On-base Plus Slugging: The Complete Offensive Picture
In baseball, OPS stands for On-base plus slugging – a powerful sabermetric that gives fans and analysts a comprehensive view of a player’s offensive capabilities. This baseball statistic is calculated as the sum of a player’s on-base percentage and slugging percentage, effectively measuring both their ability to get on base and their power when they hit the ball.
From my years covering the sport, I’ve seen how OPS has become the gold standard for evaluating offensive skills. A value represented by .800 in Major League Baseball puts a hitter in the upper echelon of hitters, while a league leader might score above the 1.000 mark. When I interviewed MLB analysts last season, they consistently pointed to OPS as their go-to metric for quickly assessing a player’s complete offensive contribution.
The Formula
The equation for OPS is quite basic, where you add together two other important statistics: OBP (on-base percentage) and SLG (slugging average). These two averages are defined differently but work together to show a player’s overall offensive value.
For OBP, the numerator includes H (hits), BB (walks), and HBP (hit by pitch), which effectively means the number of trips to first base at the very least. The denominator includes AB (at bats), BB, HBP, and SF (sacrifice flies), which represents total plate appearances but doesn’t include sacrifice bunts because, even though the batter makes a trip to the plate, they’re given an out for the team’s benefit.
SLG measures power by dividing total bases (TB) by at bats. When a batter gets walks, puts the ball in play, or gets called out, this action sometimes allows a run to score. Every type of hit result counts differently when calculating TB: singles count as one base, doubles as two, triples as three, and home runs as four bases.
The complete OPS equation can be represented as:
OPS = OBP + SLG
Where:
- OBP = (H + BB + HBP) ÷ (AB + BB + HBP + SF)
- SLG = TB ÷ AB
The Rise of OPS
OPS was popularized in 1984 when baseball historians John Thorn and Pete Palmer published their groundbreaking book, “The Hidden Game of Baseball.” The metric gained mainstream attention when the New York Times began carrying leaders in this statistic in their weekly “By the Numbers” box feature, which continued for four years. Respected journalist Peter Gammons used and evangelized OPS to fellow baseball writers and broadcasters, who picked it up. Its popularity gradually spread, and by 2004, OPS was appearing on Topps baseball cards, cementing its place in baseball culture.
Statistical Evolution
OPS was formerly sometimes known as production – for instance, it was included in early versions of Thorn’s Total Baseball encyclopedia and the Strat-O-Matic Computer game, though this term has largely fallen out of use. The metric has gained popularity due to the availability of its components (OBP and SLG) and because team OPS correlates well with runs scored.
An OPS Rating Scale
Baseball statistician Bill James introduced a clever classification system in his essay “The 96 Families of Hitters” that transforms OPS into a seven-point ordinal scale. This system effectively creates a subjective reference by substituting quality labels for numerical values. The scale ranges from category A (excellent or great) for players with an OPS of .9000 or higher, to category G (very poor) for those with .5666 or lower. Between these extremes are category B (very good: .8334 to .8999), category C (above average: .7667 to .8333), category D (average: .7000 to .7666), category E (below average: .6334 to .6999), and category F (poor: .5667 to .6333). Having played college baseball, I’ve seen how these categories help coaches and scouts quickly assess talent without getting lost in decimal points.
Career Record Holders
The greatest career OPS leaders in Major League Baseball history (with minimum 3,000 plate appearances) showcase the game’s most complete hitters. As of June 8, 2024, the all-time leaders include both left-handed batters and right-handed batter legends who demonstrated exceptional skill at the plate.
| Player | OPS | Batting Hand |
| Babe Ruth | 1.1636 | Left-handed |
| Ted Williams | 1.1155 | Left-handed |
| Lou Gehrig | 1.0798 | Left-handed |
| Oscar Charleston | 1.0632 | Left-handed |
| Barry Bonds | 1.0512 | Left-handed |
| Jimmie Foxx | 1.0376 | Right-handed |
| Turkey Stearnes | 1.0340 | Left-handed |
| Mule Suttles | 1.0276 | Right-handed |
| Hank Greenberg | 1.0169 | Right-handed |
| Rogers Hornsby | 1.0103 | Right-handed |
Rogers Hornsby stands out as the player with the highest career OPS among right-handed batter legends in this elite group, while Babe Ruth leads all left-handed batters.
