to*tal ba*ses
What is the definition of total bases in baseball?
1. Total bases in baseball is a statistic that tracks the number of bases a player gains after a hit.
The following totals are the number of bases a player gains after each type of hit:
- Single = 1 base
- Double = 2 bases
- Triple = 3 bases
- Home run = 4 bases
Total bases are only counted for hits and not for any other means of getting on base, such as walks or stolen bases. In addition, if a player advances a base due to a passed ball, error or when a batter puts the ball into play, the bases gained do not count towards the total base number.
What is the total bases in a baseball game?
The total bases meaning refers to how many bases players are able to reach through hits. The total bases stat, which is often abbreviated as TB, is most commonly associated with individual players, although it may also be recorded for teams as a whole.
Other means of advancing along the bases — such as stealing bases and advancing along the bases after a subsequent batter gets a hit — do not count toward a player’s total bases.
Does a walk count as a total base?
Walks do not count toward a player’s total bases. A player automatically advances to first base on a walk after they receive four pitches that are balls in a single at-bat. A player must hit the ball in order for their advancement to a base from an at-bat to count toward their TB.
Does a base on balls count toward total bases?
A base on balls (BB) does not count toward a player’s total bases. Base on balls is another term for a walk. It is one of a few ways in which a batter can automatically advance to first base without the risk of being put out. A hit by pitch (HBP) or catcher’s interference are other means of getting to first base which are not recorded as total bases.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
How is total bases calculated?
Total bases is a weighted stat, which means that more points are assigned when a player gets extra-base hits. Singles, doubles and triples get one, two and three points respectively, while a home run gets 4 points. This can be expressed with the following formula for total bases:
TB = (1 x 1B) + (2 x 2B) + (3 x 3B) + (4 x HR)
What is total bases per at bat?
Total bases is an important figure for calculating a player’s slugging percentage (SLG), which represents the average number of bases a player reaches per at-bat. To determine slugging percentage, a player’s total bases is divided by their number of at-bats:
SLG = TB / # of at-bats
What other baseball stats are related to total bases?
Total bases is a statistic that indicates how successful a player is at getting on base from a hit. Players with a high number of total bases are reliable hitters and fast baserunners. They typically have more hits and fewer strikeouts compared to other players.
The statistic most closely related to total bases is slugging percentage. The formula to calculate SLG includes a player’s TB, and both statistics are used to assess how well a player performs when making a plate appearance.
Other statistics commonly used to evaluate a player’s hitting ability include:
- Batting average (BA): A measure of a batter’s likelihood to get an official hit when they have an at-bat
- On-base percentage (OBP): A measure of how often a player reaches base in any manner except by a fielding error, fielder’s choice, dropped third strike, fielder’s obstruction or catcher’s inference
- Runs batted in (RBI): The number of runs scored by baserunners as a result of a player’s at-bats
Who is the all-time leader in total bases?
Hank Aaron earned 6,856 total bases over the course of his career, significantly more than any other player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. This stat demonstrates Aaron’s superior performance at bat, especially since he earned 645 more total bases than the player in second place, Albert Pujols.
One way to put the magnitude of this achievement in perspective was suggested by MLB.com: If a player were to match Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 457 total bases and kept that up for 15 years, he would still be one base short of Aaron’s 6,856 career total base.
Who are the top five all-time leaders in total bases?
The five players who are the career leaders for the most total bases in MLB history, along with the teams they primarily played for, are as follows:
- Hank Aaron: 6,856 — Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves
- Albert Pujols: 6,211 — St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels
- Stan Musial: 6,134 — St. Louis Cardinals
- Willie Mays: 6,080 — New York / San Francisco Giants, New York Mets
- Barry Bonds: 5,976 — Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants
Some of the other MLB players who racked up an impressive number of total bases during their careers include:
- Ty Cobb: 5,854 — Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics
- Alex Rodriguez: 5,813 — Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees
- Babe Ruth: 5,793 — Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees
- Pete Rose: 5,752 — Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies
- Carl Yastrzemski: 5,539 — Boston Red Sox
- Eddie Murray: 5,397 — Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians
Also included among the top 50 total base leaders are a number of other legends of the sport, such as Ken Griffey Jr., Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams. Unsurprisingly, many of the baseball players in the top 50 are regarded as some of the best hitters of all time, including Rogers Hornsby and Vladimir Guerrero.
What is the most total bases in a season?
Babe Ruth holds the record for the most cases in a single season. While playing for the New York Yankees in 1921, Ruth earned 457 total bases.
The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins are tied for the most total bases for a team in a single season. The Red Sox hit for 2,832 total bases in 2003, and the Twins matched that record in 2019.
Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports
What is the most total bases in a game?
Shawn Green holds the record for the most total bases in a game. On May 23, 2002, Green hit a single (1 total base), a double (2 total bases) and four home runs (4 total bases each) for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That gave him a one-game total of 19 total bases. The Dodgers went on to achieve a blowout victory over the Milwaukee Brewers with a final score of 16-3.
Albert Pujols and Bob Robertson share the record for the most total bases in a postseason game. Pujols had 14 total bases in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series with two singles and three home runs. Robertson had 14 TB in Game 2 of the 1971 National League Championship Series with a double and three home runs.
Ted Williams holds the record for the most total bases in an All-Star Game. He hit for 10 total bases with two singles and two dingers while playing for the American League.
The Boston Red Sox hit for 60 total bases on June 8, 1950, which remains the highest number of total bases by a team in a single game. They ultimately outscored the St. Louis Browns 29-4 in that game.
What is a total bases bet?
In sports betting, a total bases bet is a type of prop bet which can be placed for how many total bases a batter will earn in a game. Sometimes, this bet is set up as a contest between two players on opposing teams, with a bet placed on which of the two will have more total bases in a game.
Example of how total bases is used in commentary
1. With two doubles and a home run in a matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays, Mike Trout has racked up eight total bases for the afternoon.
2. The San Diego Padres are on their way to a blowout win over Tampa Bay, due in part to the 10 total bases earned by Nelson Cruz.
Abbreviated as:
1. TB
Sports the term is used
1. Baseball
2. Softball