BF, or Batters Faced, is a baseball statistic that refers to the number of batters a pitcher has faced over a given period of time, such as a game or season. Knowing the number of batters faced can provide insights into a pitcher’s effectiveness and efficiency.
Definition of Batters Faced
Specifically, batters faced (BF) is defined as the total number of batters that come to the plate against a pitcher in a game or season. This statistic includes batters who get on base via hits, walks, hit by pitches, and errors, as well as outs made by the defense.
For example, if a pitcher throws to 5 batters in an inning and allows 2 singles, gets 1 out on a fly ball, walks 1 batter, and strikes out 1 batter, that pitcher’s batters faced for that inning would be 5.
What BF Tells You
The batters faced stat provides useful information about a pitcher’s effectiveness and efficiency. A high BF indicates that a pitcher is struggling to get outs and is allowing runners on base. A low BF shows that a pitcher is effective at recording outs and keeping runners off base.
Specifically, BF can tell you:
- How many batters a pitcher is averaging per inning pitched
- If a pitcher is pitching deep into games or getting pulled early
- How efficient a pitcher is at getting outs and limiting baserunners
- How effective a pitcher is at finishing innings quickly
- How taxing an outing is on a pitcher’s pitch count
A lower BF is generally better for a pitcher. The league average BF for starting pitchers is around 22-24 per game. The best starting pitchers will often have BFs of 20 or less.
Comparing BF to Other Pitching Statistics
While BF provides useful insights, it does not tell the whole story on a pitcher’s performance. BF should be looked at in combination with other key pitching stats like ERA, innings pitched, walks allowed, and strikeouts.
For example, two pitchers may have similar BFs in a game, but one pitcher could have allowed many more runs. Or a pitcher could have a higher BF because they pitched deeper into a game.
BF also does not account for the quality of batters faced. A pitcher facing the top of an opponent’s lineup multiple times may have a higher BF but may have pitched very well against those hitters.
Overall, BF works best when complemented by stats like ERA, WHIP, innings pitched, pitch count, and advanced metrics like FIP. Getting the full pitching picture requires a holistic look at a variety of statistics.
Leaders in Batters Faced
Pitchers who rank among the annual leaders in batters faced are typically starting pitchers who log a high volume of innings pitched. These pitchers go deep into games consistently and shoulder a heavy workload for their respective teams.
Here are the top 5 pitchers in batters faced for the 2022 MLB regular season:
| Player | BF |
|---|---|
| Gerrit Cole | 889 |
| Aaron Nola | 875 |
| Sandy Alcantara | 865 |
| Robbie Ray | 861 |
| Max Scherzer | 857 |
As you can see, the league leaders typically face over 850 batters in a season. Cole led MLB with 889 batters faced in 2022 while throwing over 200 innings for the Yankees.
All-Time Single Season Leaders in BF
The all-time single season record for batters faced is 1,188 by Nolan Ryan for the California Angels in 1974. Ryan started 41 games and threw 332.2 innings that record-setting season. Here are the all-time top 5 single season BFs:
| Player | Year | BF |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan | 1974 | 1,188 |
| Phil Niekro | 1979 | 1,181 |
| Nolan Ryan | 1977 | 1,163 |
| Gaylord Perry | 1974 | 1,134 |
| Mickey Lolich | 1971 | 1,128 |
As you can see from the list, racking up over 1,100+ batters faced generally requires an enormous workload of 300+ innings pitched. The game has changed, making it unlikely we’ll see totals like these again.
Games Started Leaders in Batters Faced
Pitchers who start a high number of games will also end up facing more batters over a season. Here are the all-time single season games started leaders since 1913:
| Player | Year | GS |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Chesbro | 1904 | 51 |
| Jim McCormick | 1885 | 72 |
| Pud Galvin | 1883 | 72 |
| Will White | 1879 | 75 |
| Bill Hutchinson | 1892 | 66 |
As you can see, pitchers regularly made 70+ starts in a season in the late 1800s. While unlikely to be matched again, pitchers today are still recognized for compiling high games started totals in a season.
Careers Leaders in Batters Faced
When looking at batters faced leaders for full careers, the names at the top are some of the greatest and most durable pitchers of all time:
| Player | BF |
|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan | 27,707 |
| Don Sutton | 25,927 |
| Phil Niekro | 24,604 |
| Gaylord Perry | 24,135 |
| Steve Carlton | 23,909 |
Nolan Ryan easily tops the list after facing over 27,700 hitters in his 27-year career. Long careers defined by large workloads are a requirement to finish among the leaders in career batters faced.
Highest Single Game Batters Faced
When looking at the most batters faced by a pitcher in a single game, Nolan Ryan and Tom Cheney top the list:
| Player | Date | BF |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan | 7/9/1974 | 57 |
| Tom Cheney | 9/12/1962 | 53 |
| Gaylord Perry | 6/7/1970 | 53 |
| Warren Spahn | 5/26/1952 | 50 |
| Lew Krausse | 5/18/1961 | 50 |
Nolan Ryan set the single game record with 57 batters faced in a complete game win vs. the Boston Red Sox in 1974. Tom Cheney is second with 53 BF while pitching for the Washington Senators in 1962.
Tracking Game Batters Faced
While season and career BF totals are interesting, analyzing BF on a game-by-game basis can be most useful for evaluating pitching performance and effectiveness.
Tracking batters faced for pitchers start-by-start can show trends and tendencies. For example, a starter who averages 20 BF through 5 innings consistently is likely pitching well. But if that number creeps up to 24+ BF, it could indicate they are struggling to finish innings.
Likewise, a reliever who comes in for one inning with 3 BF is much more effective than one who faces 5+ batters and can’t close out the frame.
By charting batters faced for pitchers game-by-game, teams can monitor workloads and adjust as needed. They can also plan for scenarios late in the season when they need certain pitchers to go deeper to rest the bullpen.
Calculating Batters Faced
Manually calculating batters faced for a pitcher in a game requires paying close attention to the game events:
- Start counting at 1 for the first batter faced in the game.
- Add 1 for each batter that comes to the plate, including any baserunners the pitcher inherits.
- Keep a running count and add 1 for every plate appearance while the pitcher is in the game.
- substitutions.
With play-by-play data, the batters faced calculation can be automated by summing all plate appearances against a certain pitcher in a game. BF stats are accessible on sites like Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs, and ESPN for those who don’t want to manually track.
Factoring in Substitutions
One important caveat is that batters faced does not reset when a new pitcher enters. For example, if pitcher A faces 3 batters before being removed, and pitcher B comes in with 2 men on base, pitcher B inherits those baserunners in his BF total.
So pitcher B’s BF would start at 2 right away before facing a batter. This prevents understating how many batters a reliever truly faced just because some had reached safely against the prior pitcher.
Other Uses and Applications
While batters faced is most commonly used for pitchers, this statistic can also provide interesting insights for position players:
- Catchers – BF can show the workload for catchers in handling a pitching staff.
- Everyday players – BF indicates how often a hitter steps in against tough pitching.
- Platoons – Managers can use BF splits to optimize matchups for hitters.
In each case, the number of opposing batters faced shows how much exposure players get across a season against rivals.
Conclusion
While not as prominent as categories like ERA or wins, batters faced is an insightful stat for today’s data-driven MLB landscape. For pitchers, BF quickly communicates effectiveness, efficiency, and workload. It complements traditional stats and emerging analytics.
For position players, BF indicates exposure against opposing pitchers and platoons. Next time you dive into pitching and hitting matchups, keep the batters faced metric in mind.