For players, coaches and fans alike, statistics help determine a player's contribution to the team. A baseball pitcher's earned run average, or ERA, is a regularly cited measure of performance. WHIP stands for walks plus hits per inning pitched, a lesser-known way to measure a pitcher's effectiveness over a period of time. WHIP may provide a more accurate picture of the pitcher's abilities than ERA.
Creation of IPRAT
In 1979, Daniel Okrent, a "New York Times" editor and former publishing consultant, created the world's first fantasy baseball league, called Rotisserie League Baseball after the restaurant where Okrent regularly met his fellow fantasy league founders. The formation of fantasy teams was intended to be based on widely available stats. In the process of determining the best fantasy pitcher for his team, Okrent created the innings pitched ratio, or IPRAT, which was later changed to the walks plus hits per inning pitched statistic.
WHIP Calculation
Though created relatively late in the history of baseball, the WHIP statistic is based on a simple calculation. As the name implies, you must first determine the number of innings you wish to use in determining a pitcher's WHIP ratio. Over this time period, determine the number of walks and hits the pitcher allows. Add the number of hits and walks together, then divide this sum by the number of innings pitched. The result of this calculation is a pitcher's WHIP ratio.
Example: Ed Walsh
The lowest career WHIP ratio recorded was by Ed Walsh, primarily a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who was active from 1904 to 1917. Over the course of his career, Walsh pitched a total of 369.2 innings, allowing 61 walks and 242 hits. The 303 walks plus hits he allowed, when divided by 369.2 innings, results in a WHIP ratio of 0.82.
WHIP vs. ERA
Earned runs average, which is based on the amount of runs scored on a pitcher over a number of innings, is commonly used to measure a pitcher's performance. Though this statistic does not count errors against a pitcher's performance, the play of his fielders can greatly influence the amount of runs allowed. A pitcher's WHIP may be a more objective measure of his play, as it is based solely on the amount of times he allows a hitter to reach base.
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