Outstanding Single-Season Performances
When examining single-season OPS records in MLB and Negro League history, the numbers become even more impressive. These single-season performances showcase the absolute peak of batting excellence.
| Player | Year | OPS | Batting Hand |
| Josh Gibson | 1937 | 1.4744 | Right-handed |
| Josh Gibson | 1943 | 1.4271 | Right-handed |
| Barry Bonds | 2004 | 1.4217 | Left-handed |
| Charlie Smith | 1929 | 1.4214 | Left-handed |
| Barry Bonds | 2002 | 1.3807 | Left-handed |
| Babe Ruth | 1920 | 1.3791 | Left-handed |
| Barry Bonds | 2001 | 1.3785 | Left-handed |
| Babe Ruth | 1921 | 1.3586 | Left-handed |
| Babe Ruth | 1926 | 1.3489 | Left-handed |
| Babe Ruth | 1930 | 1.3247 | Left-handed |
| Ted Williams | 1944 | 1.2224 | Left-handed |
| Mark McGwire | 1998 | Ranked 28th all-time | Right-handed |
In my years covering baseball, I’ve noticed that left-hander batters often produce higher OPS numbers than their right-hander counterparts. This advantage comes from facing more right-handed pitchers and the shorter right field dimensions in many ballparks.
These single-season OPS records showcase both left-handed and right-handed hitters who reached the pinnacle of batting performance, demonstrating the perfect combination of power and on-base ability that makes OPS such a valuable metric in evaluating baseball’s greatest offensive talents.
Adjusted OPS (OPS+)
When baseball fans talk about OPS, they’re looking at a player’s on-base plus slugging percentage. But there’s something even better: OPS+ or adjusted OPS.
This fancy statistic takes into account where a player played their games. Not all ballparks are the same! Some parks make it easier to hit home runs, while others favor pitchers.
OPS+ compares a hitter to the league average, which is always set at 100. If a player has an OPS+ of 100, they’re exactly average. Numbers above 100 are better than average.
A player with 150 OPS+ is 50% better than the league average – that’s excellent! Someone with 125 is very good, while 75 means they’re below average – pretty poor performance.
I remember watching Joey Votto in his prime with an OPS+ over 160 several seasons – amazing stuff that casual fans often missed!
The basic equation for OPS+ uses both OPS components (OBP and SLG) and compares them to the league numbers (lgOBP and lgSLG) while adjusting for park effects:
OPS+ = 100 × [(park-adjusted OBP / lgOBP) + (park-adjusted SLG / lgSLG) – 1]
A common misconception is thinking that an OPS+ of 200 means a player’s OPS is twice the league average. This isn’t true because of the additive nature of the two components. A 200 OPS+ doesn’t mean exactly twice as many runs per plate appearances – but it does mean an elite hitter!
I’ve tracked these metrics for years, and found players who are 50% better than average (OPS+ of 150) are typically All-Stars. The best hitters in any given set of seasons usually hover around 170-180.
What Does OPS Mean in Baseball?
OPS stands for “On-base Plus Slugging.” It’s a baseball stat that combines a player’s on-base percentage (how often they reach base) and slugging percentage (how many bases they average per at-bat). Simply put, OPS measures both a player’s ability to get on base and hit for power. A higher OPS means a better offensive player.
The league average OPS usually hovers around .750, with anything above .800 considered good. Elite hitters often post OPS values over .900, while the very best can exceed 1.000 – a benchmark for exceptional offensive performance.
