Baseball pits nine offensive players against nine defensive players over a minimum of nine innings. The team with the most runs at the end of the final inning wins. Sounds simple enough, but baseball also is a game of statistics and averages. To determine the level of a player's performances over a season or career or to rank players from the best to worst, a baseball fan must calculate batting averages, earned run averages, win-loss averages, slugging percentages, on-base percentages and fielding averages.
Step 1
Divide the player's total number of hits by the total number of at-bats to calculate the player's batting average. A player gets a hit when he hits the ball and makes it to a base safely without the defensive team committing an error, or without the benefit of a fielder's choice play. A defensive error and a fielder's choice count as an at-bat, but not a hit. A batter who is awarded a base on balls or is hit by a pitch is credited with neither an at-bat nor a hit. A batter with 580 at-bats and 213 hits has a batting average of .367.
Step 2
Calculate a pitcher's earned run average by multiplying the total number of earned runs the offensive team scores while the pitcher is actively pitching in an inning by 9. Divide the result by the number of innings a pitcher has pitched. A pitcher that has allowed 62 earned runs in 197 innings has an earned run average of 2.83. Runs scored with aid of an error on the defense do not count as earned runs.
Step 3
Figure a pitcher's win-loss average by dividing the number of wins by the total number of decisions. The number of decisions is the total number of wins plus the total number of losses. A pitcher that has 23 credited wins out of 30 decisions has a win-loss average of .767.
Step 4
Divide the total number of bases a player has reached as a result of a hit by the total number of the player's at-bats to obtain the player's slugging percentage. A single base has a value of 1, a double has a value of 2, a triple has a value of 3, and a home run has a value of 4. If a batter has reached 282 total bases over his career divided by his career at-bats of 440, the batter has a .641 slugging percentage.
Step 5
Calculate the player's on-base percentage by adding the number of a player's hits to the number of walks, plus the number of times the player has reached a base after getting hit by a pitch. Divide the result by the number of at-bats, plus the number of walks, plus the number of times the player has gotten hit by a pitch, plus the number of sacrifice flies the player has hit. For example, a player has 398 at-bats, 143 hits, 63 walks, has gotten hit by seven pitches, and has hit five sacrifice flies. Add 143, 63 and 7 to get 213 times on base. Add 398, 63, 7 and 5 to get 473 appearances at the plate. Divide 213 by 473 to obtain the player's on-base percentage of .450.
Step 6
Add the total number of put-outs to the total number of assist by a player. Divide that number by the player's total number of put-outs, plus the total number of assists, plus the total number of errors the player has committed to obtain a player's fielding average. A fielder gets credited with a put-out when his action alone results in the out of the runner. A fielder gets credited with an assist when his action helps another fielder get an out. To obtain the fielding average of a player who has 157 put-outs, 253 assists and three errors, add 157 plus 253 for a total of 410. Add the result to the three errors for a total of 413. Divide 410 by 413 for a fielding average of .993.
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