How to Calculate Game Score in Baseball

Game score is a baseball pitching statistic developed by the famous baseball writer Bill James. The statistic is used to assign a number called a game score to a pitcher's performance in one game. All other major pitching statistics are taken into account. Game score is a good way for coaches and fans to measure and track the overall effectiveness of pitching performance in one simple number.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Look at a pitcher's line score for the game. The statistic is usually applied to starting pitchers, but can also be applied to relief pitchers. Consider innings pitched, strikeouts, hits, earned runs, unearned runs and walks.
2. Start with a base of 50. Add and subtract from 50 to get the overall game score. An overall score over 50 is considered a quality start for a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball and lower than 50 is considered a sub par performance. However, other leagues may differ based on how much offense they tend to have.
3. Add one point for every out the pitcher gets in the game. This means one full inning of work gives a pitcher three points.
4. Give the pitcher two additional points for each inning he completes after the fourth. In the fifth inning on, the pitcher still gets one point for each out, but also two points for each inning he finishes.
5. Award the pitcher one point for each strikeout he accumulates in the game. You can skip this for your own personal use if you do not want to value a strikeout over other outs.
6. Take away two points for each hit the pitcher gives up and one point for each walk he gives up. The pitcher is not penalized for batters reaching base on errors or fielder's choices. Nor is he penalized for hit batsmen. If you consider this important, subtract one point for hit batsmen for your own personal use.
7. Subtract four points for each earned run the pitcher gives up during the course of the baseball game and two points for each unearned run he surrenders.
8. Calculate all of your numbers. The result is the pitcher's game score for the baseball game.