BABIP is a commonly used term in baseball analytics, which stands for Batting Average on Balls In Play. It is a statistic that measures a batter’s success in putting the ball in play, excluding home runs. This article will explore the definition, origin, and meaning of BABIP, as well as its associations, synonyms, and antonyms.
Definitions
BABIP is a statistic that measures the percentage of balls in play that result in a hit. It is calculated by dividing the number of hits by the number of at-bats, minus home runs. For example, if a batter has 100 at-bats, 20 of which are home runs, and he has 30 hits, his BABIP would be .333.
Origin
The concept of BABIP was first introduced by baseball statistician Voros McCracken in the early 2000s. McCracken argued that a pitcher’s ability to prevent hits on balls in play was largely out of their control and that BABIP was a better measure of a pitcher’s true talent than their ERA.
Meaning in different dictionaries
BABIP is not a word that is typically found in dictionaries, but it is widely used in baseball analytics. However, if you were to look up the individual words that make up BABIP, you would find the following definitions:
- Batting: the act of hitting the ball with a bat in order to score runs.
- Average: a number that represents the typical value of a set of numbers.
- Balls: a round object used in sports such as baseball and cricket.
- In: inside or within something.
- Play: a term used in baseball to describe any action that occurs on the field.
Associations
BABIP is often used in conjunction with other advanced baseball statistics, such as FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) and WAR (Wins Above Replacement). It is also used to evaluate individual batters and pitchers, as well as entire teams.
Synonyms
There are no direct synonyms for BABIP, but other baseball statistics that measure a batter’s success at the plate include batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
Antonyms
There are no direct antonyms for BABIP, but a low BABIP can be an indication of bad luck or poor performance, while a high BABIP can be an indication of good luck or excellent performance.
The same root words
Because BABIP is an acronym, it does not have any root words. However, the individual words that make up BABIP have the following root words:
- Batting: bat.
- Average: aver.
- Balls: ball.
- Play: play.
Example Sentences
- “Mike Trout has a career BABIP of .354, which is well above the league average.”
- “Justin Verlander’s low BABIP in 2019 was a key factor in his Cy Young Award-winning season.”
- “The Dodgers’ high BABIP in the first half of the season was a major reason for their success.”