The Definition of a Sacrifice Hit in Baseball
Definition 1 2
- The number of times a batter is out but successfully advances a runner with a bunt is called a Sacrifice Bunt, abbreviated as SH.
- The number of times a batter flies out but enables a runner to score is called a Sacrifice Fly, abbreviated as SF.
Description
A bunt refers to lightly touching the ball with the bat as shown above. The ball doesn’t go far, and the batter is almost certainly out, but the purpose is to buy time for the runner to advance.
A fly out refers to when a ball hit into the air is caught, resulting in the batter being out. However, if there are no outs or one out, the runner can score by reaching home plate while the ball is returned to the infield.
Fans of the offensive team enjoy a sacrifice fly, praising it as “smart baseball” or “high-level baseball.” This is because, typically, each team is given 27 outs per game, and exchanging them for scores is considered beneficial.
Sacrifice bunts and sacrifice flies are collectively called sacrifice hits.
Sabermetrics
On an individual player level, sacrifice hits are not considered significant.
A known sabermetric lesson regarding sacrifice bunts states that it actually decreases the expected runs in scoring positions. This is a natural result of giving up the chance for extra-base hits, but it refers to expected runs, not the probability of scoring. During the actual management of a baseball game, there comes a time when it is essential to carefully accumulate scores rather than aiming for a big hit. Whether a team frequently utilizes or refrains from sacrifice bunts can indicate the team’s strategic reliance or the manager’s tendencies.
Sacrifice flies are literally meaningless achievements, and they should be meaningless. There’s no difference between an ordinary fly and a sacrifice fly in terms of the batter being out; it’s just that the presence of a runner in scoring position introduces too much of a luck factor. While it’s true that scores are produced, from an analyst’s perspective, it’s impossible to regard sacrifice flies as a meaningful metric due to such reasons.