Ground Ball Hit % Chances
League-wide MLB data shows the limited success rate of reaching base on ground balls.
- Ground balls produce outs 73-74% of the time across MLB.
- Batters reach base safely on only 26-27% of grounders, mostly via infield singles.
- Ground-ball wOBA sits at .228, far below line drives or overall BABIP.
In MLB, ground balls remain one of the least efficient ways for a batter to reach base. Recent Statcast and BIS data show that defenses convert roughly three out of every four ground balls into outs, leaving the batter with limited odds of success.
League Conversion Rates
Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the ground-ball out rate has held steady near 73-74%. Specifically, defenses turned 73.3% of ground balls into outs in 2024 and 73.6% in 2025. The remaining 26-27% of ground balls result in the batter reaching base safely, primarily through infield or through-the-infield singles with a smaller share coming from reaches on error.
Context With Other Metrics
Ground balls carry a weighted on-base average of about .228, reflecting mostly outs punctuated by occasional singles. This drags down overall BABIP, which sits around .290-.300 league-wide. For comparison, line drives post a BABIP near .650. Infield pop-ups and flies are converted into outs more than 95% of the time and are excluded from these ground-ball figures.
Factors That Shift the Odds
- Faster runners and opposite-field slap hitters post higher safe rates on grounders.
- Power hitters see lower success rates.
- Team defensive efficiency on ground balls has ranged from 69% to 77% in recent seasons.
- The numbers reflect balls with launch angles below roughly 10 degrees and exclude strikeouts, flies, and line drives.
Sources
- Pitcher List analysis of 2024-2025 Statcast/BIS data
