Or: Learn to Stop Guessing and Embrace the Data
Baseball is a game of stories. Beginning each spring, fans watch as these stories unfold across 162 regular-season games. If each game is a chapter in the longer novel, statistics are character development nestled within each chapter. Do you want to know who has the most career post-season base hits or what switch-hitting center fielder has the most home runs through their age 25 season? If you know where to look, you can find those stats with minimal effort (Derek Jeter and Mickey Mantle, respectively). While it is true that statistics don’t tell the whole story of a player, it’s also true that a player’s story can’t be adequately understood without statistics. So, if you’ve ever wondered why the manager of your favorite team makes certain decisions or how batting order is determined, here is an introduction to the wonderful world of baseball statistics.
Standard Batting
Standard Batting
If you’ve ever spent time in the comments section of a baseball video on YouTube, chances are you’ve seen arguments about batting stats. Words like “slash line,” “OPS,” or “RISP” may have been thrown around. Those new to the game, and maybe some old-school fans, may see these terms and feel overwhelmed. However, what might appear as a barrier to entry is simply a means of understanding the game more completely.
Batting Average (AVG/BA)
Perhaps the simplest stat, batting average is the measurement of a batter’s ability to record a hit per official at-bat. For example, if a player has four official at-bats and records two hits, that player has a batting average of .500. “But what is an official at-bat?” I hear you ask.
At-Bat (AB)
You may hear the terms “at-bat” and “plate appearance” spoken interchangeably as if they were synonyms, but I assure you they are not. An official at-bat is recorded when a batter reaches base via a fielder’s choice, hit, an error (not including catcher’s interference), or when a batter is put out on a non-sacrifice.
Plate Appearance (PA)
A plate appearance, on the other hand, is simply a batter’s turn at the plate regardless of the outcome. For example, if a batter records a walk, he has one plate appearance but not an official at-bat.
Fielder’s Choice (FC)
The definition is in the name; when the fielder decides to put out a player other than the batter, the batter has reached base safely because of that fielder’s choice. The most common occurrence of a fielder’s choice is a failed double play. In other words, the runner on first is thrown out at second, but the batter reaches base safely.
Sacrifice (SH/SF)
A sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice hit, or sometimes a sacrifice fly occurs when a player successfully advances one or more base runners. Because the decision to sacrifice isn’t often made by the player, the recorded out isn’t counted against the player’s batting average or on-base percentage. If the sacrifice results in the batter reaching base safely, and no error has occurred, the result is recorded as a hit.
Error (E)
A fielder is given an error if, in the judgment of the official scorekeeper, they fail to record an out on a play that the average fielder should have made. Fielders can also be given errors if they make a poor play that allows one or more runners to advance on the bases. A batter does not necessarily need to reach base for a fielder to be given an error. For example, if they drop a foul ball that extends an at-bat, that fielder can also be assessed an error.
On-Base Percentage (OBP)
As the name implies, OBP measures how frequently a batter reaches base per plate appearance. Times on base include hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches, but do not include errors, times reached on a fielder’s choice, or a dropped third strike. Since a batter’s goal is to, broadly speaking, reach base safely, OBP is very good at measuring how well players achieve that goal. OBP is also less frequently used as a pitching metric. In that instance, the statistic is labeled as OBP-against. In other words, it is a measurement of how often batters reach base against a specific pitcher.
Slugging (SLG)
If OBP is a measurement of how often a player reaches base safely, slugging measures the total number of bases a player records per at-bat. Unlike OBP and AVG, slugging only deals with hits, and not all hits are valued equally. A double is worth twice as much as a single, a triple is three times as much, and a home run is four times as much. Where average and on-base percentage measure how well a player gets hits and gets on base, slugging measures a batter’s power. That is why you’ll sometimes see a player with a low batting average but a high slugging percentage; they don’t often get a hit, but when they do, it is hit very hard. But how do you measure how well a player gets on base as well as how hard they hit the ball? I’m glad you asked!
On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS)
One stat to rule them all and in the… I mean, this stat combines OBP and SLG to present an overall picture of a batter’s ability to get on base, hit for average, and hit for power. The higher the OPS, the better the player. Lord of the Rings references aside, OPS is a very good tool for measuring a batter’s overall value at the plate.
