I wouldn’t say that I’m a big baseball fan anymore, but I’ve wanted to understand the sport better for awhile now.
Using the power of the internet, I compiled this short cheatsheet (with formulas!) to understand the player boxscore better.
AB – At Bats
At Bats count the number of times a player bats, excluding walks, sacrifices, and hit by pitch.
R – Runs
A run is scored when a player safely reaches home plate.
H – Hits
Hits count the number of times a player reaches at least first base on a successful hit.
RBI – Runs Batted In
Runs Batted In count how many runs a player causes to score with their hits or plays.
BB – Base on Balls
Base on Balls (AKA Walks) count the number of times a player reaches first base after four balls are pitched.
SO or K – Strikeouts
Strikeouts count the number of times a player accumulates three strikes during an at bat.
AVG or BA – Batting Average
Batting Average is the ratio of a player’s hits to their at bats.
OBP – On-base Percentage
On-base Percentage measures how often a player reaches base via hits, walks, or being hit by a pitch.
SLG – Slugging
Slugging Percentage measures the total bases a player earns per at bat.
OPS – On-base Plus Slugging
On-base Plus Slugging combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage to assess overall hitting performance.
OPS+
OPS+ adjusts OPS for league and park differences, with 100 being average.
CM 