By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
BABIP measures how often a batted ball that could be fielded becomes a hit. It removes strikeouts and home runs from the denominator and numerator, because those outcomes do not involve the defense.
Find batting average on balls in play.
BABIP = (H − HR) ÷ (AB − K − HR + SF)
BABIP is descriptive and can be noisy in small samples. Pitchers and hitters often regress toward their own baseline, so a very high or low mark may not persist.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| H | Hits, the starting point for the numerator. |
| HR | Home runs, removed because they are not balls in play for the defense. |
| AB | At-bats, the starting point for the denominator. |
| K | Strikeouts, removed because they are not balls in play. |
| SF | Sacrifice flies, added because they are balls in play not counted as at-bats. |
| BABIP | Hits on balls in play divided by balls in play, shown to three decimals. |
With 140 hits, 20 home runs, 500 at-bats, 110 strikeouts, and 5 sacrifice flies, BABIP = (140 − 20) ÷ (500 − 110 − 20 + 5) = 120 ÷ 375 = 0.320.
BABIP, or batting average on balls in play, is hits minus home runs divided by at bats minus strikeouts minus home runs plus sacrifice flies. It isolates outcomes where a fielder could make a play, so it answers how often a batted ball becomes a hit rather than an out or a home run.
BABIP fluctuates widely over small samples and tends to settle near a league average over a full season, which makes it useful for spotting luck and for estimating defense. A very high or very low figure often regresses toward the mean in the following season.
Pitchers are not entirely passive. Those who generate weak contact or pop ups can sustain lower BABIP than those who allow hard contact, and some pitch styles suppress it further on ground balls. Fielding quality, defensive positioning, and park dimensions also move the number, so BABIP reflects more than pure randomness.
Continue with the Batting Average Calculator, ERA Calculator, or the Fielding Percentage Calculator — or browse more baseball tools and all sports calculators.
A home run leaves the park, so the defense has no chance to turn it into an out. Removing it keeps the rate focused on batted balls that fielders could handle.
Every result is computed locally in your browser from the formulas shown above. Nothing you type is uploaded, logged, or stored, and no account is required.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
Free calculator · No signup
Free calculator · No signup
Free calculator · No signup
Free calculator · No signup
Free calculator · No signup
Free calculator · No signup
Content updated: September 2026