Baseball statistics

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Statistics are very important to baseball, perhaps more than any other sport. The practice keeping of records of the achievements of the players was started in the 19th century by Henry Chadwick, who devised the predecessors of statistics like batting average, runs scored, and runs allowed based on his experience of cricket. Statistics have been kept for the Major Leagues since their creation.

General managers and baseball scouts study player statistics to decide what players to try to get for their team. Managers, catchers and pitchers study statistics of batters on opposing teams to figure out how best to pitch to them and position the players. Managers and batters study opposing pitchers to figure out how best to hit them. Managers often base their personnel decisions during the game on statistics, such as choosing who to put in the lineup, or which relief pitcher to bring in.

Traditionally, statistics like batting average for batters (the number of hits divided by the number of at bats) and earned run average (approximately the number of runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings) have governed the statistical world of baseball. However, the advent of sabermetrics brought an onslaught of new statistics that better gauge a player's performance and contributions to his team from year to year.

Some sabermetric statistics have entered the mainstream baseball world. Among statistics that do an excellent job of measuring a batter's performance, On-base plus slugging (OPS) is the easiest to calculate. It adds the hitter's on base percentage (number of times reached base -by any means- divided by total plate appearances) to his or her slugging percentage (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). Regardless, OPS still stands as the most direct means of evaluating a hitter's performance using readily available statistics.

OPS is also useful when determining a pitcher's level of success. 'Opponent On-base Plus Slugging' (OOPS) is becoming a popular way to evaluating a pitcher's actual performance. When analyzing a pitcher's statistics, some useful categories to consider are: K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings), K/BB (strikeouts per walk), and HR/9. WHIP (walks+hits per inning pitched) and OOPS (opponent on-base plus slugging) are popular statistics; however, if DIPS theory is correct, a pitcher has little control over these statistics. When viewing all these categories together, you gain a much clearer picture of the pitcher's success level (as opposed to simply considering W-L and ERA). Though not widely used, statistics like FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) can be used as a predictor of a pitcher's "true" success, with the impact of his fielders removed.

Since 2001, more emphasis has been placed on Defense-Independent Pitching Statistics. These statistics, such as Defense-Independent ERA (dERA), attempt to evaluate a pitcher solely according to those events governed solely by the pitcher's performance, regardless of the strength of the defensive players behind him.

Also important are all of those statistics in certain in-game situations. For example, a certain hitter's ability to hit left-handed pitchers might cause his manager to give him more chances to face lefties. Other hitters may have a history of success against a given pitcher (or vice versa), and the manager may use this information to engineer a favourable matchup.

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 to compile stats for the first time. "Big Mac" became the standard baseball reference until 1988, when Total Baseball was released by Warner Books, using even more sophisticated technology. (This led to discovery, and expulsion, of several players who didn't belong in the record books -- "phantom ballplayers", like Lou Proctor.)

Contents

1 Commonly used statistics

1.1 Batting statistics
1.2 Baserunning statistics
1.3 Pitching statistics
1.4 Fielding statistics
1.5 General statistics

2 See also
3 References / Resources
4 Other terminology

Commonly used statistics

Most of these terms also apply to softball. Commonly used statistics with their abbreviations 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 corresponding article for each statistic.

Batting statistics

1B - Single - hits on which the batter reached first base safely without the contribution of a fielding error.
2B - Double - hits on which the batter reached second base safely without the contribution of a fielding error.
3B - Triple - hits on which the batter reached third base safely without the contribution of a fielding error.
AB - At bat - Batting appearances, not including bases on balls, hit by pitch, sacrifices, interference, or obstruction
BA - Batting average (also abbreviated AVG) - hits divided by at bats
BB - Base on balls (also called a "walk") - times receiving four balls and advancing to first base
BBP - Walk percentage - number of base on balls divided by plate appearances
BB/K - Walk-to-strikeout ratio - number of base on balls divided by number of strikeouts
EBH - Extra base hit (Sometimes EB or XBH) - doubles plus triples plus home runs
FC - Fielder's choice - times reaching base when a fielder chose to try for an out on another runner
G/F - Ground ball fly ball ratio - number of ground balls divided by number of fly balls
GIDP - Ground into Double play - number of ground balls hit that became double plays
GS - Grand Slam - a home run with the bases loaded, resulting in four runs scoring, and four RBI credited to the batter.
H - Hit - times reached base because of a batted, fair ball without error by the defense
HBP - Hit by pitch - times touched by a pitch and awarded first base as a result
HR - Home run - hits on which the batter successfully touched all four bases, without the contribution of a fielding error.
K or SO - Strike out - number of times that strike three is taken or swung at and missed, or bunted foul
LOB - Left on base - number of runners not out nor scored at the end of an innning.
OBP - On base percentage - 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 percentage
PA - Plate appearance - number of completed batting appearances no matter the result
R - Run - times reached home base legally and safely
RC - Runs created - statistic that attempts to measure how many runs a player has contributed to his team
RBI - Run batted in - number of runners who scored due to a batters's action, except when batter grounded into double play or reached on an error
SF - Sacrifice fly - number of fly ball outs which allow another runner to score
SH - Sacrifice hit - number of ground outs which allows another runner to advance
SLG - Slugging percentage - total bases divided by at-bats
TA - Total average - total bases, plus walks, plus steals, divided by plate appearances plus caught stealing
TB - Total bases - one for each single, two for each double, three for each triple, and four for each home run
TOB - Times on base - times reaching base as a result of hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches

