A brand-new MLB season is just around the corner, making this an ideal time to discuss some of the advanced statistics we will be seeing over the next 10 to 11 months.
One of the well-known statistics is On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS), which is essentially a singular number that tells you how efficient a player is offensively.
In addition, another statistic called On-Base Plus Slugging Plus (OPS+) is a way to compare a player’s OPS to the rest of the league.
Our article will explain how On-Base Slugging is calculated, explain the origins of On-Base Slugging, and give you the career and single-season leaders for On-Base Slugging.
How is On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) calculated?
The formula for calculating OPS is On-Base Percentage (OPB) + Slugging Percentage (SLG). This can be calculated in three steps.
Step 1: The first thing to do is calculate the player’s On-Base Percentage.
The formula for this is the following: (Hits + Walks + Hit by Pitch) / (At-Bats + Walks + Hit by Pitch + Sacrifice Flies)
Step 2: Next, you will need to calculate the player’s slugging percentage, which can be done by using the following formula:
Total Bases / Total At-Bats or (Singles + (2 x Doubles) + (3 x Triples) + (4 x Homeruns)) / Total At-Bats
Step 3: Finally, take the value from Step 1 (OBP) and add it to the value from Step 2 (SLG).
Doing this will give you the player’s OPS, which is a culmination of their offensive abilities.
Origins of On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) in baseball
The term "On-Base Plus Slugging" became popular in the 1980s thanks to the book "The Hidden Game of Baseball".
Authors John Thorn and Pete Palmer wanted to create a single statistic to measure a player’s offensive output and thus, used On-Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage to do so.
Highest Single-Season and Career On-Base Plus Slugging
Below we have listed the top five On-Base Plus Slugging leaders for a career, single-season, and the top current active leaders per Baseball-Reference.
MLB Career On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) Leaders
Player | OPS |
Babe Ruth | 1.163 (1914-1935) |
Ted Williams | 1.115 (1939-1960) |
Lou Gehrig | 1.079 (1923-1939) |
Oscar Charleston | 1.063 (1920-1941) |
Barry Bonds | 1.051 (1986-2007) |
MLB Single-Season On-Base Plus (OPS) Slugging Leaders
Player | OPS |
Josh Gibson | 1.474 (1937) |
Josh Gibson | 1.427 (1943) |
Barry Bonds | 1.421 (2004) |
Oscar Charleston | 1.421 (1929) |
Barry Bonds | 1.380 (2002) |
MLB Active On-Base Slugging (OPS) Leaders
Player | OPS |
Aaron Judge | 1.010 (2016-Present) |
Mike Trout | .991 (2011-Present) |
Juan Soto | .953 (2018-Present) |
Shohei Ohtani | .945 (2018-Present) |
Bryce Harper | .910 (2012-Present) |
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