What’s a Good OPS in Baseball?

At a Glance: OPS stands for On-Base Plus Slugging and combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage into a single number that measures overall offensive production. A good OPS varies by level of play and by position, with higher offensive output expected from first basemen and designated hitters. 

When you are judging a hitter’s skill, batting average only tells part of the story. It counts hits, but it ignores walks, and it treats a single the same as a home run. That is why OPS has become one of the most popular ways to measure overall offensive production. OPS stands for On-Base Plus Slugging, and it combines two of the most important parts of hitting: getting on base and hitting for power. 

OPS gives you a quick snapshot of a baseball player's ability at the plate, which makes it useful for comparing hitters across positions and leagues. However, what actually counts as a good OPS usually depends on the level of play and the position.

What Is OPS in Baseball?

OPS, which stands for On-Base Plus Slugging, is an advanced stat that measures an individual player's offensive value. It adds two traditional statistics together: on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG). The result is a single number, usually written as a three-digit decimal, that captures both how often a player reaches base and how well they can hit for power.

On-Base Percentage (OPS)

On-base percentage measures how often a batter reaches base safely. It includes hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches, but it does not count errors or fielder's choices. The formula is (Hits + Walks + Hit-by-Pitch) divided by (At Bats + Walks + Hit-by-Pitch + Sacrifice Flies).

Slugging Percentage (SLG)

Slugging percentage measures power by giving more weight to extra-base hits. A single is worth one base, a double two, a triple three, and a home run four. You calculate it by dividing total bases by at bats, so a higher slugging percentage points to more extra-base production.

Calculating OPS is the easy part. Once you have both numbers, you simply add them together. For example, a hitter with a .350 OBP and a .450 SLG has an .800 OPS. 

What Is a Good OPS in Baseball?

While the exact standard shifts with context, here is a general scale:

• .900 or higher: Excellent, Elite caliber

• .800 to .899: Very good, an above-average regular

• .700 to .799: Average, a solid contributor

• .600 to .699: Below average

• Below .600: Poor, an offensive liability

The threshold for what's considered a good OPS depends on the player's age group and level of competition. In Major League Baseball, elite hitters consistently post marks of .900 or better, and the career ops of the best players in baseball history sit above .900 overall. Leading contenders in MVP races almost always rank near the top of the league in OPS. 

Good OPS by Position

When measuring a player's offensive performance, it's important to remember that not every position carries the same expectations. Teams accept less hitting from players who handle demanding defensive spots, and they expect more from positions where the main job is to produce runs. Offensive output is harder to find at certain spots, so the smart way to judge a hitter is against their peers in the same position instead of the league as a whole.

Infield

• First Basemen: .800 OPS

• Shortstop: .700 OPS

• Second Basemen: .720

• Third Basemen: .750

Outfield

• Center Fielders: .750 OPS

• Outfielders: .780 OPS

Battery

• Catchers: .700 OPS 

• Designated Hitters: .850 or higher 

Good OPS at Different Levels of Play

OPS expectations climb as the competition gets tougher.

Youth Baseball

At the youth and high school levels, statistics are less standardized, and development should come before any number on a stat sheet. However, high school standouts can post .900 or higher against their peers, and college recruiters look at high OPS as one factor among many.

In college baseball, Division I average OPS vary by conference, but an .850 OPS puts a hitter in elite company. 

Minor Leagues

In A-ball, a .750 OPS shows promise. At Double-A, .800 or better signals a player ready to advance. At Triple-A, .850 and up suggests a bat that is close to major league ready, with league and park factors always worth considering.

Major League Players

In the MLB, league average sits in that .700 to .750 band, .800 marks an above-average hitter, and .900 is All-Star caliber. The highest ops in any given season are typically 1.000 or higher, and only a handful of the greatest players reach this.

OPS+ Explained

If you want a fairer comparison between players from different ballparks and eras, On-base Slugging Plus (OPS+) is the right stat for the job. It is an adjusted version of OPS that accounts for the hitter's home ballpark and the league's overall run environment, then scales everything to a simple standard. 

The key number is 100, which represents the league average. Every point above 100 means a hitter is that percent better than average, and every point below means the opposite. A 150 OPS+ tells you a player was 50 percent better than the league after adjustments. 100 is considered average, 120 and up is above average, 140 and up is All-Star caliber, 160 and up signals an MVP candidate, and 180 or more is considered historic.

Strengths and Limits of OPS

OPS earned its popularity for good reasons. It’s easy to calculate, easy to understand, and widely available on almost any stats page. It blends two valuable offensive skills into one number, it correlates well with scoring runs, and it gives you a fast way to compare hitters.

That said, it isn’t perfect. OPS treats on-base percentage and slugging as equally valuable, even though getting on base is more important to scoring runs. It says nothing about baserunning or speed, it ignores situational context like hitting with runners in scoring position, and it leaves out defense and overall player value entirely. These raw offensive numbers also do not adjust for park or era, which is exactly the gap OPS+ fills.

How to Improve Your OPS

Because OPS is built from two parts, there are two ways to raise it.

• Lift Your On-Base Percentage: Focus on plate discipline and pitch recognition. Work the count, draw more walks, cut down on strikeouts with better contact, and learn the strike zone so you swing at pitches you can handle.

• Boost Your Slugging Average: Train for power and contact quality. Build bat speed, drive the ball with authority, and aim for line drives and fly balls rather than ground balls, all supported by strength and rotational power.

Instead of trading one skill for the other, the best hitters string together quality at-bats that get them on base and produce extra-base hits. Track your OPS over a season and you will have a clear measure of whether your work is paying off.

Improve Your OPS and Other Baseball Stats with Plate Crate’s Training Aids

As a baseball metric, OPS works because it combines two of the most important offensive skills, getting on base and hitting for power, into a single, easy-to-read number. It has its blind spots, but it’s still considered one of the best individual statistics for sizing up a hitter at a glance.

At Plate Crate, our mission is to provide young baseball players with baseball gear that elevates their skills, grows their confidence, and helps them have fun while practicing. Our lineup of training aids includes hitting tools, such as the Tee Popper and the Bandit Sports Swing Launcher, that players can use to improve their OPS and other baseball metrics. 

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