A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an

error An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement. In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...

is made on the play). For example, if the batter bats a base hit which allows a teammate on a higher base to reach

home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

and so score a run, then the batter gets credited with an RBI. Before the 1920 Major League Baseball season, runs batted in were not an official baseball statistic. Nevertheless, the RBI statistic was tabulated—unofficially—from 1907 through 1919 by baseball writer Ernie Lanigan, according to the

Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and statistical record of baseball. The organization was founded in Cooperstown, New York, on Au ...

. Common nicknames for an RBI include "ribby" (or "ribbie"), "rib", and "ribeye". The plural of "RBI" is a matter of "(very) minor controversy" for baseball fans:; it is usually "RBIs", in accordance with the usual practice for pluralizing

initialism An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial letter of each word in all caps wi ...

s in English; however, some sources use "RBI" as the plural, on the basis that it can stand for "runs batted in".;

Major League Baseball rules

The 2018 edition of the Official Baseball Rules of

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB), Rule 9.04 Runs Batted In, reads: From 1980 to 1988, the

game-winning RBI A game-winning RBI (GWRBI) is a statistic that was used in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1980 to 1988. Building upon the run batted in (RBI) statistic, the ''game-winning'' RBI was defined in MLB rules as "the RBI that gives a club the lead it ...

was an additional statistic used in MLB.

Criticism

The perceived significance of the RBI is displayed by the fact that it is one of the three categories that compose the triple crown. In addition, career RBIs are often cited in debates over who should be elected to the Hall of Fame. However, critics, particularly within the field of sabermetrics, argue that RBIs measure the quality of the lineup more than it does the player himself. This is because an RBI can only be credited to a player if one or more batters preceding him in the batting order have reached base (the exception to this being a home run, in which the batter is credited with driving himself in, not just those already on base). This implies that better offensive teams —and therefore, the teams in which the most players get on base— tend to produce hitters with higher RBI totals than equivalent hitters on lesser-hitting teams.

RBI leaders in Major League Baseball

Career

Totals are current through 2023 (regular season). Active player is in bold. # Hank Aaron – 2,297 # Albert Pujols - 2,218 # Babe Ruth – 2,214 # Alex Rodríguez – 2,086 # Cap Anson - 2,075 # Barry Bonds – 1,996 # Lou Gehrig – 1,995 # Stan Musial – 1,951 #

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...

– 1,944 # Jimmie Foxx – 1,922 # Eddie Murray – 1,917 # Willie Mays - 1,909

Season

# Hack Wilson (1930) – 191 # Lou Gehrig (1931) – 185 # Hank Greenberg (1937) – 183 # Jimmie Foxx (1938) – 175 # Lou Gehrig (1927, 1930) – 173

Game

*12 RBIs ** Jim Bottomley (September 16, 1924) ** Mark Whiten (September 7, 1993) *11 RBIs ** Wilbert Robinson (June 10, 1892) ** Tony Lazzeri (May 24, 1936) ** Phil Weintraub (April 30, 1944) *10 RBIs **By 12 MLB players, most recently Shohei Ohtani on September 19, 2024

Inning

# Fernando Tatís (April 23, 1999) – 8 # Ed Cartwright (September 23, 1890) – 7 # Alex Rodriguez (October 4, 2009) – 7

Postseason (single season)

# Adolis García (2023) – 22 # David Freese (2011) – 21 # Corey Seager (2020) – 20 # Scott Spiezio (2002) – 19 # Sandy Alomar Jr. (1997) – 19 # David Ortiz (2004) – 19

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Run Batted In Baseball statistics Baseball terminology