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

Showing Batting Average and the stats that give it context Full stat line

#	Player	Seasons	AVG	G	AB	H	OBP
1	Ty Cobb	1905–1928 (24)	.366	3,035	11,436	4,189	.433
2	Oscar Charleston	1920–1941 (18)	.363	884	3,188	1,157	.449
3	Rogers Hornsby	1915–1937 (23)	.358	2,259	8,173	2,930	.434
4	Shoeless Joe Jackson	1908–1920 (13)	.356	1,332	4,981	1,772	.423
5	JW Jud Wilson	1923–1945 (21)	.352	924	3,143	1,105	.434
6	Lefty O'Doul	1919–1934 (11)	.349	970	3,264	1,140	.413
7	Turkey Stearnes	1923–1940 (18)	.348	999	3,829	1,334	.418
8	Ed Delahanty	1888–1903 (16)	.346	1,837	7,510	2,597	.411
9	Tris Speaker	1907–1928 (22)	.345	2,789	10,195	3,514	.428
10	Billy Hamilton	1888–1901 (14)	.344	1,594	6,283	2,164	.455
11	Ted Williams	1939–1960 (19)	.344	2,292	7,706	2,654	.482
12	Dan Brouthers	1879–1904 (19)	.342	1,676	6,726	2,303	.423
13	Babe Ruth	1914–1935 (22)	.342	2,503	8,398	2,873	.474
14	Dave Orr	1883–1890 (8)	.342	791	3,289	1,125	.366
15	Harry Heilmann	1914–1932 (17)	.342	2,148	7,787	2,660	.410
16	Pete Browning	1882–1894 (13)	.341	1,183	4,820	1,646	.403
17	Willie Keeler	1892–1910 (19)	.341	2,123	8,591	2,932	.388
18	Bill Terry	1923–1936 (14)	.341	1,721	6,428	2,193	.393
19	Mule Suttles	1924–1944 (21)	.340	922	3,264	1,111	.412
20	George Sisler	1915–1930 (15)	.340	2,055	8,267	2,812	.379
21	Lou Gehrig	1923–1939 (17)	.340	2,164	8,001	2,721	.447
22	Jesse Burkett	1890–1905 (16)	.338	2,067	8,426	2,850	.415
23	Tony Gwynn	1982–2001 (20)	.338	2,440	9,288	3,141	.388
24	Nap Lajoie	1896–1916 (21)	.338	2,480	9,590	3,243	.380
25	Jake Stenzel	1890–1899 (9)	.338	768	3,031	1,024	.408
26	Riggs Stephenson	1921–1934 (14)	.336	1,310	4,508	1,515	.407
27	Al Simmons	1924–1944 (20)	.334	2,215	8,759	2,927	.380
28	Cap Anson	1871–1897 (27)	.334	2,524	10,281	3,435	.394
29	John McGraw	1891–1907 (17)	.334	1,100	3,924	1,309	.466
30	Paul Waner	1926–1945 (20)	.333	2,549	9,459	3,152	.404
31	Eddie Collins	1906–1930 (25)	.333	2,826	9,949	3,315	.424
32	Mike Donlin	1899–1914 (12)	.333	1,049	3,854	1,282	.386
33	Sam Thompson	1885–1906 (15)	.331	1,410	5,998	1,988	.384
34	Stan Musial	1941–1963 (22)	.331	3,026	10,972	3,630	.417
35	Bill Lange	1893–1899 (7)	.330	813	3,202	1,056	.400
36	Heinie Manush	1923–1939 (17)	.330	2,008	7,654	2,524	.377
37	Willie Wells	1924–1948 (21)	.328	1,052	3,973	1,304	.407
38	Wade Boggs	1982–1999 (18)	.328	2,440	9,180	3,010	.415
39	Rod Carew	1967–1985 (19)	.328	2,469	9,315	3,053	.393
40	Honus Wagner	1897–1917 (21)	.328	2,794	10,439	3,420	.391
41	Tip O'Neill	1883–1892 (10)	.326	1,052	4,248	1,385	.392
42	Hugh Duffy	1888–1906 (17)	.326	1,737	7,044	2,293	.386
43	Bob Fothergill	1922–1933 (12)	.325	1,106	3,269	1,064	.368
44	Jimmie Foxx	1925–1945 (20)	.325	2,317	8,134	2,646	.428
45	BM Biz Mackey	1920–1947 (22)	.325	870	2,959	961	.390
46	Earle Combs	1924–1935 (12)	.325	1,455	5,746	1,866	.397
47	Joe DiMaggio	1936–1951 (13)	.325	1,736	6,821	2,214	.398
48	Cool Papa Bell	1922–1946 (21)	.324	1,219	4,829	1,567	.395
49	Babe Herman	1926–1945 (13)	.324	1,552	5,603	1,818	.383
50	Joe Medwick	1932–1948 (17)	.324	1,984	7,635	2,471	.362

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