What is BB in Baseball?

BB: Frequently Asked Questions

What is BB in baseball?

A walk, or base on balls (BB), is awarded to a batter who receives four pitches outside the strike zone that the batter does not swing at. The batter is awarded first base without the threat of being put out. Walks reflect a batter's plate discipline — their ability to lay off bad pitches and make the pitcher throw strikes. An intentional walk (IBB) is a strategic decision by the manager to put the batter on base deliberately.

How is BB calculated?

Walks are a counting statistic tracked per plate appearance. They are included in on-base percentage (OBP) calculations but not batting average. Walk rate (BB%) — walks divided by plate appearances — measures how often a player draws a walk per trip to the plate and normalizes the stat for different workloads.

What is a good BB in baseball?

In the modern era, 80+ walks in a season is excellent; 100+ is elite; 120+ is legendary. Career walk totals above 1,500 reflect exceptional longevity and plate discipline. A BB% above 12% is elite; 9–12% is above average; below 6% indicates below-average patience at the plate.

Who has the most career walks in MLB history?

Barry Bonds holds the career walk record with 2,558, more than 300 ahead of second-place Rickey Henderson (2,190). Babe Ruth (2,062), Ted Williams (2,021), and Joe Morgan (1,865) round out the top five. Bonds also holds the single-season record with 232 walks in 2004.

What is the difference between BB and IBB?

BB (base on balls) includes all walks — both those resulting from a pitcher missing the strike zone and intentional walks (IBB). IBB (intentional base on balls) is a separate statistic tracking walks issued intentionally by the defense as a strategic decision, typically to face a weaker hitter or to set up a force out. Barry Bonds holds the single-season IBB record with 120 in 2004.