BB in baseball stands for "base on balls," which is more commonly known as a walk. It occurs when a pitcher throws four pitches outside the strike zone that the batter does not swing at, and the batter is awarded first base as a result. Each walk is recorded as a BB in the batter’s stats, and it contributes to metrics like on-base percentage (OBP) and can influence team scoring opportunities and pitcher performance. Key details
- How it happens: Four balls (pitches outside the strike zone) without a swing, leading to a free pass to first base.
- Notation: In scorekeeping, this outcome is denoted as BB. An intentional walk is often indicated as IBB.
- Strategic impact: Walks reflect a batter’s plate discipline and can help extend innings, contribute to on-base percentage, and tax opposing pitchers over the course of a game.
- Related stats: Walks feed into OBP and other pace-and-control metrics used to evaluate both hitters and pitchers.
If you’d like, I can tailor this to explain how BB compares with other common outcomes (e.g., hits, strikeouts, hit by pitch) or show a quick example of how a walk might affect a specific game situation.
