As you may already know, a base is anything that your player can run from on to score. In baseball, bases are usually marked with ropes or tape that mark where each runner must go in order to score a run.
Base runners are key to scoring runs. A team’s offense will typically have runners on base at all times in order for them to try and get as many hits as possible and score as many runs as they can.
The more chances they get to bat the better their chances of scoring runs. A baserunner who reaches base without touching any other part of the base or stepping on any part of it before reaching home is called a left fielder or left-on-base (LOB).
This means that the opposing team has nothing but white space (lack of players) in front of them and no one standing in front of them. If there are other players between left fielder and home plate, this is called “being out,” and it means that the opposing team gets another opportunity at getting another batter, runner, or thrower out at first.
As you probably guessed, LOB means having several opportunities at getting another batter out if the first one isn’t successful (i.e., is caught), which makes sense given what we just said about how bases help teams score runs.
What Does Having Left On Base Mean?
If a runner is left on base and then successfully reaches home plate, this is called “going first to third” (GT3). This means that the runner was able to get from first base to third base on one foot, which shows how far he was able to go (as opposed to a double into the outfield, which shows how many feet were between him and home plate).
While a LOB is often considered to be a positive thing, in some situations it can be a bad thing. For example, a team will score runs if they have a LOB with the bases loaded. This means that they are trying to score as many runs as possible and will not be content with a single run, even though a LOB with bases loaded is still a positive thing.
How to Calculate Left On Base Percentage
The left on base percentage (LOB%) is the percentage of plate appearances where a batter has a left on base while the batter has the potential to put the ball in play. In the same situation, a batter will either be put out or reach first base safely.
Let’s say that batter A has the potential to hit a ball into play and batter B has the potential to either get him out or reach first base safely. In this situation, the batter B will always be the one who gets to decide whether to swing or not. Batters do not get a chance to go through their own order when deciding whether to swing at a pitch.
Why is Left On Base Important?
The more chances a team has to get runners into scoring position, the more opportunities they have to score runs. In the example that we used above, the team with the bases loaded will be able to get into scoring position even more often than normal, which is why they will be more likely to score runs.
How to Calculate a Baserunning Statistic
To calculate a baserunning statistic, we need to know the following information:
– Number of outs – A batter or baserunner may get one out when they reach first base safely.
A batter or baserunner may also get an out by being put out while attempting to advance further.
– Number of potential bases – This is the total number of bases that the batters and baserunners can get to when they are at the plate or on the bases.
– Number of plate appearances – This is the total number of times that the batter or baserunner is at bat.
What Does Having a Higher LOB Percentage Mean?
If a baserunner has a higher LOB percentage than the league average, this generally means that their LOBs are more often than normal going first to third on one foot.
This shows how well the baserunner is at getting themselves safely from base to base.
If a baserunner is above average, they are likely a good baserunning player.
Why is it Important to Have a High LOB Percentage?
Higher LOB percentages can also be a sign of a poor baserunning team. This can be bad because a team that is not good at getting themselves safely from first to third will not be able to score many runs.
If the team has to rely on their hitter getting a base hit or getting on base via a walk, they may be in trouble.
How to Calculate Your Baserunning Efficiency Rating
You will need to know the following information:
– Number of outs – This is the same information that was discussed above.
– Number of potential bases – This is the same information that was discussed above.
– Number of plate appearances – This is the same information that was discussed above.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the key elements of baserunning in baseball and how these elements play into scoring runs and getting on base.
In short, we learned that base running is all about getting on base safely, advancing as many bases as possible, and getting the most plate appearances possible.
We also learned how to calculate a base running statistic called the base running efficiency rating.
