The statistics prepared by Rutherford Little League include the following columns. Each is explained here.
Batting and Fielding
G – Games Played. A player who appears in a game, no matter how briefly, is credited with a game played. Since Little League has a mandatory play rule, this column serves as the “attendance record” for a player.
AB – At-Bats. A player is charged with an official at-bat for completing a plate appearance (put out or becomes a runner) when the result is not a base on balls, hit batter, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly, or reaching base on catcher’s interference.
R – Runs Scored. The player who actually crosses the plate with a run for the team is credited.
H – Base Hits. A batted ball that enables a runner to reach first base safely is a base hit, unless (1) in the scorer’s judgment the runner would have been out except for a fielding error, or (2) another runner is put out attempting to advance one base on the batted ball. Case (2) is commonly referred to as “fielder’s choice” because the fielder chose to put out a different runner. The column for base hits includes all hits (singles, doubles, triples, and home runs), even though extra-base hits have their own columns.
RBI – Runs Batted In. The batter is credited with a run batted in when his batted ball, and no error or misplay by the defense, allows runners (including himself) to score; or when he is walked, hit by a pitch, or reaches on interference with the bases loaded, forcing a run to score.
PO – Putouts. A fielder receives credit for a putout when he retires a runner – by catching a fly ball, tagging a runner with the ball, forcing a runner out by touching a base while holding the ball, or receiving strike three for an out as the catcher. Sometimes, the scorer credits a putout based on the rules when a runner is called out for a rule infraction, such as interference or batting out of turn.
A – Assists. One assist may be credited to a fielder who handles the ball on a play on which one or more runners are put out, or would have been put out but for an error later in the play. In a rundown or a double or triple play, the same player might get both a putout and an assist (but a fielder can only get one assist per play).
E – Errors. A fielder is charged with an error for committing a fumble, muff, or wild throw that prolongs a batter’s turn at bat or enables one or more runners to advance.
2B – Doubles; 3B – Triples; HR – Home Runs. These are extra-base hits, where the batter reaches second, third, or home base without benefit of errors or defensive misplay.
SH – Sacrifice Hits, another term for Sacrifice Bunts. When a batter bunts and successfully trades his own out at first base for the advance of another runner, the scorer records a sacrifice bunt.
SF – Sacrifice Flies. A batter who hits a fly ball into the outfield which is caught (or dropped for an error), but allows a runner to tag and score, is credited with a sacrifice fly.
BB – Base on Balls (walk), a free pass to first base on four called “balls” by the umpire.
SO – Strikeouts, the act of receiving a third “strike”, whether called, swinging, or bunted foul.
HP – Hit by Pitch, the award of first base to a batter struck by a pitched ball (unless the ball hits the batter in the strike zone or during a swing, in which case the umpire calls it a “strike”).
SB – Stolen Bases. The scorer credits a stolen base to a runner who advances without the benefit of a batted ball; a walk, hit batter, or batter reaching on interference forcing the advance; an error, wild pitch, or passed ball; or defensive indifference to the advance.
CS – Caught Stealing. A runner put out trying to steal (not advancing on a wild pitch or passed ball) is charged with “caught stealing”. The League began tabulating “caught stealing” in 1986; a few instances prior to 1986 are noted.
BAT – Batting Average. Base hits divided by official at-bats; H / AB.
SLG – Slugging Percentage. Total bases on base hits (one for a single, two for a double, etc.) divided by official at-bats; (H + 2B + 2*3B + 3*HR) / AB.
OB% - On-Base Percentage. The ratio of times a batter reaches base, except that errors are treated as outs, and sacrifice bunts and interference are discarded; (H + BB + HP) / (AB + BB + HP + SF).
FLD – Fielding Average. Successful fielding chances (putouts and assists) divided by total chances (including errors); (PO + A) / (PO + A + E).
Pitching
G – Games Pitched. Credit a game pitched when a player officially becomes the pitcher in the game.
ST – Games Started, credited to the pitcher named in the starting lineup who (generally) faces the first opposing batter.
CG – Complete Games. Credit a complete game when only one pitcher appears for a team in a game.
W – Wins. Generally, the pitcher who is in the game when the team takes the lead and maintains it for the rest of the game is the winning pitcher. However, there is a statutory minimum number of innings that the starting pitcher must pitch in order to be eligible (in Little League, three complete innings; four until 1997); the scorer may also deny the win to a pitcher whose appearance was judged brief and ineffective.
L – Losses. The pitcher charged with the run that scores to give the opposing team a lead it maintains to the end of the game is the losing pitcher.
Sv – Saves. A save is awarded to a pitcher who is the finishing pitcher but not the winning pitcher and whose appearance meets certain minimum criteria (for instance, a pitcher who throws only the last inning with a lead of four or more runs does not earn a save).
ShO – Shutouts. A shutout is awarded to a pitcher who throws a complete game (or enters with none out in the first inning and completes the game) and the opposing team scores no runs, earned or unearned.
IP – Innings Pitched. When pitchers are changed in the middle of an inning, or the game ends in the middle of an inning, a pitcher is credited with fractional innings pitched based on the number of outs. A starting pitcher who pitches until there is one out in the fourth inning is credited with 3⅓ innings (often abbreviated 3.1). A reliever who enters the game with two out in the second inning and stays in until there is one out in the fifth inning gets 2⅔ innings (or 2.2 innings). Innings pitched for statistical purposes differ from those used for pitching eligibility in Little League through 2006. For those purposes, delivery of a single pitch in an inning constituted pitching in that inning (in the second example, the pitcher was charged with four innings against eligibility).
H – Base Hits Allowed.
R – Runs Allowed. A pitcher is charged with a run if that pitcher allows a base runner who scores, whose pinch runner scores, or who is replaced on a fielder’s choice by a runner who scores.
ER – Earned Runs. A run allowed by a pitcher is earned if the run would have scored before the third out of the inning had there been no errors or passed balls.
BB – Walks Allowed. If a pitcher is behind in the count (2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-1, or 3-2) and is relieved, the first pitcher would be charged with the walk if it occurs.
SO – Strikeouts. The pitcher who throws strike three is credited with the strikeout (but not with an assist).
HP – Batters Hit by Pitch.
WP – Wild Pitches. A wild pitch is charged when one or more runners advance on a pitch that is so high, wide, or low that the catcher cannot have been expected to handle it. If the catcher should have been able to hold onto the pitched ball and does not, and runners advance, the catcher is charged with a passed ball. Neither a wild pitch nor a passed ball is charged as an error.
BK – Balks. Certain illegal actions by a pitcher are considered deceptive to base runners. When one occurs, the umpire calls a “balk” and each runner is entitled to advance one base. The balk was eliminated from Little League Baseball after the 1998 season; since then moves previously classified as balks are Illegal Pitches and a “ball” is charged to the batter.
ERA – Earned Run Average. Earned runs, multiplied by the length of a regulation game in innings, divided by the number of innings pitched; in Little League, (ER × 6) / IP. Note that thirds of innings are used even though they are represented in decimals, so that if the pitcher is listed with 16.2 innings pitched, the denominator is 16⅔ (16.66666...). If a pitcher allows one or more earned runs in zero innings pitched, his ERA is “infinity” (∞).
OppBA – Opponents’ Batting Average. Hits allowed by a pitcher, divided by the number of official at-bats recorded by opposing batters (as determined in At-Bats, above).
WHIP – Walks & Hits (including hit batters) per Inning Pitched, (H + BB + HP) / IP.