.55%	.2935	.2356	.0579	151	552	162	50
1944	AL	BOS	Bob	Johnson	R	24.55%	.3238	.2600	.0638	144	525	170	95
1927	AL	NYA	Babe	Ruth	L	24.54%	.3556	.2855	.0701	151	540	192	137
1997	NL	SDN	Wally	Joyner	L	24.54%	.3275	.2629	.0645	135	455	149	51
1951	AL	CLE	Minnie	Minoso	R	24.54%	.3264	.2621	.0643	146	530	173	72
2017	AL	KCA	Eric	Hosmer	L	24.53%	.3184	.2557	.0627	162	603	192	66
1989	AL	MIN	Brian	Harper	R	24.52%	.3247	.2607	.0639	126	385	125	13
1948	NL	BSN	Tommy	Holmes	L	24.52%	.3248	.2608	.0639	139	585	190	46
1999	AL	NYA	Bernie	Williams	B	24.51%	.3418	.2745	.0673	158	591	202	100
2011	NL	SFN	Pablo	Sandoval	B	24.50%	.3146	.2526	.0619	117	426	134	32
1904	NL	CHN	Frank	Chance	R	24.50%	.3104	.2493	.0611	124	451	140	36
1992	AL	CHA	Frank	Thomas	R	24.50%	.3229	.2593	.0635	160	573	185	122
1935	AL	CLE	Joe	Vosmik	R	24.49%	.3484	.2798	.0685	152	620	216	59
1918	NL	CHN	Charlie	Hollocher	L	24.49%	.3163	.2541	.0622	131	509	161	47
1986	AL	CLE	Pat	Tabler	R	24.49%	.3256	.2615	.0640	130	473	154	29
1954	NL	SLN	Stan	Musial	L	24.46%	.3299	.2651	.0648	153	591	195	103

That's Vlad, Sr. the Hall of Famer at the top of this group.

Batting Average (BA): .400 1903-2021 percent above league. Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Batting Average (BA) champs 1903-2021 percent above league ranked for NL and for AL. Wednesday, January 5, 2022

All 119 seasons with rank numbers 1-119 for the National League (NL) and rank numbers 1-119 for the American League (AL).

%Dif: (P BA - L BA) / L BA

The average %Dif is about 35% but that varies by era. The objective here is to not simply stare at the player's BA but to put it in some context.

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Batting Average (BA) champs 1903-2021 percent above league. Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Comparing BA leaders Bill Terry (.401 in 1930) and Carl Yastrzemski (.301 in 1968). Monday, December 27, 2021