baseball statistics Baseball statistics include a variety of metrics used to evaluate player and team performance in the sport of baseball. Because the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and player activity is characteristically distinguishable ind ...

, bases on balls per nine innings pitched (BB/9IP or BB/9) or walks per nine innings (denoted by W/9) is the average number of

bases on balls A base on balls (BB), better known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches during a plate appearance that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The bas ...

, (or walks) given up by a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

per nine

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

. It is determined by multiplying the number of bases on balls allowed by nine, and dividing by the number of innings pitched. It is a measure of the bases on balls ability of a pitcher.

Leaders

All but one of the top 25 single-season leaders in BB/9IP through 2018 pitched in the period of 1876-84.

George Zettlein George Zettlein (July 12, 1844 – May 22, 1905) was an American professional baseball pitcher, right fielder and first baseman. He played six seasons in Major League Baseball from 1871 to 1876 for the Chicago White Stockings, Troy Haymakers, B ...

was the all-time single-season leader (0.2308 in 1876), followed by

Cherokee Fisher William Charles "Cherokee" Fisher (November 1844 – September 26, 1912) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, National Association from 1871 to 1875 and the Na ...

(0.2355 in 1876) and

George Bradley George Washington Bradley (July 13, 1852 – October 2, 1931), nicknamed "Grin", was an American professional baseball player who was a pitcher and infielder. He played for multiple teams in the early years of the National League, the oldest le ...

(0.2755 in 1880).Single-Season Leaders & Records for Bases On Balls per 9 IP , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref> The highest single-season modern day baseball performance was by Carlos Silva (0.4301 in 2005). The all-time career leaders in BB/9IP through 2022 were

Candy Cummings William Arthur "Candy" Cummings (October 18, 1848 – May 17, 1924) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a pitcher in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, and National League. Cummings is widely cred ...

(0.4731),

Tommy Bond Thomas Ross Bond (September 16, 1926 – September 24, 2005) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods in ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (fir ...

(0.4787), and

Al Spalding Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of the Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...

(0.5114), all of whom played in the 1870s and 1880s. The active career leaders in BB/9IP through 2022 were

Corey Kluber Corey Scott Kluber (born April 10, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. He made his MLB ...

(1.9683), Michael Pineda (1.9719), and Hyun Jin Ryu (1.9914).Active Leaders & Records for Bases On Balls per 9 IP , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref>

References

Pitching statistics {{Baseball-stub