NEW YORK (AP) - The major-league batting average dropped to .253 this season, its lowest level since hitters combined for a .244 average in 1972.
This year's average was down from a recent peak of .270 in 1996.
The big-league earned run average of 3.86 was at its low point since a 3.74 ERA in 1992, STATS said Tuesday. And the average of 4.17 runs per team per game was the smallest since a 4.12 average in 1992.