Baseball On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS)
Two of the most popular baseball statistics are On-Base Percentage (measuring how often a player gets on base) and Slugging Percentage (measuring how a player hits the ball while at bat). The advanced statistic On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) combines both of those measurements into an easy number for evaluating a player’s offensive performance. Read on to learn more about OPS and how it is calculated.
On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS)
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a statistic that combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage to provide a more holistic measurement on a player's offensive skills. It is calculated by adding the value of a player's on-base percentage to the value of his slugging percentage.
Since it provides a broader overview of a player's performance than just the OBP or the SLG and is more detailed than the batting average, OPS is one of the most commonly referenced offensive statistics.
OPS Formula
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is calculated using the following formula:
On-Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage = OPS
Example
If a player has an on-base percentage of .350 and a slugging percentage of .550, then that player’s OPS is .900.
FAQ
What is OPS in baseball?
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a statistic that combines two offensive measurements: on-base percentage and slugging percentage. On-base percentage (OBP) calculates how often a player reaches base in an at-bat, including walks, hits, and hit-by-pitch. Slugging percentage (SLG) measures how many bases a player hits for in an at-bat. On-base plus slugging is calculated by adding these two percentages together.
What is an average OPS in baseball?
The average OPS across Major League baseball shifts year by year, but in 2021 the average OPS amongst all players was .728. This represents a small decline from 2019, when the average OPS amongst all teams was a .740.