Baseball statistics play an important role in evaluating the progress of a player or team. Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and

statistics Statistics (from German: '' Statistik'', "description of a state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a scientific, indust ...

. Statistics have been kept for

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

since the creation of the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

and

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...

, now part of

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

. Many statistics are also available from outside Major League Baseball, from leagues such as the

National Association of Professional Base Ball Players The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP), often known simply as the National Association (NA), was the first fully- professional sports league in baseball. The NA was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 se ...

and the

Negro league The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

s, although the consistency of whether these records were kept, of the standards with respect to which they were calculated, and of their accuracy has varied.

Development

The practice of keeping records of player achievements was started in the 19th century by Henry Chadwick. Based on his experience with the sport of

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

, Chadwick devised the predecessors to modern-day

including batting average, runs scored, and runs allowed. Traditionally, statistics such as batting average (the number of hits divided by the number of at bats) and earned run average (the average number of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings) have dominated attention in the statistical world of baseball. However, the recent advent of

sabermetrics Sabermetrics, or originally SABRmetrics, is the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. Sabermetricians collect and summarize the relevant data from this in-game activity to answer specific que ...

has created statistics drawing from a greater breadth of player performance measures and playing field variables. Sabermetrics and comparative statistics attempt to provide an improved measure of a player's performance and contributions to his team from year to year, frequently against a statistical performance average. Comprehensive, historical baseball statistics were difficult for the average fan to access until 1951, when researcher Hy Turkin published ''The Complete Encyclopedia of Baseball''. In 1969, Macmillan Publishing printed its first '' Baseball Encyclopedia'', using a

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These prog ...

to compile statistics for the first time. Known as "Big Mac", the encyclopedia became the standard baseball reference until 1988, when ''

Total Baseball ''Total Baseball'' (latest edition , first published 1989) is a baseball encyclopedia first compiled by John Thorn and Pete Palmer in 1989. The latest edition, published in 2004, is its eighth.Lou Proctor, who did not belong in official record books and were removed.

Use

Throughout modern baseball, a few core statistics have been traditionally referenced – batting average, RBI, and

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s. To this day, a player who leads the league in all of these three statistics earns the " Triple Crown". For pitchers, wins, ERA, and strikeouts are the most often-cited statistics, and a pitcher leading his league in these statistics may also be referred to as a "triple crown" winner. General managers and baseball scouts have long used the major statistics, among other factors and opinions, to understand player value. Managers, catchers and pitchers use the statistics of batters of opposing teams to develop pitching strategies and set defensive positioning on the field. Managers and batters study opposing pitcher performance and motions in attempting to improve hitting. Scouts use stats when they are looking at a player who they may end up drafting or signing to a contract. Some

sabermetric Sabermetrics, or originally SABRmetrics, is the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. Sabermetricians collect and summarize the relevant data from this in-game activity to answer specific ques ...

statistics have entered the mainstream baseball world that measure a batter's overall performance including on-base plus slugging, commonly referred to as OPS. OPS adds the hitter's

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

(number of times reached base by any means divided by total plate appearances) to their

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

( total bases divided by at-bats). Some argue that the OPS formula is flawed and that more weight should be shifted towards OBP (on-base percentage). The statistic

wOBA In baseball, wOBA ( /'woʊbə/, or weighted on-base average) is a statistic, based on linear weights, designed to measure a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. It is formed from taking the observed run values of various ...

(weighted on-base average) attempts to correct for this. OPS is also useful when determining a pitcher's level of success. "Opponent on-base plus slugging" (OOPS) is becoming a popular tool to evaluate a pitcher's actual performance. When analyzing a pitcher's statistics, some useful categories include

K/9IP In baseball statistics, strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, SO/9, or SO/9IP) is the mean of strikeouts (or Ks) by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by multiplying the number of strikeouts by nine, and dividing by the numb ...

