What is RISP in Baseball?

Last updated on December 20th, 2023 at 04:58 pm

In baseball, RISP stands for “runners in scoring position.” This stat tracks how many baserunners are in scoring position when on the base paths. Not all players on base are in scoring positions, so further understanding this statistic is essential.

So, when is a baseball player in a scoring position? How does the small ball strategy play a factor in RISP? What happens to baserunners who are left on the base after an inning? What is the average of leaving runners on base?

Here is the complete breakdown of what RISP is in baseball along with my video explanation.

Table of Contents

What Does RISP Mean in Baseball?

RISP in baseball stands for runners in scoring position. RISP is an important stat to understand because it illustrates how many runners where left in scoring position after an inning. Scoring position means that a runner (or runners) were on second or third base. That means a single, sac fly, bunt, wild pitch, or balk can score a runner. To see the full article: https://thestadiumreviews.com/blogs/info/what-is-risp-in-baseball/

When is a Baseball Player in Scoring Position?

A baserunner is considered in scoring position when they’re on second or third base. Being on second or third base generally means you can score a run if a batter hits a single. Also, a baserunner on third can score on a balk or even a wild pitch.

If a player is on first base, they’d need a few scenarios in their favor to score. Some scenarios would be when the ball splits the outfielders, they (the runner) have good speed, and if they were already in motion via two outs or stealing second base on the throw.

How Does Small Ball Baseball Fit into RISP?

Some baseball teams employ “small ball” strategies, relying on singles to get players on base. Once a team can get a player on base, they can use several small ball strategies like bunting them to second or stealing the base to get into scoring position. Small-ball baseball strategies work best with teams who have good speed and bat control to bunt.

Most recently, the Kansas City Royals successfully implemented small ball tactics during their 2015 World Series run. Before that, the Florida Marlins won the 2003 World Series by using the small ball as their offensive strategy. Finally, the Anaheim Angels back in 2002 won the World Series with the small ball strategy.

What Happens if Baserunners Are Left in Scoring Position at the End of an Inning?

If an inning ends with runners still on second and third base, they’re often called “runners left in scoring position.” Runners left in scoring position are a negative statistic used to estimate how inefficient an offense was during the game. An example of stranding baserunners is if you strikeout to end the inning, fly out to the outfield, or ground out to a fielder.

How Many Runners are Left on the Basepaths on Average?

According to Team Rankings in 2013, the average number of runners left in scoring position for a baseball team came out to 3.45

Why Does MLB Calculate Runners in Scoring Position as a Stat?

Counting how many runners are in the scoring position during a baseball game can tell a story about the offense. For example, a team might get many hits but only score one or two runs during the game and lose. When looking back at the game, baseball managers can analyze the batting average with runners in scoring position to see if that was the reason they did not score enough runs to win the game.

A batting average with runners in scoring position is a common way to track and expand on RISP. The expansion on RISP takes a batter’s hits with runners in scoring position and divides it by their plate appearances with runners in scoring position. You can take this statistic further by taking the batting average with two outs and runners in the scoring position to measure how clutch a player or team is.

In Major League Baseball, “clutch situations” include when a runner is in scoring position, either on second or third base, and if the hitter can drive them into home plate. While RISP is still common, the MLB began using WPA, or Win Probability Added, to forecast scoring chances better. WPA attempts to quantify how much a player contributed to a win.

Conclusion: What is RISP in Baseball?

In summary, RISP is an excellent metric to value how many baserunners were in scoring positions during a game. This stat can then expand to metrics like RBI, slugging percentage, and OPS.