Official scoring and statistics
MLB · 2025Hits, errors, earned runs and the distinction between scoring and umpiring.
Recording the play
The official scorer records what happens and decides statistical questions such as hit or error. Ordinary defensive effort is central to that distinction. A fielder’s choice is not automatically a hit, and not every run earns an RBI. The scorer cannot reverse an umpire’s decision. Stolen bases, sacrifices, assists and putouts each have specific conditions.
Pitching and averages
Earned runs reconstruct the inning without specified errors and passed balls, with rules for inherited runners. Pitcher wins, losses and saves have their own eligibility tests and are not decided simply by who pitched last. Batting average uses hits divided by at-bats; walks and specified sacrifices are excluded from at-bats. These explanations summarize scoring; the detailed source governs borderline statistical decisions.
Sources & approach ↗