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Youth Baseball Stats Cheat Sheet: Formulas Every Coach Should Know

By Tim Valdes, founder of ScoutBall AI. Updated September 19, 2026.

The stats that matter most for youth baseball and softball, what each one measures, the formula, and the coaching decision it is good for. Batting average and ERA are not on the list on purpose: at the youth level both are swamped by errors and small samples, and the stats below tell you more with the same box score.

Youth baseball stats cheat sheet
Stat	What it measures	Formula	Use it for
OBP	How often a hitter reaches base	`(H + BB + HBP) ÷ (AB + BB + HBP + SF)`	Leadoff and top-of-order hitters
SLG	Power: total bases per at-bat	`Total bases ÷ AB`	Finding run producers
OPS	On-base ability plus power	`OBP + SLG`	Best single hitting stat
BB/PA	Plate discipline	`BB ÷ PA`	Rewarding a good eye
BABIP	Results on balls in play (luck check)	`(H − HR) ÷ (AB − K − HR + SF)`	Separating luck from skill
LD% / GB% / FB%	Type of contact	`Type ÷ balls in play`	Coaching swing path
K/BB	Pitcher command	`K ÷ BB`	Finding strike-throwers (2+ is strong for youth)
WHIP	Baserunners allowed per inning	`(BB + H) ÷ IP`	Who keeps innings clean
FIP	Pitching independent of defense	`(13×HR + 3×(BB + HBP) − 2×K) ÷ IP + constant`	Picking your true ace
ERA	Earned runs per regulation game	`ER × innings per game ÷ IP`	Pitching + defense together
FPCT	Errors on chances handled	`(PO + A) ÷ (PO + A + E)`	Comparing within one position only
CS%	Runners thrown out stealing	`CS ÷ SB attempts`	Catchers — with context

Try the OPS, WHIP & FIP calculator Get the printable version

The printable cheat sheet is one of the nine pages in the free Coach's Binder.

How to read the cheat sheet

Hitting. Start with OBP and OPS. OBP credits the kids who reach base on walks and hit-by-pitches, which a batting average ignores and which, at this level, is a large share of all baserunners. OPS adds power, so it is the best single number for ranking hitters and building a batting order. Use BB/PA to spot plate discipline and BABIP to tell a hot streak from real improvement.

Pitching. K/BB and WHIP show who throws strikes and keeps innings clean, which matters more than ERA when the defense behind a pitcher is ten years old. FIP strips the defense out entirely and is the fairest way to compare two pitchers on the same team.

Fielding. FPCT only means something when you compare players at the same position, and CS% needs context: a catcher with a pitcher who is slow to the plate will throw out fewer runners no matter how strong the arm.

Go deeper on each stat

Short answers to the questions coaches ask about these numbers.

Batting stats

Baserunning stats

Fielding stats

Pitching stats

Not sure what a term means? See the youth baseball analytics glossary.

Skip the math

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