(strikeouts per nine innings), K/BB (strikeouts per walk), HR/9 (home runs per nine innings),

WHIP A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

(walks plus hits per inning pitched), and OOPS (opponent on-base plus slugging). However, since 2001, more emphasis has been placed on defense-independent pitching statistics, including defense-independent ERA (dERA), in an attempt to evaluate a pitcher's performance regardless of the strength of the defensive players behind them. All of the above statistics may be used in certain game situations. For example, a certain hitter's ability to hit left-handed pitchers might incline a manager to increase their opportunities to face left-handed pitchers. Other hitters may have a history of success against a given pitcher (or vice versa), and the manager may use this information to create a favorable match-up. This is often referred to as "playing the percentages".

Commonly used statistics

Most of these terms also apply to

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

. Commonly used statistics with their

abbreviation An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...

s are explained here. The explanations below are for quick reference and do not fully or completely define the statistic; for the strict definition, see the linked article for each statistic.

Batting statistics

* 1B – Single: hits on which the batter reaches first base safely without the contribution of a fielding error * 2B –

Double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

: hits on which the batter reaches second base safely without the contribution of a fielding error * 3B – Triple: hits on which the batter reaches third base safely without the contribution of a fielding error * AB –

At bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

: plate appearances, not including bases on balls, being hit by pitch, sacrifices, interference, or obstruction * AB/HR – At bats per home run: at bats divided by home runs * BA – Batting average (also abbreviated ''AVG''): hits divided by at bats (H/AB) * BB –

Base on balls A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Sec ...

(also called a "walk"): hitter not swinging at four pitches called out of the strike zone and awarded first base. * BABIP –

Batting average on balls in play In baseball statistics, batting average on balls in play (abbreviated BABIP) is a measurement of how often batted balls result in hits, excluding home runs. It can be expressed as, "when you hit the ball and it’s not a home run, what’s your b ...

: frequency at which a batter reaches a base after putting the ball in the field of play. Also a pitching category. * BB/K – Walk-to-strikeout ratio: number of bases on balls divided by number of strikeouts * BsR – Base runs: Another run estimator, like ''runs created'' * EQA –

Equivalent average Equivalent Average (EqA) is a baseball metric invented by Clay Davenport and intended to express the production of hitters in a context independent of park and league effects. It represents a hitter's productivity using the same scale as batting ...

: a player's batting average absent park and league factors * FC –

Fielder's choice In baseball, fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) refers to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance. Fielder's choi ...

: times reaching base safely because a fielder chose to try for an out on another runner * GO/AO – Ground ball fly ball ratio: number of ground ball outs divided by number of fly ball outs * GDP or GIDP – Ground into double play: number of ground balls hit that became double plays * GPA –

Gross production average Gross production average (GPA) is a baseball statistic created in 2003 by Aaron Gleeman, as a refinement of on-base plus slugging (OPS). GPA attempts to solve two frequently cited problems with OPS. First, OPS gives equal weight to its two compone ...

: 1.8 times on-base percentage plus slugging percentage, divided by four * GS – Grand slam: a

with the bases loaded, resulting in four runs scoring, and four RBIs credited to the batter * H –

Hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

: reaching base because of a batted, fair ball without error by the defense * HBP –

Hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...

: times touched by a pitch and awarded first base as a result * HR –

Home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s: hits on which the batter successfully touched all four bases, without the contribution of a fielding error * HR/H – Home runs per hit: home runs divided by total hits * ITPHR – Inside-the-park home run: hits on which the batter successfully touched all four bases, without the contribution of a fielding error or the ball going outside the ball park. * IBB – Intentional base on balls: times awarded first base on balls (see ''BB'' above) deliberately thrown by the pitcher. Also known as ''IW'' (intentional walk). * ISO – Isolated power: a hitter's ability to hit for extra bases, calculated by subtracting batting average from slugging percentage * K –

Strike out In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

(also abbreviated ''SO''): number of times that a third strike is taken or swung at and missed, or bunted foul. Catcher must catch the third strike or batter may attempt to run to first base. * LOB –

Left on base L lace :To reach base by hitting a ball between infielders. "McCann laced it through the shift on the right side of the infield." Lady Godiva :A pitch delivered with nothing on it. A nod to the legend of Lady Godiva riding naked on horseback. ...

