Baseball Glossary › Total Chances
Total Chances (TC)
Total chances (TC), often just called chances, are the number of opportunities a fielder had to make a play. The formula is putouts plus assists plus errors. A play the fielder converts adds a putout or assist, and a play he botches adds an error, so either way it counts as one chance.
Formula
Worked example (illustrative numbers): a shortstop has 200 putouts, 400 assists and 15 errors.
TC = 200 + 400 + 15 = 615
What to Know
Total chances exist mostly as the denominator for fielding percentage. The Official Baseball Rules define fielding average as putouts plus assists divided by putouts, assists and errors, and they name that denominator chances.
The big flaw is that a chance only counts if the fielder touches the ball or is charged with an error. A diving stop counts as a chance, but a ball a slower fielder never reaches does not count against him at all. That is why range-based stats like Outs Above Average and range factor were developed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chances mean in baseball?
Chances, or total chances, is a fielding stat equal to putouts plus assists plus errors. It counts how many plays a fielder either made or was charged with failing to make.
How do you calculate total chances?
Add putouts, assists and errors. A fielder with 200 putouts, 400 assists and 15 errors has 615 total chances. Those chances are the denominator in fielding percentage.
What does TC mean in baseball stats?
TC stands for total chances, the sum of a fielder's putouts, assists and errors. You will usually see it in fielding tables next to PO, A, E and FPCT.
Do errors count as chances?
Yes. An error counts as a chance because the fielder had an opportunity to make the play and did not. That is why errors lower fielding percentage: they add to the denominator without adding to the putouts and assists on top.
Why do some positions have more total chances?
Position drives the total. Catchers get a putout on every strikeout and first basemen catch most infield throws, so both rack up chances. Outfielders see far fewer balls, so their totals are much lower.
Is a high number of total chances good?
It depends. More chances can reflect range, but they also reflect position, how often the pitching staff induces ground balls and how much a player plays. Compare chances only between players at the same position with similar playing time.
Related Terms
Sources
- MLB.com Glossary: Total Chances (TC)
- MLB.com Glossary: Fielding Percentage (FPCT)
- Official Baseball Rules 2026 (MLB)
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