Baseball is a sport full of statistics and numbers, so it’s no surprise that there are many different categories and stats used to measure a player’s performance. Two of the most widely used stats to measure a player’s offensive performance are hits and total bases. Although these two stats are often used together, they are not the same, and it’s important to understand the difference between them.
What is a Hit?
A hit is one of the most basic stats in baseball. When a player successfully makes contact with the ball and reaches a base safely, it is counted as a hit. This means that the player has reached first base safely, whether it be through a single, a double, a triple, or a home run.
What is Total Bases?
Total bases is a statistic that measures the total number of bases a player has earned with their hits. It is calculated by adding up the number of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs the player has achieved. For example, if a player has one single, one double, one triple, and one home run, then they have earned a total of seven bases.
Differences Between Hits and Total Bases
Although hits and total bases are two separate stats, they are often used together to measure a player’s offensive performance. However, there are some important differences between the two stats.
The most obvious difference between hits and total bases is that hits measure how many times a player has reached a base safely, while total bases measure the total number of bases a player has earned with their hits. A hit is a single statistic, while total bases is a cumulative statistic.
Another key difference between the two stats is that total bases takes into account extra-base hits such as doubles, triples, and home runs. These extra-base hits are not factored into the hit stat, but they are important in calculating total bases.
Finally, total bases also takes into account the number of times a player has made it to a base on a fielder’s choice, a fielder’s error, or a passed ball. These stats are not counted in the hit stat, but they are counted in the total bases stat.
Conclusion
Hits and total bases are two of the most important stats used to measure a player’s offensive performance. Although the two stats are often used together, there are some important differences between them. Hits measure how many times a player has reached a base safely, while total bases measure the total number of bases a player has earned with their hits. Total bases also takes into account extra-base hits, as well as bases reached on fielder’s choice, fielder’s error, and passed balls. Understanding the difference between these two stats is key to accurately measuring a player’s performance.