: number of runners neither out nor scored at the end of an inning * OBP –

On-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

: times reached base (H + BB + HBP) divided by at bats plus walks plus hit by pitch plus sacrifice flies (AB + BB + HBP + SF) * OPS – On-base plus slugging: on-base percentage plus slugging average * PA –

Plate appearance In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runn ...

: number of completed batting appearances * PA/SO –

Plate appearances per strikeout {{Short description, Ratio of the number of times a batter strikes out to their plate appearance In baseball statistics, plate appearances per strikeout (PA/SO) represents a ratio of the number of times a batter strikes out to their plate appearan ...

: number of times a batter strikes out to their plate appearance * R –

Runs scored In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted bal ...

: number of times a player crosses home plate * RC –

Runs created Runs created (RC) is a baseball statistic invented by Bill James to estimate the number of runs a hitter contributes to their team. Purpose James explains in his book, ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'', why he believes runs created is ...

: an attempt to measure how many runs a player has contributed to their team * RP –

Runs produced Runs produced is a baseball statistic that can help estimate the number of runs a hitter contributes to his team. The formula adds together the player's runs and run batted in, and then subtracts the player's home runs.Thorn, J. and Palmer, P., ''T ...

: an attempt to measure how many runs a player has contributed * RBI –

Run batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

: number of runners who score due to a batter's action, except when the batter grounded into a double play or reached on an error * RISP – Runner in scoring position: a breakdown of a batter's batting average with runners in scoring position, which includes runners at second or third base * SF –

Sacrifice fly In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d): "Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...

: fly balls hit to the outfield which, although caught for an out, allow a baserunner to advance * SH – Sacrifice hit: number of sacrifice bunts which allow runners to advance on the basepaths * SLG –

Slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

: total bases achieved on hits divided by at-bats (TB/AB) * TA –

Total average Total average is a baseball statistic devised by sportswriter Thomas Boswell and introduced in the 1978. It was also described in his 1982 article "Welcome to the world of Total Average where a walk is as good as a hit". It is designed to measure a ...

: total bases, plus walks, plus hit by pitch, plus steals, minus caught stealing divided by at bats, minus hits, plus caught stealing, plus grounded into double plays TB + BB + HBP + SB – CS)/(AB – H + CS + GIDP)* TB – Total bases: one for each single, two for each double, three for each triple, and four for each home run + 2B + (2 × 3B) + (3 × HR)or B + (2 × 2B) + (3 × 3B) + (4 × HR)* TOB –

Times on base In baseball statistics, the term times on base (TOB), is the cumulative total number of times a batter has reached base as a result of a hit, base on balls, or hit by pitch. This statistic does not include times reaching base by way of an error ...

: times reaching base as a result of hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches (H + BB + HBP) * XBH – Extra base hits: total hits greater than singles (2B + 3B + HR)

Baserunning statistics

* SB –

Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe o ...

: number of bases advanced by the runner while the ball is in the possession of the defense ** CS –

Caught stealing In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder whil ...

: times tagged out while attempting to steal a base ** SBA or ATT – Stolen base attempts: total number of times the player has attempted to steal a base (SB+CS) ** SB% – Stolen base percentage: the percentage of bases stolen successfully. (SB) divided by (SBA) (stolen bases attempted). ** DI –

Defensive Indifference In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe o ...

: if the catcher does not attempt to throw out a runner (usually because the base would be insignificant), the runner is not awarded a steal. Scored as a fielder's choice. * R –

Run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

s scored: times reached home plate legally and safely * UBR – Ultimate base running: a metric that assigns linear weights to every individual baserunning event in order to measure the impact of a player's baserunning skill

Pitching statistics

* BB –

(also called a "walk"): times pitching four balls, allowing the batter to take first base * BB/9 –

Bases on balls per 9 innings pitched In baseball statistics, bases on balls per nine innings pitched (BB/9IP or BB/9) or walks per nine innings (denoted by W/9) is the average number of bases on balls, (or walks) given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by m ...

: base on balls multiplied by nine, divided by

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...

