Plain-English explanations for every stat, with quality tiers and Hall of Fame context.
Hits divided by at-bats. The most basic measure of how often a player gets a hit. .300 is the gold standard.
.300+ is excellent; below .230 is a concern
How often a player reaches base (hits, walks, HBP) per plate appearance. The most important on-base stat.
.370+ is elite; below .300 is a liability
Total bases divided by at-bats — rewards extra-base hits. A home run counts 4x more than a single.
.530+ is elite; below .380 is weak
OBP + SLG. Quick all-in-one hitting measure. 1.000+ is historically elite.
.900+ is elite; below .700 is below average
Home runs in a season. 40+ puts you among the league leaders. 60+ is legendary.
35+ is elite power; 10 is average for a position player
Runs batted in. Partly dependent on teammates reaching base, but still a classic power measure.
100+ is excellent; 120+ puts you in MVP conversation
Total hits. 200 hits in a season is the benchmark for elite contact hitters.
200 hits is a gold-standard season; below 130 is below average
Stolen bases. Measures baserunning aggression. 30+ in a season is excellent speed.
40+ is elite; below 6 is below average for speedsters
Walks per plate appearance. Shows plate discipline — a batter who draws walks gives their team more baserunners.
11%+ is elite plate discipline; below 5% is poor
Strikeouts per plate appearance. The main downside of an aggressive or overpowered hitter. Lower is better for position players.
Below 12% is excellent contact; above 27% is problematic
Earned runs allowed per 9 innings. The flagship pitching stat. Lower is better — under 3.00 is elite.
Under 2.75 is elite; above 4.50 is below average
Walks + Hits per inning pitched. Measures how many baserunners a pitcher allows. Under 1.10 is excellent.
Under 1.00 is elite; above 1.35 is below average
Strikeouts per 9 innings. Higher means the pitcher dominates hitters. 10+ is elite.
10.5+ is elite; below 7.5 is below average
Walks per 9 innings. Lower means better control. Under 2.0 is excellent command.
Under 1.5 is elite control; above 3.5 is poor command
Percentage of batters faced who strike out. A cleaner version of K/9 that doesn't depend on league run environment.
32%+ is elite; below 15% means hitters put the ball in play often
% of batted balls that are 'barreled' — the optimal combination of exit speed and launch angle for a hit or HR.
15%+ is elite; below 4% means rarely making ideal contact
% of batted balls hit 95+ mph. Strong predictor of future offensive success.
45%+ is elite; below 30% indicates weak contact
Average speed of batted balls in mph. Higher means harder contact on average.
92+ mph is elite; below 85 mph is soft contact
Average running speed in feet/second on competitive plays (home-to-first, extra bases, etc.).
28.5+ ft/s is elite; below 25 ft/s is well below average
Thresholds are single-season benchmarks for MLB position players and starting pitchers. Context matters — park factors, era, and role all affect evaluation.