Slugging Percentage (SLG)

Definition

Slugging percentage represents the total number of bases a player records per at-bat. Unlike on-base percentage, slugging percentage deals only with hits and does not include walks and hit-by-pitches in its equation.

Slugging percentage differs from batting average in that all hits are not valued equally. While batting average is calculated by dividing the total number of hits by the total number of at-bats, the formula for slugging percentage is: (1B + 2Bx2 + 3Bx3 + HRx4)/AB.

Although a double is not worth exactly twice as much as a single in the context of scoring runs, slugging percentage is still one of the best evaluators of power, because it accounts for more than just home runs.

Slugging percentage can also be applied as an evaluative tool for pitchers, although this is done less frequently. In such cases, it is referred to as slugging-percentage against.

In A Call

"slugging," as a verb: "to slug"