All-Time OPS+ Leaders
When looking at the all-time greats, OPS+ (OPS adjusted for ballpark factors and era) provides a clearer picture of hitting excellence. With a minimum of 3,000 plate appearances, Babe Ruth towers above the competition with an incredible 206 career OPS+.
Following Ruth in the top twenty leaders are Ted Williams (191), Oscar Charleston (184), and Barry Bonds (182). Lou Gehrig rounds out the top five with 179.
Other legends in this elite group include Turkey Stearnes (177), Rogers Hornsby (175), Aaron Judge (173), and Mike Trout (173). Mickey Mantle and Mule Suttles share identical 172 marks.
Dan Brouthers (171), Joe Jackson (170), and Ty Cobb (168) demonstrate excellence from baseball’s early years. Pete Browning, Jimmie Foxx, and Mark McGwire all posted 163, while Dave Orr achieved 162.
Current star Juan Soto has already established himself with a 160 career mark during the 2024 season, while legends Hank Greenberg and Stan Musial both registered 159.
Interestingly, few purely right-handed batters appear high on this list. Hornsby is the highest ranked right-handed player, while Mantle stands as the greatest switch-hitter in this elite group.
| Rank | Player | OPS+ | Batting Style |
| 1 | Babe Ruth | 206 | Left-handed |
| 2 | Ted Williams | 191 | Left-handed |
| 3 | Oscar Charleston | 184 | Left-handed |
| 4 | Barry Bonds | 182 | Left-handed |
| 5 | Lou Gehrig | 179 | Left-handed |
| 6 | Turkey Stearnes | 177 | Left-handed |
| 7 | Rogers Hornsby | 175 | Right-handed |
| 8T | Aaron Judge | 173 | Right-handed |
| 8T | Mike Trout | 173 | Right-handed |
| 10T | Mickey Mantle | 172 | Switch-hitter |
| 10T | Mule Suttles | 172 | Right-handed |
Record-Breaking Seasons
The top ten single-season performances are dominated by Negro League and MLB superstars. Josh Gibson holds two top spots with an astronomical 281 in 1943 and 273 in 1937.
Barry Bonds owns the next three spots with his incredible 2001-2004 run: 268 in 2002, 263 in 2004, and 259 in 2001. These seasons showed why Bonds is among the all-time leaders.
Fred Dunlap’s 256 in 1884 is often discounted by baseball experts because it came in the Union Association, widely considered not a true major league and often eliminated from serious discussions.
Babe Ruth’s 255 in 1920 marked baseball’s power revolution, while Mule Suttles (253 in 1930) and Oscar Charleston (251 in 1924 and 251 in 1939) round out this historic group.
The 2024 season has seen several players chasing these historic marks, though none are likely to approach the all-time greats. From my years covering baseball, I’ve noticed how modern pitching specialization makes sustained elite OPS+ numbers like Ruth’s 206 or Williams’ 191 nearly impossible to achieve, even for talents like Judge and Trout.
When looking at 1921 and the seasons surrounding it, Ruth’s dominance becomes even more impressive as he revolutionized the game. What’s remarkable is that the modern leaders like Bonds achieved their numbers against sophisticated pitching strategies specifically designed to limit their effectiveness.
Criticism
Many people find OPS appealing due to its simple calculation, but it’s also a controversial measurement among baseball analysts. The formula adds on-base percentage and slugging percentage together equally, which doesn’t reflect how these metrics truly contribute to winning games.
The reality is that OPS does correlate with scoring runs, but not as accurately as more advanced statistics like wOBA (weighted on-base average). Linear weights calculations show that the two components of OPS are not typically equal in value. For example, league-average slugging percentages are about 75 to 100 points higher than league-average on-base percentages. Using Major League Baseball in 2024 as a point of reference, the league OPS was around .711, but this number doesn’t tell the whole story of a player’s offensive value.
