All-Time MLB Batting Average Leaders

Ty Cobb is the all-time MLB leader in batting average with .366, 3 points clear of Oscar Charleston (.363). He did it in 24 seasons, from 1905 to 1928. The top ten runs from .366 down to .344.

Career rate stats are limited to players with 3,000+ plate appearances, the usual bar for all-time rate leaderboards. That is a raw total rather than a share of the schedule, so it falls unevenly across eras. Negro League seasons ran roughly 25 to 70 games against 154 or more in the American and National Leagues, and only 26 of 2,362 Negro League batters reach 3,000 plate appearances. Josh Gibson is one of the players it excludes: his .372 average and 1.175 OPS are the highest on record, on 2,621 plate appearances. Show all players

All-time MLB leader Ty Cobb 1905–1928 · 24 seasons

.366 Batting Average .003 clear of Oscar Charleston

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#	Player	Seasons	AVG	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Ty Cobb	1905–1928 (24)	.366	3,035	11,436	2,247	4,189	724	295	117	1,944	1,249	680	896	.433	.512	.945
2	Oscar Charleston	1920–1941 (18)	.363	884	3,188	814	1,157	237	68	139	815	469	25	223	.449	.611	1.059
3	Rogers Hornsby	1915–1937 (23)	.359	2,259	8,173	1,579	2,930	541	169	301	1,584	1,038	679	135	.434	.577	1.010
4	Shoeless Joe Jackson	1908–1920 (13)	.356	1,332	4,981	873	1,772	307	168	54	785	519	233	202	.423	.517	.940
5	JW Jud Wilson	1923–1945 (21)	.352	924	3,143	642	1,105	210	52	81	731	411	12	104	.434	.529	.963
6	Lefty O'Doul	1919–1934 (11)	.349	970	3,264	624	1,140	175	41	113	542	333	122	36	.413	.532	.945
7	TS Turkey Stearnes	1923–1940 (18)	.348	999	3,829	924	1,334	232	116	189	998	415	7	132	.418	.618	1.035
8	Ed Delahanty	1888–1903 (16)	.346	1,837	7,510	1,600	2,597	522	186	101	1,466	742	439	456	.411	.505	.917
9	Tris Speaker	1907–1928 (22)	.345	2,789	10,195	1,882	3,514	792	222	117	1,529	1,381	393	432	.428	.500	.928
10	Ted Williams	1939–1960 (19)	.344	2,292	7,706	1,798	2,654	525	71	521	1,839	2,021	709	24	.482	.634	1.116
11	Billy Hamilton	1888–1901 (14)	.344	1,594	6,283	1,697	2,164	242	95	40	742	1,189	362	914	.455	.432	.888
12	Dan Brouthers	1879–1904 (19)	.342	1,676	6,726	1,529	2,303	462	206	107	1,301	840	238	257	.423	.520	.944
13	Babe Ruth	1914–1935 (22)	.342	2,503	8,398	2,174	2,873	506	136	714	2,217	2,062	1,330	123	.474	.690	1.164
14	Dave Orr	1883–1890 (8)	.342	791	3,289	536	1,125	198	108	37	627	98	86	66	.366	.502	.867
15	Harry Heilmann	1914–1932 (17)	.342	2,148	7,787	1,291	2,660	542	151	183	1,539	856	550	113	.410	.521	.930
16	Pete Browning	1882–1894 (13)	.342	1,183	4,820	954	1,646	295	85	46	659	466	245	258	.403	.467	.869
17	Willie Keeler	1892–1910 (19)	.341	2,123	8,591	1,719	2,932	241	145	33	810	524	136	495	.388	.415	.802
18	Bill Terry	1923–1936 (14)	.341	1,721	6,428	1,120	2,193	373	112	154	1,078	537	449	56	.393	.506	.899
19	MS Mule Suttles	1924–1944 (21)	.340	922	3,264	728	1,111	218	78	183	899	380	24	85	.412	.623	1.036
20	Lou Gehrig	1923–1939 (17)	.340	2,164	8,001	1,888	2,721	534	163	493	1,995	1,508	790	102	.447	.632	1.080
