A sacrifice fly is a fly ball caught for an out that lets a runner tag up and score, with fewer than two outs. The batter gets credit for a run batted in, and the play does not count as an at bat, so it does not hurt his batting average. It does count against on base percentage, one of the few quirks in how the stat is scored.
Scoring explained
Sacrifice fly at a glance
SF in the box score
What it is
A caught fly ball or line drive that lets a runner scoreThe runner must tag up after the catch
Outs required
Fewer than twoWith two outs, the catch ends the inning
RBI
Yes, the batter gets one
At bat
NoSo batting average is unaffected
On base percentage
Counts as a plate appearance in the denominatorSo it slightly lowers OBP
Dropped ball
Still a sacrifice fly if the scorer rules the runner would have scored on a catch
Runner from second or first
Advancing without scoring is not a sacrifice flyOnly a run scoring counts
Sacrifice Fly vs. Sacrifice Bunt
| Sacrifice fly | Sacrifice bunt | |
|---|---|---|
| How | Fly ball to the outfield | Bunt to move a runner up |
| Runner must | Score | Advance a base |
| At bat charged | No | No |
| RBI | Yes | Only if a run scores |
| Counts against OBP | Yes | No |
Why It Hurts OBP
On base percentage divides times on base by at bats plus walks, hit by pitches and sacrifice flies. Sacrifice bunts are left out, but sacrifice flies are included, so a productive fly ball still counts as a failure to reach base. For how runners legally score on the play, see the tag up rule.
Related
Tag up rule · What is an error · What is OPS
Scoring rules from the MLB.com glossary.