What Is a Good Slugging Percentage?
League slugging was .404 in 2025 (.402 so far in 2026). .450+ is good, .520+ is top-10% of qualified hitters, and .600+ is an MVP-type season.
A good slugging percentage is .450+; the 2025 MLB average was .404 and .520+ marked the top ~10% of qualified hitters.
- MLB league SLG (2025).404
- 2026 season to date.402
- Top 10% of qualified hitters.520+
- Bottom 10% (qualified)≤ .368
- League OPS (2025).719
Source: Baseball-Reference league averages (2025 final; 2026 through early July); distribution cutoffs from FanGraphs qualified leaderboards.
Slugging scale (2025, qualified hitters)
| SLG | Verdict |
|---|---|
| .600+ | MVP-caliber power season |
| .520+ | Top ~10% of qualified hitters |
| .450–.519 | Good power production |
| .404–.449 | Above the .404 league average |
| ≤ .368 | Bottom ~10% — light contact profile |
Slugging is total bases per at-bat, so it weights a homer at four singles. Pair it with OBP (league .315 in 2025) to get OPS (.719 league average) — a hitter slugging .500 with a .300 OBP is a very different player from one slugging .450 with a .380 OBP.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good slugging percentage?
.450+ is good against the .404 2025 league average; .520+ is top-10% of qualified hitters and .600+ is MVP territory.
What was the MLB average slugging percentage in 2025?
.404, with league OPS at .719.
How is slugging percentage calculated?
Total bases ÷ at-bats: (1B + 2×2B + 3×3B + 4×HR) ÷ AB. Walks don't count — that's OBP's job.
What's more important, batting average or slugging?
Slugging correlates far better with run scoring — but OPS (OBP + SLG) beats both, which is why it's the default quick stat.
Sources & methodology
Sources: Baseball-Reference — 2025 MLB league averages · Baseball-Reference — 2026 season to date · FanGraphs 2025 qualified leaderboards.
League averages from Baseball-Reference; top/bottom-10% cutoffs read from the 2025 FanGraphs qualified leaderboards (approximate percentile anchors, labeled as such).