Mendoza Line explained The Mendoza Line in baseball refers to a .200 batting average, considered by almost all standards to be well below average for a major league hitter. The name “Mendoza Line” was named after Mario Mendoza, who played shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers between 1974-1982. The … Read more
The hold explained A hold in baseball is a statistic awarded to relief pitchers who enter a game when their team is winning by 3 runs or less and maintain that lead while recording at least one out. Those two factors must be in place for an official hold to be awarded: the relief pitcher … Read more
Quality start explained A quality start in baseball is a statistic assigned to starting pitchers that pitch six full innings and allow three earned runs or less. It is called a quality start because starting pitchers are expected to prevent runs and get opposing hitters out. So, the statistic of a quality start measures a … Read more
Batting average explained The batting average is an offensive statistic in baseball that gauges hitters’ success in reaching base safely on base hits. The batting average is popular with baseball fans. Still, players and coaches often ignore it because the formula does not include many aspects of the game-walks, total bases, extra-base hits, etc. What … Read more
Left on base explained LOB, or left on base, is a statistic that refers to how many runners are stranded on the base paths at the end of an inning. For batters, LOB indicates the number of runners left on base after the hitter makes an out. For pitchers, LOB describes the number of runners … Read more
On-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging, or OPS is a baseball statistic that combines on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage. OPS is a popular stat used more often than the batting average by major league players and teams to determine how well a hitter performs at the plate. The OPS reveals how a hitter contributes … Read more
Maddux statistic explained A Maddux in baseball is a statistic named after Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. It is awarded to a starting pitcher that throws a complete game without allowing the opponent to score a single run. This feat must be accomplished in 99 pitches or less to become a Maddux. If a pitcher … Read more
A complete game in baseball is a baseball statistic awarded to a player that pitches the entire game for their team, regardless of how many innings are played. For a pitcher to earn a complete game, they must also be the only player on their team to pitch, with no other teammate throwing a pitch … Read more
A perfect game in baseball happens when a pitcher gets every opposing batter out without anyone reaching base the entire game. Over a 9-inning game, each team gets three outs per inning for a total of 27 outs. If a pitcher gets all 27 outs without one batter reaching base for any reason, then that … Read more
OBP is a baseball statistic used to measure on-base percentage. On-base percentage is different than a batting average in that it evaluates how often a player reaches base. You will find that players can reach base in several different ways. Most of these ways are not included in the batting average. Coaches may prefer to … Read more
