Baseball Glossary › Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched
Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP)
WHIP stands for walks and hits per inning pitched. Add the walks and hits a pitcher allows and divide by his innings pitched. The result shows how many baserunners he lets on per inning, so a WHIP of 1.00 means one baserunner per inning. Hit batters and runners who reach on errors are not counted.
Formula
Worked example (illustrative numbers): a pitcher allows 40 walks and 140 hits in 180 innings.
WHIP = (40 + 140) / 180 = 180 / 180 = 1.00
If his innings were 180.2, use 180.667 in the math, not 180.2
Athletics example: Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley allowed a career 1.16 WHIP across 3285.2 innings, as starter and closer combined. See the full career line on the Dennis Eckersley player page.
Walks plus hits per inning: 1.16
Our database stores the finished WHIP rather than career hits allowed, so this shows the published figure. Career MLB totals from our player database (MLB Stats API).
What to Know
WHIP vs ERA: WHIP counts baserunners, while ERA counts earned runs. WHIP does not care how a runner reached, so a walk and a home run count the same, which is a known blind spot. Pair it with strikeout-to-walk ratio to see how much of the traffic comes from walks.
FanGraphs' rule-of-thumb table, which it notes is only an estimate because league averages change by year, puts about 1.30 at average, 1.10 as great and 1.00 as excellent. Lower is better.
MLB credits writer Daniel Okrent, who invented rotisserie fantasy baseball, with coining the stat in 1979 under the name innings pitched ratio. Because hits on balls in play depend partly on defense and luck, a pitcher's WHIP can swing from year to year; see BABIP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does WHIP stand for in baseball?
WHIP stands for walks and hits per inning pitched. It is the number of walks plus hits a pitcher allows, divided by his innings pitched.
How do you calculate WHIP?
Add walks and hits allowed, then divide by innings pitched. A pitcher with 40 walks and 140 hits in 180 innings has a WHIP of 1.00. Convert partial innings to thirds first.
Does a hit by pitch count in WHIP?
No. Hit batters are not included in WHIP, and neither are batters who reach on an error or a fielder's choice. Only walks and hits go into the numerator.
What is a good WHIP in baseball?
As a rough guide from FanGraphs, about 1.30 is average, 1.10 is great and 1.00 or lower is excellent. League averages shift by season, so compare a pitcher with his league.
Is a lower WHIP better?
Yes. A lower WHIP means fewer baserunners per inning, which usually leads to fewer runs. The best pitchers in a given season tend to have the lowest WHIPs.
What is the difference between WHIP and ERA?
WHIP measures how many batters reach base by walk or hit per inning. ERA measures earned runs per nine innings. WHIP shows traffic on the bases, while ERA shows how much of that traffic scored.
Related Terms
Sources
LV Athletics is an independent fan site and is not affiliated with the Athletics or Major League Baseball.