LOB In Baseball(70 or 80, Which Is A Great LOB%)

“What is LOB in baseball?” “How is it calculated?” “Why is it important?” to know what is happening on the baseball ground and have a proper understanding of the game, one must be aware of the terms used, and one such term is “LOB in baseball.”

LOB is the abbreviation for the term “left on base.” It is a statistic to measure the number of baserunners left on base at the end of an inning.

LOB can be used as an individual statistic and a team statistic.

Here we will talk about all the things one needs to know about “LOB in baseball.”

What is LOB in Baseball?

Runners left on base are the baserunners left on the base paths at the end of an inning. The total running score is the sum of all the runners left on the field in each inning.

For a batter, LOB refers to the number of runners left on base after the batter gets an out. LOB can also be defined as the number of runners a batter has allowed to reach the base but failed to reach home. This is how we tell the runners left on base in Baseball as an individual statistic.

For Example, If the batter hits a single and gets out in the last inning and there are 2 men on first and third base, then the batter’s LOB is 2.

If a batter hits the ball in the fielder’s choice, due to which a runner gets tagged out in the final out of an inning, the baserunner is still counted as Left On Base.

For a pitcher, LOB refers to the number of runners left on base after the final out of an inning. As a team statistic, this is how we calculate the runners’ LOB in Baseball.

Why Do Teams Care About LOB In Baseball?

The most crucial part of a baseball game is to score runs. This way, they can achieve this by hitting a home run or moving the baserunners to home plates.

If a batting team has more runners left on base, it means those runners cannot score runs; hence the team has a lesser chance of winning.

In terms of the pitching team, the exact opposite is considered to be beneficial for winning; that is, if the pitching team has more players left on base, the runners are not able to score; hence the team has a greater chance of winning.

How Is LOB In Baseball Calculated?

Left On Base Percentage or LOB% is calculated by dividing the number of runners left at the pitch at the end of an inning by the total number of base runners the team had sent on the field.

The formula to calculate LOB in Baseball is as follows:

LOB% = (H+BB+HBP-R)/(H+BB+HBP-(1.4*HR)), where,

• H = Hits
• BB = Walks
• HBP = Hits By Pitch
• R = Runs
• HR = Home Runs

Number Of Runners LOB In A Game

In every major league baseball game till now, we have seen at least one runner left on base. In Major League Baseball, a team generally has an average of 6-7 runners left on base in a game.

Looking at the table below, we can tell if a pitcher’s score is good, average, or below average.

RATING	LOB%
Excellent	80%
Great	78%
Good	75%
Average	72%
Below Average	70%
Bad	65%
Awful	60%

The higher the LOB% of a pitcher, the higher the number of base runners he could prevent from reaching home and scoring. Check out more information about Baseball.

2022 MLB LOB Stats

The stats for the LOB of the top 5 teams in the 2022 MLB are:

1. Oakland Athletics – 12.65
2. Pittsburg Pirates – 13.18
3. Detroit Tigers – 13.20
4. Texas Rangers – 13.26
5. Atlanta Braves – 13.41

Is LOB Sufficient To Compare The Teams

LOB is a useful statistic that tells the number of players left on base, but it is not the only parameter one can use to compare the teams because it lacks certain areas.

LOB data does not give the ratio of base runners and doesn’t count the double plays, putouts, and caught stealing chances. Hence, we cannot tell whether a team is considered good or bad completely based on runners’ LOB.

Another commonly used baseball statistic is RBI In Baseball.

Difference Between OBP & LOB

OBP	LOB
OBP refers to the On Base Percentage.	LOB refers to the Left On Base.
OBP calculates how often a hitter can get on base.	LOB calculates the number of runners left on base after a hitter gets out in the last inning.
Having a high OBP is important for a hitter as it tells how a hitter is successful at reaching the base.	A high LOB% is important for a pitcher as it tells the number of runners he could prevent from reaching home.
OBP is calculated by: (H+BB+HBP)/(At Bats+BB+HBP+Sacrifice Files)	LOB is calculated by: (H+BB+HBP-R)/(H+BB+HBP-(1.4*HR))

Most LOB Of All Time

Most numbers of baserunners LOB by a player

• Dustin Pedroia – 13 runners in 15 innings
• Ryan Zimmerman – 12 runners in 13 innings
• Ryan Zimmerman – 14 runners in 13 innings
• Glenn Beckert – 12 runners in innings

Most numbers of baserunners LOB in a season by a team

• St. Louis Browns – 1334 runners in 1941
• Cincinnati Reds – 1328 runners in 1976

Most numbers baserunners LOB in 9-inning games

• New York – 20 runners
• Boston – 18 runners

The maximum number of runners LOB in a 9 – inning shutout is 16.

Individual LOB vs. Team LOB

INDIVIDUAL LOB	TEAM LOB
Individual LOB is the number of baserunners a batter has left on base after they are declared out.	Team LOB is the total sum of baserunners the team has left on base after the final out.
The higher the individual LOB, the better it is.	The lesser a team’s LOB is, the better it is.
The individual LOB is calculated for a batter.	The team LOB is calculated in terms of a baller.

FAQs

Conclusion

LOB is an important baseball statistic. It measures how well the defense team is playing in a game. LOB also helps the pitcher determine how to approach different batters.