Paul Hines had the best batting average in 1878, with an average of .358.

Interpreted as:

highest batting average with a minimum of 3.1 PA per team game by a player 1878

	NAME	AVG	SEASON	TM	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	PA	TB	XBH	SLG	WRC	WRAA	WOBA	WRC+	BRAA
1	Paul Hines P. Hines	.358	1878	PRO	62	257	42	92	13	4	4	50	2	10	259	125	21	.486	56	21.2	.390	158	21.2
2	Abner Dalrymple A. Dalrymple	.354	1878	MIL	61	271	52	96	10	4	0	15	6	29	277	114	14	.421	56	17.9	.366	136	14.1
3	Bob Ferguson B. Ferguson	.351	1878	CWS	61	259	44	91	10	2	0	39	10	12	269	105	12	.405	54	17.1	.365	139	14.8
4	Joe Start J. Start	.351	1878	CWS	61	285	58	100	12	5	1	27	2	3	287	125	18	.439	58	18.5	.366	140	16.1
5	Cap Anson C. Anson	.341	1878	CWS	60	261	55	89	12	2	0	40	13	1	274	105	14	.402	54	16.9	.362	138	14.6
6	George Shafer G. Shafer	.338	1878	IND	63	266	48	90	19	6	0	30	13	20	279	121	25	.455	59	20.9	.380	158	22.7
7	Dick Higham D. Higham	.320	1878	PRO	62	281	60	90	22	1	1	29	5	16	286	117	24	.416	53	14.1	.346	135	14.1
8	Deacon White D. White	.314	1878	CIN	61	258	41	81	4	1	0	29	10	5	268	87	5	.337	44	8	.319	123	8.7
9	Charley Jones C. Jones	.310	1878	CIN	61	261	50	81	11	7	3	39	4	17	265	115	21	.441	50	13.7	.348	139	14.3
10	John Peters J. Peters	.309	1878	MIL	55	246	33	76	6	1	0	22	5	8	251	84	7	.341	40	6	.311	107	2.5
11	Tom York T. York	.309	1878	PRO	62	269	56	83	19	10	1	26	8	19	277	125	30	.465	55	17	.362	144	16.9
12	Cal McVey C. McVey	.306	1878	CIN	61	271	43	83	10	4	2	28	5	10	276	107	16	.395	48	10.4	.330	129	11.1
13	Lew Brown L. Brown	.305	1878	PRO	58	243	44	74	21	6	1	43	7	37	250	110	28	.453	48	14.1	.355	140	14.1
14	John Clapp J. Clapp	.304	1878	IND	63	263	42	80	10	2	0	29	13	8	276	94	12	.357	47	9.6	.326	130	11.4
15	Joe Gerhardt J. Gerhardt	.297	1878	CIN	60	259	46	77	7	2	0	28	7	14	266	88	9	.340	42	5.5	.307	117	6.2
16	William Harbridge W. Harbridge	.296	1878	CWS	54	240	32	71	12	0	0	37	6	13	246	83	12	.346	39	5.3	.308	109	3.2
17	Terry Larkin T. Larkin	.288	1878	CWS	58	226	33	65	9	4	0	32	17	17	243	82	13	.363	42	9	.329	121	7
18	King Kelly K. Kelly	.283	1878	CIN	60	237	29	67	7	1	0	27	7	7	244	76	8	.321	36	2.5	.293	109	3.1
19	Jim O'Rourke J. O'Rourke	.278	1878	BOS	60	255	44	71	17	7	1	29	5	21	260	105	25	.412	44	8.3	.322	121	7.5
20	Will Foley W. Foley	.271	1878	MIL	56	229	33	62	8	5	0	22	7	14	236	80	13	.349	35	3.3	.298	100	0
21	Frank Hankinson F. Hankinson	.267	1878	CWS	58	240	38	64	8	3	1	27	5	36	245	81	12	.338	35	1.5	.287	99	-0.5
22	John Cassidy J. Cassidy	.266	1878	CWS	60	256	33	68	7	1	0	29	9	11	265	77	8	.301	36	0	.279	94	-2.2
23	Jack Burdock J. Burdock	.260	1878	BOS	60	246	37	64	12	6	0	25	3	17	249	88	18	.358	35	1.6	.288	103	0.9
24	Andy Leonard A. Leonard	.260	1878	BOS	60	262	41	68	8	5	0	16	3	19	265	86	13	.328	35	-0.7	.275	96	-1.4
25	Chub Sullivan C. Sullivan	.258	1878	CIN	61	244	29	63	4	2	0	20	2	9	246	71	6	.291	30	-3.7	.259	91	-3