Baserunning statistics

CS - Caught stealing - times tagged out when attempting to steal.
SB - Stolen base - number of bases advanced other than on batted balls, walks, or hits by pitch.

Pitching statistics

AVG - Opponents batting average - hits allowed divided by at-bats faced
BB - Base on balls (also called a "walk") - times pitching four balls, allowing runner to advance to first base
BB/9 - Base on balls times nine divided by innings pitched (also known as BB/9IP - Bases on balls per 9 innings pitched)

BS - Blown save - number of times entering the game in a save situation, and being charged the run which ties the game.
CG - Complete game - number of games where player was the only pitcher for his team
dERA - Defense-Independent ERA - a measure of a pitcher's effectiveness that doesn't include balls hit within the field of play
ER - Earned run - number of runs that did not occur as a result of errors or passed balls
ERA - Earned run average - earned runs times innings in a game (usually nine) divided by innings pitched
GIR - Games in relief - number of games pitched where player was not the starting pitcher for his team
GF - Games finished - number of games pitched where player was the final pitcher for his team
GP - Games pitched - number of games in which the player pitched
G/F - Ground ball fly ball ratio - ground balls allowed divided by fly balls allowed
GS - Games started - number of games pitched where player was the first pitcher for his team
H/9 - Hits per nine innings - hits allowed times nine divided by innings pitched (also known as H/9IP - Hits allowed per 9 innings pitched)

HA - Hits Allowed - total hits allowed
HB - Hit batsman - times hit a batter with pitch, allowing runner to advance to first base
HLD (or H) - Hold - number of games entered in a save situation, left in save situation, recorded at least one out, and not having surrendered the lead
HRA - Home runs allowed - total home runs allowed
IBB - Intentional base on balls
IRA - Inherited runs allowed - number of runners allowed to score who were on base when pitcher enters the game
IP - Innings pitched - number of outs recorded while pitching divided by three
K - Strikeout (also abbreviated K) - number of batters who received strike three
K/9 - Strikeouts per nine innings - strikeouts times nine divided by innings pitched (also known as K/9IP - Strikeouts per 9 innings pitched)
K/BB - Strikeout-to-walk ratio - 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 and went on to win
P or PC - Pitch Count.
P/GS - Average number of pitches thrown per game started
R/9 - Runs per nine innings - number of runs allowed times nine divided by innings pitched
SHO - Shutout - number of complete games having allowed zero runs
SV - Save - number of games when winning team has 3 run lead or less finished where the pitcher's team won
SVO - Save Opportunities - number of chances to earn SV
TBF - Total batters faced - opponent's total plate appearances
W - Win - number of games where pitcher was pitching while his team took the lead and went on to win (also related: winning percentage)
W+S - Relief wins plus saves - wins plus saves
WHIP - Walks plus hits per inning pitched - bases on balls plus hits divided by innings pitched
W/9 - Walks per nine innings - bases on balls times nine divided by innings pitched (also known as BB/9IP - Bases on balls per 9 innings pitched)
WP - Wild pitches - 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

See also

List of pitches

Fielding statistics

A - Assists - number of outs recorded on a play where a fielder touched the ball, except if such touching is the putout

DP - Double plays - one for each double play during which the fielder recorded a putout or an assist.
E - Errors - 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 - total plays (chances minus errors) divided by the number of total chances
INN - Innings - number of innings that a player is at one certain position
PB - Passed ball - error charged to the catcher that occurs when the ball is dropped and one or more runners advance
PO - Putout - number of times the fielder tags, forces, or appeals a runner and he is called out as a result
RF - Range factor - ([putouts + assists]*9)/innings played. Used to determine the amount of field that the player can cover
SB - Stolen bases - number of times a runner advanced on the pitch without being thrown out by the catcher
TC - Total chances - assists plus putouts plus errors
TP - Triple play - one for each triple play during which the fielder recorded a putout or an assist

General statistics

G - Games played - number of games where the player played, in whole or in part
WW - "Wasn't Watching" - used by non-official scorekeepers when their attention is distracted from the game - said to have been invented by Phil Rizzuto

References / Resources

[Curveball] - A book on new statistics for Baseball

Other terminology

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