At bats per home run

In baseball statistics, at bats per home run (AB/HR) is a way to measure how frequently a batter hits a home run. It is determined by dividing the number of at bats by the number of home runs hit. Mark McGwire possesses the MLB record for this statistic with a career ratio of 10.61 at bats per home run and Babe Ruth is second, with 11.76 at bats per home run.^[1] Ryan Howard currently holds fourth place with 12.104 AB/HR,^[2] and currently holds the record among active players.

Major League Baseball leaders

Career

Mark McGwire holds the career record for fewest at bats per home run with at least 3000 plate appearances, at 10.61.

Totals are current through the end of the 2013 season, minimum 3000 plate appearances. Active players in bold.^[1]

1. Mark McGwire - 10.61
2. Babe Ruth - 11.76
3. Barry Bonds - 12.92
4. Jim Thome - 13.76
5. Ryan Howard - 13.96

Season

Single-season statistics are current through the end of the 2013 season. Active players in bold.^[3]

1. Barry Bonds - 6.52
2. Mark McGwire - 7.27
3. Mark McGwire - 8.02
4. Mark McGwire - 8.13
5. Barry Bonds - 8.29

Babe Ruth was the first batter to average fewer than nine at-bats per home run over a season, hitting his 54 home runs of the 1920 season in 457 at-bats; an average of 8.463. Seventy-eight years later, Mark McGwire became the first batter to average fewer than eight AB/HR, hitting his 70 home runs of the 1998 season in 509 at-bats (an average of 7.2714). In 2001, Barry Bonds became the first batter to average fewer than seven AB/HR, setting the Major League record by hitting his 73 home runs of the 2001 season in 476 at-bats for an average of 6.5205.

Ruth, McGwire and Bonds are the only batters in history to average nine or fewer AB/HR over a season, having done so nine times:

References