21	George Sisler	1915–1930 (15)	.340	2,055	8,267	1,284	2,812	425	164	102	1,175	472	327	375	.379	.468	.847
22	Nap Lajoie	1896–1916 (21)	.338	2,480	9,590	1,504	3,243	657	163	82	1,599	516	347	380	.380	.466	.847
23	Tony Gwynn	1982–2001 (20)	.338	2,440	9,288	1,383	3,141	543	85	135	1,138	790	434	319	.388	.459	.847
24	Jesse Burkett	1890–1905 (16)	.338	2,067	8,426	1,720	2,850	320	182	75	952	1,029	613	389	.415	.446	.861
25	Jake Stenzel	1890–1899 (9)	.338	768	3,031	664	1,024	190	71	32	533	300	110	292	.408	.479	.887
26	Riggs Stephenson	1921–1934 (14)	.336	1,310	4,508	714	1,515	321	54	63	773	494	247	53	.407	.473	.880
27	Al Simmons	1924–1944 (20)	.334	2,215	8,759	1,507	2,927	539	149	307	1,827	615	737	88	.380	.535	.915
28	Cap Anson	1871–1897 (27)	.334	2,524	10,281	1,999	3,435	582	142	97	2,075	984	330	277	.394	.447	.841
29	John McGraw	1891–1907 (17)	.334	1,100	3,924	1,024	1,309	121	70	13	462	836	155	436	.466	.410	.876
30	Eddie Collins	1906–1930 (25)	.333	2,826	9,949	1,821	3,315	438	187	47	1,300	1,499	467	741	.424	.429	.853
31	Paul Waner	1926–1945 (20)	.333	2,549	9,459	1,627	3,152	605	191	113	1,309	1,091	376	104	.404	.473	.878
32	Mike Donlin	1899–1914 (12)	.333	1,049	3,854	669	1,282	176	97	51	543	312	311	213	.386	.468	.854
33	Sam Thompson	1885–1906 (15)	.331	1,410	5,998	1,261	1,988	343	161	126	1,308	452	234	232	.384	.505	.890
34	Stan Musial	1941–1963 (22)	.331	3,026	10,972	1,949	3,630	725	177	475	1,951	1,599	696	78	.417	.559	.976
35	Heinie Manush	1923–1939 (17)	.330	2,008	7,654	1,287	2,524	491	160	110	1,183	506	345	114	.377	.479	.856
36	Bill Lange	1893–1899 (7)	.330	813	3,202	691	1,056	134	80	39	579	350	123	400	.400	.458	.858
37	WW Willie Wells	1924–1948 (21)	.328	1,052	3,973	941	1,304	265	67	145	863	489	9	175	.408	.538	.946
38	Wade Boggs	1982–1999 (18)	.328	2,440	9,180	1,513	3,010	578	61	118	1,014	1,412	745	24	.415	.443	.858
39	Rod Carew	1967–1985 (19)	.328	2,469	9,315	1,424	3,053	445	112	92	1,015	1,018	1,028	353	.393	.429	.822
40	Honus Wagner	1897–1917 (21)	.328	2,794	10,439	1,739	3,420	643	252	101	1,733	963	735	723	.391	.467	.858
41	Tip O'Neill	1883–1892 (10)	.326	1,052	4,248	879	1,385	222	92	52	757	420	194	161	.392	.458	.851
42	Hugh Duffy	1888–1906 (17)	.326	1,737	7,044	1,554	2,293	325	119	106	1,302	664	268	574	.386	.451	.837
43	Bob Fothergill	1922–1933 (12)	.326	1,106	3,269	453	1,064	225	52	36	582	202	177	42	.368	.459	.828
44	Jimmie Foxx	1925–1945 (20)	.325	2,317	8,134	1,751	2,646	458	125	534	1,922	1,452	1,311	87	.428	.609	1.038
45	BM Biz Mackey	1920–1947 (22)	.325	870	2,959	471	961	165	54	52	577	300	15	63	.390	.470	.860
46	Earle Combs	1924–1935 (12)	.325	1,455	5,746	1,186	1,866	309	154	58	632	670	278	96	.397	.462	.859
47	Joe DiMaggio	1936–1951 (13)	.325	1,736	6,821	1,390	2,214	389	131	361	1,537	790	369	30	.398	.579	.977
48	Babe Herman	1926–1945 (13)	.325	1,552	5,603	882	1,818	399	110	181	997	520	553	94	.383	.532	.915
49	Cool Papa Bell	1922–1946 (21)	.325	1,219	4,829	1,167	1,567	265	76	60	594	549	19	296	.395	.448	.843
50	Joe Medwick	1932–1948 (17)	.324	1,984	7,635	1,198	2,471	540	113	205	1,383	437	551	42	.362	.505	.867

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