An earned run is any run that scores against a pitcher without the benefit of an error or a passed ball. … Earned runs is the key counting statistic used in ERA, the most widely accepted barometer of a pitcher’s success.
How do you determine if a run is earned or unearned?
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team’s production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an error or a passed ball committed by the defense.
Is a home run always an earned run?
The leadoff batter comes up and hits a home run, that run is earned. That one is easy, so are the simple unearned runs. There are two outs when a batter hits a ground ball to short. … Those two runs are unearned because the error should have been the third out of the inning.
How is an earned run average calculated?
ERA is the most commonly accepted statistical tool for evaluating pitchers. The formula for finding ERA is: 9 x earned runs / innings pitched. If a pitcher exits a game with runners on base, any earned runs scored by those runners will count against him.
Does a passed ball count as an earned run?
Passed balls have commonality with wild pitches, as both allow a runner to advance on his own without a stolen base. … A passed ball is not recorded as an error, but when a run scores as the result of a passed ball, it does not count as an earned run against a pitcher.
How can a homerun not be an earned run?
A batter who reaches base on an error can never score an earned run. A run that scores after there should be three outs is never earned.
Does the runner on second count as an earned run?
The runner placed on second base at the start of each half-inning in extras will be the player in the batting order immediately preceding that half-inning’s leadoff hitter, or a pinch-runner. … If the automatic runner comes around to score, an earned run will not be charged to the pitcher.
Is a wild pitch an unearned run?
A wild pitch may only be scored if one or more runners advance. If the bases are empty, or if the catcher retrieves the ball quickly and no runner is able to advance, a wild pitch is not charged. A run scored on a wild pitch is recorded as an earned run.
Is it an earned run if the pitcher makes the error?
Any runner(s) who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run(s). An error made by the pitcher in fielding at his position is counted the same as an error by any other player.
Do inside the park home runs count?
Statistically, an inside-the-park home run is counted no differently than any other home run in a player’s season and career totals. … Today an inside-the-park home run is typically accomplished by a fast baserunner hitting the ball in a direction that bounces far away from the opposing team’s fielders.
What is a good earned run average?
An ERA between 2.00 and 3.00 is also considered excellent and is only achieved by the best pitchers in the league. An ERA between 3.00 and 4.00 is above-average. An ERA between 4.00 and 5.00 is average; the majority of pitchers have an ERA in this range.
What’s the lowest ERA in a season?
The lowest single-season ERA in league history was posted by Tim Keefe, whose 0.86 ERA in 105 innings pitched for the National League’s Troy Trojans in 1880 led his closest competitor by . 52 runs. In the American League, Dutch Leonard’s 0.96 ERA is a single-season record.
Is a low ERA good?
A pitcher’s main objective is to prevent the other team’s hitters from earning runs. A lower ERA means that the pitcher has allowed fewer earned runs. Therefore, a low ERA is a better score than a high ERA. In 21st century baseball, an ERA below 4.00 is considered good, and anything below 3.00 is great.
Is a dropped 3rd strike an earned run?
The pitcher is responsible for Wild Pitch 3rd Strikes (and Wild Pitches in general when runners advance), so those runs are earned.
What’s considered a wild pitch?
Definition. A pitcher is charged with a wild pitch when his pitch is so errant that the catcher is unable to control it and, as a result, baserunner(s) advance. (This is an important stipulation.
What are the run rules in baseball?
The 10 Run Rule, also known as the Mercy Rule, is when a game ends early due to one team being up by ten runs or more after a specified number of innings. This rule is in place to prevent one team from running up the score while ensuring the game ends in a reasonable amount of time.