OPS in baseball stands for "On-base Plus Slugging." It is a sabermetric statistic used to evaluate a player's offensive performance. OPS combines two key metrics:
- On-base Percentage (OBP), which measures how often a player reaches base safely (including hits, walks, and being hit by pitches).
- Slugging Percentage (SLG), which measures the power of a hitter by calculating the total bases achieved per at-bat, giving more weight to extra-base hits like doubles, triples, and home runs.
The OPS value is simply the sum of a player's OBP and SLG: OPS=OBP+SLGOPS=OBP+SLGOPS=OBP+SLG This single number gives a comprehensive overview of a player's ability both to get on base and to hit for power. For example, an OPS of .800 or higher is considered very good, and elite players may have an OPS around or above 1.000. OPS is useful because it provides a more complete picture of offensive contribution than traditional stats like batting average alone. In essence, OPS quantifies both the frequency and quality of a player's offensive production. It is widely used by coaches, analysts, and fans to compare hitters across different teams and positions. This explanation is drawn from multiple reliable sources including MLB and sabermetric experts.