* BF –

Total batters faced In baseball statistics, Batters Faced (BF), also known as Total Batters Faced (TBF) or Batters Facing Pitcher (BFP) is the number of batters who made a plate appearance before the pitcher in a game or in a season. For a given game, the number of ...

: opponent team's total plate appearances * BK – Balk: number of times pitcher commits an illegal pitching action while in contact with the pitching rubber as judged by umpire, resulting in baserunners advancing one base * BS –

Blown save In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. Most commonly a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team ...

: number of times entering the game in a save situation, and being charged the run (earned or not) which eliminates his team's lead * CERA – Component ERA: an estimate of a pitcher's ERA based upon the individual components of his statistical line (K, H, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, HBP) * CG –

Complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

: number of games where player was the only pitcher for their team * DICE –

Defense-Independent Component ERA Defense-Independent Component ERA (DICE) is a 21st-century variation on Component ERA, one of an increasing number of baseball sabermetrics that fall under the umbrella of defense independent pitching statistics. DICE was created by Clay Dresloug ...

: an estimate of a pitcher's ERA based upon the defense-independent components of his statistical line (K, HR, BB, HBP) but which also uses number of outs (IP), which is not defense independent. * ER –

Earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...

: number of runs that did not occur as a result of errors or passed balls * ERA –

Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...

: total number of earned runs (see "ER" above), multiplied by 9, divided by innings pitched * ERA+ – Adjusted ERA+: earned run average adjusted for the

ballpark A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

and the league average * FIP – Fielding independent pitching: a metric, scaled to resemble an ERA, that focuses on events within the pitcher's control – home runs, walks, and strikeouts – but also uses in its denominator the number of outs the team gets (see IP), which is not entirely within the pitcher's control. ** xFIP: This variant substitutes a pitcher's own home run percentage with the league average * G –

Games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...

(AKA "appearances"): number of times a pitcher pitches in a season * GF –

Games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished (denoted by GF) if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game. Mariano Rivera is th ...

: number of games pitched where player was the final pitcher for their team as a relief pitcher * GIDP –

Double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Lea ...

s induced: number of double play groundouts induced * GIDPO - Double play opportunities: number of groundout induced double play opportunities * GIR -

Games in relief In baseball statistics, games in relief (denoted by GIR) is the number of games in which a pitcher appears but is not the starting pitcher. See also * Relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who ent ...

: games as a non

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

* GO/AO or G/F – Ground Out to Air Out ratio, aka Ground ball fly ball ratio: ground balls allowed divided by fly balls allowed * GS – Starts: number of games pitched where player was the first pitcher for their team * H (or HA) –

Hits allowed In Baseball statistics, hits allowed (HA) signifies the total number of hits allowed by a pitcher. See also *Baseball statistics Baseball statistics play an important role in evaluating the progress of a player or team. Since the flow of a bas ...

: total hits allowed * H/9 (or HA/9) –

Hits allowed per 9 innings pitched In baseball statistics, hits per nine innings (denoted by H/9) is the average number of Hit (baseball statistics), hits allowed by a pitcher in a nine inning period; calculated as: (hits allowed x 9) / innings pitched. This is a measure of a pitch ...

: hits allowed times nine divided by innings pitched (also known as H/9IP) * HB – Hit batsman: times hit a batter with pitch, allowing runner to advance to first base * HLD (or H) –

Hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (ship), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called a Ferma ...

: number of games entered in a save situation, recorded at least one out, did not surrender the lead, and did not complete the game * HR (or HRA) –

Home runs allowed In baseball statistics, home runs allowed (HRA) signifies the total number of home runs a pitcher allowed. The Major League Baseball record for the most home runs allowed by any pitcher belongs to Jamie Moyer (522 in his career). He gave up home ru ...

: total home runs allowed * HR/9 (or HRA/9) –

Home runs per nine innings In baseball statistics, home runs allowed per 9 innings pitched (HR/9IP or HR/9) or home runs allowed per nine innings (denoted by HR/9) is the average number of home runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by multip ...

