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Does an error count as a plate appearance?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 22, 2026

Does an error count as a plate appearance? Yes, an error counts as a plate appearance in baseball. Every time a player comes up to bat, it counts as a plate appearance unless a runner is thrown out stealing for the third out or the winning run for the game is scored in the middle of an at-bat.

Does reaching on an error count as a plate appearance?

Reached on errors count in the denominator as at-bats (and thus plate appearances), but not in the numerator, even though no out occurred on the play (another argument lurks in the denominator about sacrifice hits [bunts] as opposed to sacrifice flies).

What does not count as a plate appearance?

A batter does not receive a plate appearance if a runner is thrown out on the bases to end the inning while he is at bat, or if the game-winning run scores on a balk, wild pitch or passed ball while he is at bat.

Does an error count as OBP?

OBP refers to how frequently a batter reaches base per plate appearance. Times on base include hits, walks and hit-by-pitches, but do not include errors, times reached on a fielder's choice or a dropped third strike.

What is considered a plate appearance in baseball?

In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner.

21 related questions found

What counts as a plate appearance but not an at bat?

Definition. An official at-bat comes when a batter reaches base via a fielder's choice, hit or an error (not including catcher's interference) or when a batter is put out on a non-sacrifice. (Whereas a plate appearance refers to each completed turn batting, regardless of the result.)

Does a walk count as a plate appearance?

In baseball, an At-Bat (AB) is any Plate Appearance (PA) that results in a hit, error, fielder's choice or a non-sacrifice out. Any other result, like a walk, hit-by-pitch, sacrifice fly, sacrifice bunt, or catcher's interference, does not count towards an official At-Bat.

Do errors count as hits?

Definition. A batter receives a reached on error when he reaches base because of a defensive error -- meaning he wouldn't have otherwise reached. Reaching base on an error does not count as a hit, nor does it count as a time on base for purposes of on-base percentage.

Does sacrifice count as at bat?

A sacrifice fly does not count as an at-bat and therefore does not count against a player's batting average. The thinking behind the rule is that with a man on third base and fewer than two outs, a batter will often intentionally try to hit a fly ball, sacrificing his time at bat to help score a run.

Do errors count for on base streak?

An error does not count as a hit but still counts as an at bat for the batter unless, in the scorer's judgment, the batter would have reached first base safely but one or more of the additional bases reached was the result of the fielder's mistake.

Whats the difference between plate appearance and at-bats?

An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batter is credited with an at bat only if that plate appearance does not have one of the results enumerated below.

Is a HBP a BB?

The term "base on balls" distinguishes a walk from the other manners in which a batter can be awarded first base without liability to be put out (e.g., hit by pitch (HBP), catcher's interference).

What does G stand for in baseball?

G – Games played: The number of games the player has appeared in during the current MLB season. AB – At bats: The number of times the player has been at bat, defined as plate appearances minus sacrifices, walks, and Hit by Pitches.

Does fielder's choice count as a hit?

This play is commonly referred to as "grounding into a force out". Fielder's choice is recorded for the batter-runner (6-4 or 6-4-3, depending on whether an attempt was made to put him out), and he is not credited with a hit.

Do sac bunts count as at-bats?

A successful sacrifice bunt does not count as an at bat, does not impact a player's batting average, and counts as a plate appearance. Unlike a sacrifice fly, a sacrifice bunt is not included in the calculation of the player's on-base percentage.

Is a squeeze bunt a sacrifice?

In baseball, the squeeze play (a.k.a. squeeze bunt) is a maneuver consisting of a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third base. The batter bunts the ball, expecting to be thrown out at first base, but providing the runner on third base an opportunity to score.

Does an error count as an RBI?

A player does not receive an RBI when the run scores as a result of an error or ground into double play. The most common examples of RBIs are run-scoring hits. However, players also receive an RBI for a bases-loaded walk or hit by pitch.

Do you get an RBI on a fielder's choice?

If a runner scores due to a fielder holding the ball or throwing to a different base, credit the RBI only if the runner was running towards home the whole time. If he appeared to only be going to 3rd and decided to run home when the throw went to a different base, then score it as a fielder's choice.

Can you get an error on a foul ball?

A ground ball hit in foul territory is simply a foul ball, and cannot be played. An error can be charged on a catchable ball hit in foul territory that is dropped, even though the batter does not reach base and the runners cannot advance: the mere fact of the at bat being unduly prolonged is enough to merit the error.

Why is a walk called BB?

Definition. A walk (or base on balls) occurs when a pitcher throws four pitches out of the strike zone, none of which are swung at by the hitter. After refraining from swinging at four pitches out of the zone, the batter is awarded first base. In the scorebook, a walk is denoted by the letters BB.

What does po mean in baseball?

Definition. A fielder is credited with a putout when he is the fielder who physically records the act of completing an out -- whether it be by stepping on the base for a forceout, tagging a runner, catching a batted ball, or catching a third strike.

What does H stand for in baseball?

A hit occurs when a batter strikes the baseball into fair territory and reaches base without doing so via an error or a fielder's choice.

Does a walk count as a hit?

A walk does not count as an at bat or hit, and does not affect a player's batting average. You can see a list of Major League Baseball Players with the highest career batting averages in our sports almanac.

What does TB mean in baseball?

Definition. Total bases refer to the number of bases gained by a batter through his hits. A batter records one total base for a single, two total bases for a double, three total bases for a triple and four total bases for a home run.

What is BF in baseball stats?

Definition. Batters faced is simply a count of the number of total plate appearances against a certain pitcher or team. In a perfect game -- with 27 outs -- a pitcher will record 27 batters faced. Batters faced can often be used as a reference for in-game strategy.