What is a RBI in Baseball?

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There are many terms, acronyms, and abbreviations in baseball. Such as SAC, HBP, BB, K, SO, SHO, K/P, HR…the list goes on. One of them is RBI, which is a very popular stat for single-season awards and Hall of Fame reviews. What is a RBI in baseball?

A RBI in Baseball is a statistic that credits a batter for making a play that allows a runner to score.

What does RBI stand for? RBI stands for Runs Batted In. RBI is short for Runs Batted In. It means that a runner (or runners) scored, and the batter who was up during the time is credited.

RBI is a well-known and used stat for gauging offense, particularly power hitters in the middle of a lineup. It’s also a very popular stat category in Fantasy Baseball.

There are many ways runners score and many ways an RBI is credited. Later on, we will review ways RBIs are credited and times when runners score but RBI’s are not credited.

Simply put, an RBI is given to a batter when a runner scores while they were at bat or due to them putting the ball in play.

Here is a great video breakdown further explaining how RBI’s work:

What is a good RBI total in baseball?

Much like other counting stats in baseball, a good RBI total is kind of arbitrary. For the most part, it’s a set even number like Homeruns (30,40,50). Average (.300), Wins (20), and Strikeout (300) totals that baseball fans like to use for gauging a player’s success.

It’s common in baseball to use 100 as the RBI total to be considered an excellent RBI total. If it comes to asking What is a good RBI total in baseball during a season? 100 RBIs in a season is universally known as good.

Maybe even above average, great, or excellent. Basically, 100 is the mark baseball players want to achieve when it comes to RBIs in a season.

Managers and Coaches making a lineup want their best and most powerful hitters in the middle of their lineup. Players that can drive in runs. These are the players that normally have the higher RBI totals because they are bringing runners in to score.

Players batting and on base in front of them typically have higher run totals. One player has higher runs because of the other player bringing them into score. While that player then has higher RBI totals and lower run totals. This is exactly what a good offense would want their end of season stats to look like. Top of the lineup scoring runs, middle of the lineup bringing those runners in to score.

Is a RBI a hit?

There are many ways runners can score in baseball and many ways a batter can be awarded an RBI. Interestingly though, it doesn’t always require a hit to get an RBI. Is an RBI a hit? No, an RBI is not a hit.

As previously stated, a RBI is Runs Batted In. A batter can put the ball in play and still get out but be awarded an RBI. That means the batter did not get a hit, but still brought a runner in to score, thus, and RBI is awarded.

Also, a hit is completely separate from a RBI. Batters can get hits, get on base, and not score. So it’s just a hit (which is always good!). And with RBI’s, runners can score without the batter getting a hit, sometimes not even having to put the ball in play!

Let’s go over some ways a runner can score and the batter can get a RBI without a hit:

  • Walk with bases loaded: Player who took a walk with the bases loaded is awarded an RBI when the runner on third base comes in to score.
  • Sac Fly, Runner on third: Player hits fly ball to outfield, ball is caught, batter is out. Runner on third base comes in to score. Batter is awarded an RBI.
  • Sacrifice, Runner on third. Player hits ground ball to second base. Second base throws batter out at first. Runner on third scores. Batter is awarded an RBI if it’s clear there was no play at home to get the runner out from 3rd.

There are many more ways batters are given a RBI without getting a hit, and they are interesting and sometimes questionable. Let’s review.

Do you get a RBI on a hit by pitch?

The most common way to receive a RBI is from a hit or sacrifice. Singles, Doubles, Triples, and sacrifice fly’s or bunts can result in RBIs if runners are on. Homeruns automatically include at least one RBI because the player hitting the homerun scores themselves.

Can you get a RBI on a hit-by pitch? Yes! It works the same as a bases-loaded walk. If a batter is hit by a pitch, and the bases are loaded, the batter receives a RBI. This is a result of the runner from third coming in to score.

The only way a batter can get a RBI from a hit-by pitch is if the bases are loaded.  That’s because the ball is “dead” after the batter is hit by a pitch. Meaning the play is over, and only the runners advance due to being forced to because the batter goes to first base.

Do you get a RBI on a wild pitch?

Now we get into situations where runners score, but the batter is not awarded an RBI. First, a wild pitch is a judgment call by the scorekeeper. The scorekeeper must decide between a wild pitch and a passed ball. If it’s a wild pitch, it’s an error on the pitcher. If it’s a passed ball, it’s an error on the catcher.

Here is a good video breaking down a wild pitch vs. a passed ball.

Here’s an example. If there’s a runner on third and there’s a wild pitch or pass ball, the runner on third scores. Does the batter get an RBI for the pitcher making a wild pitch? They didn’t swing the bat. But they also didn’t’ walk or get hit by the pitch.

Do you get a RBI on a wild pitch? No, because a wild pitch is an error on the pitcher. A pass ball and wild pitch are both errors, and errors never award a batter with a RBI.

Do you get a RBI on a Fielder’s Choice?

A fielder’s choice play or out is understandably hard for new baseball fans to understand. Sometimes it’s a judgement call by the scorekeeper, but most times it’s clear.

The easiest way to explain a fielder’s choice is the batter hit the ball and was safe at first without getting a hit or the defense making an error. This only happens when there are runners on base. It happens when the defense decides to try and get an out another base. Rather than get the out at first base, the defense tries to get the other runner out. The batter is safe because of the fielder’s decision or “choice”.

The other runner doesn’t always have to get out either. The fielder can attempt to get the other runner out, but fail, and both runners end up being safe. This is still a fielder’s choice. The result is that the batter is safe at first when they most likely would’ve been out had the fielder attempted the play at first base.

Do you get a RBI on a fielder’s choice? The simple answer is no. But there are situations where a RBI may be given. Example of this would be:

  • If a runner scores because the fielder held the ball too long or threw to a different base, credit a RBI if the runner coming home was clearly going to be safe regardless of if the fielder attempted a throw to home or first.
    • I would argue this being a rare situation. Most likely this would be scored an error or a fielder’s choice without an RBI.

Other situations for no RBI when runner scores:

Error, Fielder’s Choice, Wild Pitch, and Pass Ball are all plays that score runs without the batter receiving an RBI. There are other situations where batters are not credited an RBI when a runner scores. Even if they are safe at first, or batting. How so? Here are the exceptions:

  • A player is not credited an RBI if they hit into a double play and a runner scores. Two outs for one run is not credited an RBI to the batter.
  • If a pitcher balks with a runner on third base, the runner gets to come home and score. The batter is not given an RBI because this is a type of error on the pitcher. Like a wild pitch being an error on the pitcher.

What is an RBI in Baseball conclusion

RBI in baseball stands for RUNS BATTED IN. RBI is the acronym for RUNS BATTED IN. A run batted in means a runner scored and the batter is credited for them scoring.

There are many ways a batter is credited. The most common is from a hit, such as a single with a runner on third or a homerun. Other, more rare ways, include walks and hit by pitches.

Ways batters are not credited a RBI when a run scores while they are batting include errors, double plays, and fielder’s choice.

The RBI stat is widely known throughout baseball at all levels. It is one of the most looked at stats when choosing hitters for season and career awards, such as MVP and Hall of Fame. RBI is also looked at year of year for managers deciding lineups and who is good at driving in runs to score.