MLB All-Time Batting Average Leaders

Sluggers capture the public’s fancy. Dominating pitchers pack stadiums. Great fielders can change the course of a game with a single play.

Hitting for average? It may not be quite so sexy, but it’s a good measure of how much a player contributes from day to day.

Here are the 10 best batting averages in baseball history. And, no, you couldn’t just stay hot for a season or two. To qualify for this club, you need 5,000 official at bats or more.

These were the best of the best, with years played and lifetime average:

1. Ty Cobb (1905-1928) — .367

2. Rogers Hornsby (1915-37 — .358

3. Ed Delahanty (1888-1903) — .346

4. Tris Speaker (1907-28) — .345

5. Billy Hamilton (1888-1901) — .344

T5. Ted Williams (1939-60) — .344

7. Dan Brouthers (1879-1904) — .342

T7. Harry Heilmann (1914-32) — .342

T7. Babe Ruth (1914-35) — .342

10. Willie Keeler (1892-1910) — .341

T10. Bill Terry (1923-36) — .341

Source: MLB.com