: home runs allowed times nine divided by innings pitched (also known as HR/9IP) * IBB – Intentional base on balls allowed * IP –

Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...

: the number of outs a team gets while a pitcher is pitching divided by 3 * IP/GS – Average number of innings pitched per game started * IR – Inherited runners: number of runners on base when the pitcher enters the game * IRA –

Inherited runs allowed This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. ...

: number of inherited runners allowed to score * K (or SO) –

Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is den ...

: number of batters who received strike three * K/9 (or SO/9) –

Strikeouts per 9 innings pitched In baseball statistics, strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, SO/9, or SO/9IP) is the mean of strikeouts (or Ks) by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by multiplying the number of strikeouts by nine, and dividing by the nu ...

: strikeouts times nine divided by innings pitched * K/BB (or SO/BB) –

Strikeout-to-walk ratio In baseball statistics, strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) is a measure of a pitcher's ability to control pitches, calculated as strikeouts divided by bases on balls. A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, and therefore not counted ...

: number of strikeouts divided by number of base on balls * L – Loss: number of games where pitcher was pitching while the opposing team took the lead, never lost the lead, and went on to win * LOB% – Left-on-base percentage: LOB% represents the percentage of baserunners a pitcher does not allow to score. LOB% tends to regress toward 70–72% over time, so unusually high or low percentages could indicate that pitcher's ERA could be expected to rise or lower in the future. An occasional exception to this logic is a pitcher with a very high strikeout rate. * OBA (or just AVG) –

Opponents batting average In baseball statistics, batting average against (denoted by BAA or AVG), also known as opponents' batting average (denoted by OBA), is a statistic that measures a pitcher's ability to prevent hits during official at bats. It can alternatively be ...

: hits allowed divided by at-bats faced * PC-ST – An individual pitcher's total game pitches itch Countand This no. of strikes thrown within that PC. * PIT (or NP) – Pitches thrown ( Pitch count) * PFR –

Power finesse ratio Power finesse ratio or PFR in baseball is a statistical measure of the performance of a pitcher used in Sabermetrics. It is the sum of strikeouts and walks divided by innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings ...

: The sum of strikeouts and walks divided by innings pitched. * pNERD – Pitcher's

NERD A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly tec ...

: expected aesthetic pleasure of watching an individual pitcher * QOP – Quality of pitch: comprehensive pitch evaluation statistic which combines speed, location and movement (rise, total break, vertical break and horizontal break) into a single numeric value * QS –

Quality start In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start has effectively replaced the 'complete game' as ...

: a game in which a starting pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs * RA – Run average: number of runs allowed times nine divided by innings pitched * SHO –

Shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

: number of complete games pitched with no runs allowed *SIERA – Skill-Interactive Earned Run Average: another advanced stat that measures pitching. SIERA builds on FIP and xFIP by taking a deeper look at what makes pitchers better. * SV – Save: number of games where the pitcher enters a game led by the pitcher's team, finishes the game without surrendering the lead, is not the winning pitcher, and either (a) the lead was three runs or fewer when the pitcher entered the game; (b) the potential tying run was on base, at bat, or on deck; or (c) the pitcher pitched three or more innings * SVO –

Save opportunity In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. Most commonly a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his tea ...

: When a pitcher 1) enters the game with a lead of three or fewer runs and pitches at least one inning, 2) enters the game with the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck, or 3) pitches three or more innings with a lead and is credited with a save by the official scorer * W – Win: number of games where pitcher was pitching while their team took the lead and went on to win, also the starter needs to pitch at least 5 innings of work (also related:

winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

) * W + S – Wins in relief + saves. * whiff rate: a term, usually used in reference to pitchers, that divides the number of pitches swung at and missed by the total number of swings in a given sample. If a pitcher throws 100 pitches at which batters swing, and the batters fail to make contact on 26 of them, the pitcher's whiff rate is 26%. * WHIP – Walks and hits per inning pitched: average number of walks and hits allowed by the pitcher per inning * WP –

Wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third str ...

es: charged when a pitch is too high, low, or wide of home plate for the catcher to field, thereby allowing one or more runners to advance or score

Fielding statistics

* A – Assists: number of outs recorded on a play where a fielder touched the ball, except if such touching is the putout * CI – Catcher's Interference (e.g., catcher makes contact with bat) * DP –

Double plays In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...

