Do you know a child who loves baseball? Combine math with their love of baseball for some great summer math practice! There is a lot of math associated with baseball statistics, so have your child figure out the stats on their favorite players! Here are some ideas:
Earned Run Average (ERA): This common pitching stat is found by the number of earned runs x 9 divided by the total innings pitched. For example, the pitcher allowed 67 runs in 220 innings, 67 x 9 = 603. 603/220 = 2.74 ERA
Batting Average: Number of base hits divided by total at bats
On Base Percentage (OBP): Total hits + bases reached on balls (walks) + bases reached by hit by pitch divided by total at bats + bases reached on balls + bases reached by hit by pitch + sacrifice flies. Wow, here’s an example:
420 at bats, 108 hits, 42 walks, 8 hit by pitch, 7 sac. flies OBP: (108+42+8)/(420+42+8+7)=158/477=.331
Challenge: Which should we use to measure the effectiveness of an offensive player – the batting average or the OBP? Have your child think about what this question is asking…and remember that being a strong offensive player means getting on base, even with a walk, so OBP would be the answer!
Have fun with math!