What Does RISP Mean in Baseball? (The Best Resource)

Baseball is one such sport which is gaining popularity among the youths lately. Many people have started to follow the games, but sometimes they failed to understand a few nuances of a certain game due to lack of understanding of a few terms.

I have started a series to help you understand all the popular baseball abbreviations. Earlier we have covered terms like MVR, LOB, PO, LRP, and today I will try to explain what does RISP mean in baseball.

RISP in baseball means “Runners In Scoring Position.”  It is used to predict the number of likely runs by combining it with other statistics. The top goal of any team is to win the game by scoring extra runs than the opponent team. 

A runner can go on scoring if he is on the second or third base and in RISP. To be in RISP, the player must run ahead of the ball. The player is removed from RISP when he is out.

RISP helps to calculate the number of baserunners in scoring position on the base paths. Let’s dive down further to understand further details about RISP.

What does RISP mean in baseball?

A runner can go on scoring if he is on the second or third base and in RISP. To be in RISP, the player must run ahead of the ball. The player is removed from RISP when he is out.

Any runner on the second or third base can score a run despite the batter hitting a single. In addition, a runner on third base may score on a wild pitch or even on an obstacle.

Catchers and players not running are not included in RISP. Runners must take advantage of this by reaching base and progressing up the batting order to be in the scoring position.

A player who has hit into a double play or home run and is either at second base or third base is referred to as being in scoring position (RISP). Commonly, to continue scoring runs, the batter will try to get on the base. But if RISPed out; he won’t be able to do that. 

RISP was derived to calculate the clutch hitting to understand how the batters perform under tremendous pressure, such as running and looking to score more runs to win the game.

How is RISP calculated in baseball?

Baseball’s RISP statistic tracks how frequently a player steps up to the plate throughout an inning. The process involves computing the overall number of base runners and dividing them by the number of at-bats each player has had.

Here’s an example for a better understanding of the rule. In the case of the batter hitting a single with two runners on the base, the RISP would be 1/3, i.e., 2 ÷ 3.

The purpose of RISP is to measure the clutch of a player or team. The base of RISP depends on the batters’ batting average and considers how many times the hitters hit double plays. This calculation helps to measure RISP more accurately and the players’ performances also.

Why is 2nd base considered a scoring position?

Because a batter can reach second base on a double play, it is known as scoring position. In an event of two players bunting, one hitter will choose to but towards 2nd base and the other runner runs to the third or first base.

In case, the catcher gets the ball, the runners have to go home, and that’s why they are called runners. The chances of getting an extra-base hit are more with second base, the reason for it to be called a scoring position. Second or third base are excellent positions for shooting. 

The first base doesn’t allow much scoring, that’s why runners from the first base will try to reach second or third base, which allows for scoring more runs. For scoring more runs, the player has to be on the second or at least on the third base. Further, it depends on their performance and capability to win over the fielder, whose ultimate goal is to catch the hitters.

If you achieve being in a scoring position, it will be wrong to think that you will earn runs only because you are in that position. You still have to upscale your performance to score more runs by achieving an RBI hit.  The scoring position of the second base doesn’t undervalue the importance of the first base. It is the starting point for runners who are looking to steal the position on the second or third base. 

Last but not least, don’t overlook home plate. If it isn’t adequately defended, any balls thrown toward second or third will fly directly into center field for simple home runs.

Who has the highest career batting average with runners in scoring position?

The highest career batting average with RISP in the last 50 years (min 2,000 PA) is as follows:

Highest career AVG with RISP in the past 50 years (min. 2,000 PA):

• .349 Tony Gwynn
• .347 Rod Carew
• .334 JOE MAUER
• .328 Miguel Cabrera
• .327 Manny Ramirez
• .326 Paul Molitor
• .324 Wade Boggs
• .324 Todd Helton
• .322 Kirby Puckett

Carew, Mauer, Molitor, and Puckett all make the top nine.

(Courtesy: Tweet from Aaron Gleeman – Twitter handle: @AaronGleeman, Date: Sep 13, 2018)

Batting average with runners in scoring position

Highest all-time single-season batting averages with runners in scoring position

Minimum 100 at bats; through 2013.

(Source)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

There are several stats in Baseball to calculate the teams and the players’ performances. One of the stats is RISP which means “Runners In Scoring Position.”

The RISP helps to figure out how many baserunners are in the scoring position. It is one way to understand how a team or batter may perform under tremendous pressure during a game. 

There is a specific formula to calculate RISP. RISP = Total number of base players divided by the number of at-bats each player has had. A batting average of .300 or more is considered ideal in MLB.