Baseball Glossary › Quality Start
Quality Start (QS)
A quality start (QS) is credited to a starting pitcher who pitches at least six innings and allows three earned runs or fewer. It rewards a starter for doing his two jobs, getting outs and preventing runs, regardless of whether his team wins. Unearned runs do not count against the three-run limit.
What to Know
Unlike a pitcher win, which depends on run support and the bullpen, a quality start depends only on the starter's own innings pitched and earned runs. Six innings with exactly three earned runs works out to a 4.50 ERA for that game, which is why critics call the bar low, but most quality starts come in well under it.
John Lowe, then a sportswriter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, coined the term in 1985. He also named two wrinkles: a tough loss, a quality start in which the pitcher took the loss, and a cheap win, a win earned without a quality start.
A complete game goes further: the starter records every out. A shutout is a complete game with no runs allowed. A quality start needs neither.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a quality start in baseball?
A quality start is a start in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and allows no more than three earned runs. It is meant to show whether a starter did his job.
Do unearned runs count against a quality start?
No. The rule looks only at earned runs. A starter can allow unearned runs that score because of errors and still be credited with a quality start if he meets the six-inning, three-earned-run test.
Who invented the quality start?
Sportswriter John Lowe coined the quality start in 1985 while covering baseball for the Philadelphia Inquirer, as a way to judge a starter apart from his win-loss record.
What is a tough loss in baseball?
A tough loss is a quality start in which the starting pitcher is charged with the loss. It usually means his team gave him little or no run support.
Can a pitcher get a quality start without getting the win?
Yes. A quality start depends only on innings and earned runs. The pitcher can get the win, the loss or a no-decision, depending on how his offense and bullpen perform.
What is the difference between a quality start and a complete game?
A quality start needs six innings and three or fewer earned runs. A complete game means the pitcher recorded every out for his team, however many runs he allowed.
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