What WHIP means in baseball and how to calculate it

Sources and resources

• MLB WHIP glossary — MLB's definition, formula, uses, and limits for WHIP.
• MLB walk glossary — MLB's guide to the BB part of WHIP, including intentional walks.
• MLB hit glossary — MLB's guide to the H part of WHIP and the difference between hits and errors.
• MLB innings-pitched glossary — MLB's guide to recording each out as one-third of an inning pitched.

What does WHIP stand for in baseball?

WHIP stands for walks and hits per inning pitched. It measures how many baserunners a pitcher allows through walks and hits for each inning of work.

The stat focuses on keeping runners off base. It can be used for starting pitchers, relievers, and team pitching totals.

How do you calculate WHIP?

The formula is WHIP = walks plus hits divided by innings pitched. Add the pitcher's BB and H totals, then divide by IP.

Six hits plus two walks in six innings is eight baserunners divided by six, or a 1.33 WHIP when rounded to two decimals. Three hits plus one walk in five innings is a 0.80 WHIP.

• 6 H + 2 BB in 6 IP: 8 ÷ 6 = 1.33 WHIP
• 3 H + 1 BB in 5 IP: 4 ÷ 5 = 0.80 WHIP
• Lower WHIP means fewer walks and hits allowed per inning.

What counts against a pitcher's WHIP?

Hits and walks allowed count. Singles, doubles, triples, and home runs each add one hit to the numerator. Unintentional and intentional walks each add one walk.

WHIP counts the number of these baserunners, not the number of bases they gain. A home run and an infield single each add one hit to WHIP.

What does not count in WHIP?

Hit batters, fielding errors, and hitters who reach on a fielder's choice do not count in WHIP. Reaching on a dropped third strike also is not a hit or walk.

A baserunner can therefore reach against a pitcher without changing the pitcher's WHIP. The stat covers only walks and hits.

How do partial innings work in WHIP?

Each recorded out equals one-third of an inning. A line of 5.1 IP means five innings plus one out, or 5⅓ innings. A line of 5.2 IP means five innings plus two outs, or 5⅔ innings.

Convert the baseball notation to thirds before dividing. Do not treat 5.1 IP as the decimal number 5.1.

• 5.0 IP — five complete innings
• 5.1 IP — five innings and one out, equal to 5⅓
• 5.2 IP — five innings and two outs, equal to 5⅔

Is a higher or lower WHIP better?

A lower WHIP is better because the pitcher allows fewer hits and walks per inning. A 1.00 WHIP is better than a 1.40 WHIP when the workload and setting are similar.

League, season, ballpark, defense, role, and innings pitched still add context. Compare pitchers in a similar setting instead of treating one number as the full evaluation.

What is the difference between WHIP and ERA?

WHIP measures walks and hits allowed per inning. ERA measures earned runs allowed per nine innings. One focuses on selected baserunners; the other focuses on earned scoring.

A pitcher can allow runners but escape without a run, or allow one damaging home run with few other runners. Reading WHIP and ERA together gives more context than either one alone.

What does WHIP leave out?

WHIP treats every hit alike, so a single and a home run each add one. It excludes hit batters and does not measure strikeouts, home runs, run prevention, ballpark, defense, or the order in which runners reach.

Use WHIP as a quick control-of-the-basepaths stat alongside ERA, strikeouts, walks, home runs, innings, and role.

Track the pitchers and WHIP lines you saw in person

A completed box score preserves each pitcher's hits, walks, innings, earned runs, and strikeouts. Those lines can become part of your personal record of pitchers witnessed live.

Log a completed game in Gamebook and it connects the official players and box score to your ballpark visit, seat, score, companions, photos, and memory.

Common questions