Statistics play as important a role in baseball as any sport, and have been kept since the sport was created in the 1800s. Using statistics, players from different eras and teams can be compared and evaluated.
Following are basic statistics used for book-keeping in baseball and softball, with explanations of how they are derived.
(For some more advanced terms, see this glossary of terms and stats used in sabermetrics.)
BASIC HITTING STATISTICS
1B: Single
2B: Double
3B: Triple
AB: At-bat
BA or AVG: Batting average (hits divided by at-bats)
BB: Walks (base on balls)
FC: Fielder's choice (when a fielder chooses to try an out on another runner, not the batter)
G: Games played
GDP: Grounded into double play
H: Hits
IBB: Intentional walks
HBP: Hit by pitch
K: Strikeouts
LOB: Left on base
OBP: On-base percentage (H+BB+HBP divided by AB+BB+HBP+SF)
RBI: Runs batted in
RISP: Runner in scoring position
SF: Sacrifice fly
SH: Sacrifice hit (bunts)
SLG: Slugging percentage
TB: Total bases
BASIC BASERUNNING STATISTICS
CS: Caught stealing
SB: Stolen base
R: Runs scored
BASIC PITCHING STATISTICS
BB: Walks (base on balls)
BB/K: Walks to strikeouts ratio (BB times 9 divided by innings pitched)
BK: Balks
BS: Blown saves (when a pitcher enters the game in a save situation but leaves without the lead)
CG: Complete game
ER: Earned run (runs that scored without the aid of an error or passed ball)
ERA: Earned run average (total earned runs times number of innings in a game, typically 9, divided by innings pitched)
IBB: Intentional walks
HBP: Hit by pitch
G: Games
GF: Games finished
GS: Starts
H: Hits allowed
H/9: Hits per nine innings (hits times 9 divided by IP)
HB: Hit batsman
HLD: Holds (also sometimes H, when a player enters a game in a save situation, records at least one out, does not surrender the lead and does not complete the game)
HR: Home runs
IBB: Intentional walks
K: Strikeouts (sometimes abbreviated SO)
K/BB: Strikeout-to-walk ratio (K divided by BB)
L: Loss
OBA: Opponents batting average
SHO: Shutout (CG with no runs allowed)
SV: Save (sometimes abbreviated S; when a pitcher enters a game with the lead, finishes the game without surrendering the lead and is not the winning pitcher. The lead must be three runs or fewer; or the potential tying run was on-base, at bat or on deck; or the pitcher pitched three or more innings)
W: Wins
WP: Wild pitches
BASIC FIELDING STATISTICS
A: Assists
CI: Catcher's interference
DP: Double plays
E: Errors
FP: Fielding percentage
PB: Passed ball (when a catcher drops a ball and one or more runners advance)