: one for each double play during which the fielder recorded a putout or an assist. * E –

Errors An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

: number of times a fielder fails to make a play he should have made with common effort, and the offense benefits as a result * FP –

Fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, di ...

: total plays (chances minus errors) divided by the number of total chances * INN –

Inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...

s: number of innings that a player is at one certain position * PB –

Passed ball In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a ru ...

: charged to the catcher when the ball is dropped and one or more runners advance * PO –

Putout In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by ''PO'' or '' fly out'' when appropriate) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods: * Tagging a runner wi ...

: number of times the fielder tags, forces, or appeals a runner and he is called out as a result * RF – Range factor: 9*(putouts + assists)/innings played. Used to determine the amount of field that the player can cover * TC –

Total chances In baseball statistics, total chances (TC), also called ''chances offered'', represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is the sum of putouts plus assists plus errors. ''Chances accepted'' refers to the total ...

: assists plus putouts plus errors * TP – Triple play: one for each triple play during which the fielder recorded a putout or an assist * UZR –

Ultimate zone rating Ultimate zone rating (UZR) is a sabermetric statistic used to measure fielding. It compares the event that actually happened (hit/out/error) to data on similarly hit balls in the past to determine how much better or worse the fielder did than the "a ...

: the ability of a player to defend an assigned "zone" of the field compared to an average defensive player at his position

Overall player value

* VORP –

Value over replacement player In baseball, value over replacement player (or VORP) is a statistic popularized by Keith Woolner that demonstrates how much a hitter or pitcher contributes to their team in comparison to a replacement-level player who is an average fielder at that ...

: a statistic that calculates a player's overall value in comparison to a "replacement-level" player. There are separate formulas for players and pitchers * Win shares: a complex metric that gauges a player's overall contribution to his team's wins * WAR –

Wins above replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...

: a non-standard formula to calculate the number of wins a player contributes to his team over a "replacement-level player" * PWA - Player Win Average: performance of players is shown by how much they increase or decrease their team's chances of winning a specific game * PGP - Player Game Percentage: defined as, "the sum of changes in the probability of winning the game for each play in which the player has participated"

General statistics

* G –

Games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Basebal ...

: number of games where the player played, in whole or in part * GS –

Games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opposing batter. If a player is l ...

: number of games a player starts * GB –

Games behind In most North American sports, the phrase games behind or games back (often abbreviated GB) is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division. Example In the below standings fr ...

: number of games a team is behind the division leader *

Pythagorean expectation Pythagorean expectation is a sports analytics formula devised by Bill James to estimate the percentage of games a baseball team "should" have won based on the number of runs they scored and allowed. Comparing a team's actual and Pythagorean winni ...

: estimates a team's expected winning percentage based on runs scored and runs allowed

MLB statistical standards

It is difficult to determine quantitatively what is considered to be a "good" value in a certain statistical category, and qualitative assessments may lead to arguments. Using full-season statistics available at the Official Site of Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball Historical Statistics
/ref> for the 2004 through 2015 seasons, the following tables show top ranges in various statistics, in alphabetical order. For each statistic, two values are given: *Top5: the top five players bettered this value in all of the reported seasons *Best: this is the best of all of the players for all of the reported seasons

References

Bibliography

* Albert, Jim, and Jay M. Bennett. ''Curve Ball: Baseball, Statistics, and the Role of Chance in the Game''. New York: Copernicus Books, 2001. . A book on new statistics for baseball. MLB Record Book by: MLB.com * Alan Schwarz, ''The Numbers Game: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination with Statistics'' (New York: St. Martin's, 2005). .
The Official Site of Major League baseball – Baseball Basics: Abbreviations

External links

Baseball 1 Stats

''Baseball Almanac''

Baseball-Reference.com

Retrosheet
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