Runs Batted In (RBI)
RBIs seem straightforward, and in most cases that is true. There are notable exceptions, however, that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, a batter is credited with a run batted in if they are walked or hit by a pitch while the bases are loaded. A player can also be credited with an RBI if they record an out, provided the out isn’t the third out or a double play. To add further exceptions, a batter doesn’t receive an RBI if a runner scores because of a passed ball, wild pitch, error, or balk; more on these stats later.
Caught Stealing (CS)
A player is caught stealing when they are tagged out before reaching the next base. There are occasions, however, when a player is out while attempting to steal, but isn’t scored as CS. A good example is if a player attempts to advance on a passed ball or wild pitch and is thrown out, the out is not recorded as caught stealing. Similarly, a runner who is picked off while diving back to a base has not been “caught stealing” because they never attempted to steal in the first place. If a batter steals a base safely but is tagged when he comes off the base before fully gaining his balance, it still counts as a caught stealing, because he was never established on the base.
Extra-Base Hit (XBH)
Any base hit that isn’t a single is considered an extra-base hit. While this stat can be used to measure a player’s power, it can also be used to measure a player’s speed. A hard-hit ball into the outfield gap will often result in an extra-base hit, but a fast player can turn a hard-hit single into a double, a double into a triple, or on rare occasions, a triple into an inside-the-park home run. An XBH is not awarded, however, if a batter reaches an extra base because of an intervening error or an attempt to put out another baserunner.
Games Played (G)
Credit for a game played is given to the player if, at any point, they enter the game as a starter or replacement. Even if the player only enters the game as a defensive substitute, pinch runner, or pinch hitter, they will still receive credit for a game played. On rare occasions, if a player is traded or their team is competing in a tiebreaker at the end of the season, a player may compete in more than 162 games.
Ground Into Double Play (GIDP)
Finally, a statistic that has no caveats, qualifiers, or extenuating circumstances! A batter has ground into a double play when a ground ball results in multiple base runners being put out. While the most common double play is 2nd base to 1st base, other instances occur albeit less frequently.
Hit-By-Pitch (HBP)
A player is considered to have been HBP if the ball strikes them, and they do not complete a swing that would result in a strike. This includes any part of the batter’s uniform, including the batter’s protective equipment, e.g. shin guard, elbow guard, or helmet. An HBP is nullified if the umpire rules the pitch is in the strike zone, the batter swings, or the batter doesn’t try to avoid being hit by the pitch.
Walk/Intentional Walk (BB/IBB)
A walk, or base-on-balls, occurs when a pitcher throws four pitches out of the strike zone that the batter has not swung at, or the umpire has not otherwise called a strike. While surrendering a walk isn’t always the desired outcome, there are times when walking a batter is a sound strategy. Sometimes a pitcher will intentionally walk a strong batter because the next batter presents a more favorable matchup. Famously, on May 28th, 1998, Barry Bonds was intentionally walked by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the bottom of the 9th with two outs, and the bases loaded. The Diamondbacks had a two-run lead when manager Buck Showalter decided to walk in a run rather than risk Bonds hitting a game-winning grand slam. Showalter’s gamble paid off, as the Diamondbacks went on to win that game 8-7. Barry Bonds still has the record for the most intentional walks in a season (104), and the most intentional walks of all time (668). Certainly, because he started eating a balanced breakfast and for absolutely no other reason….
Walk-Off (WO)
Who doesn’t love the theatrics and flair of your favorite team scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 9th? Kids in backyards, alleys, empty streets, and leagues around the world play out this exact scenario countless times. The statistic that denotes this phenomenon is called a walk-off. Meaning that the winning run is scored in the bottom of the ninth or the bottom of an extra inning, at which point the game ends immediately, and the home team wins. The term walk-off was originally coined by pitcher Dennis Eckersley to describe game-ending home runs that were so deep, that you didn’t have to look at them as a pitcher. You just “walked off.” Since then, the term has evolved to connote a situation where the game ends, with the losing team left to “walk off” the field in defeat.
The Old Ballgame
This list isn’t exhaustive but should provide some insight into standard batting statistics. Watch this space for the next list of standard fielding statistics as well as advanced statistics. Now, go and do what any good baseball statistician does during the game: annoy your friends!
