How Does Fantasy Baseball Scoring Work?

A lot of people are intrigued by fantasy baseball, but don’t quite understand how the scoring works. If you’re one of those people, this blog post is for you! We’ll break down the basics of fantasy baseball scoring, so you can start enjoying this fun game.

Basic Scoring Categories

In Fantasy Baseball, there are a variety of ways to score points. The most basic way is through the scoring categories. These are the statistical categories that determine how fantasy teams accumulate points. The categories vary slightly from league to league, but the most common ones are batting statistics, pitching statistics, and base running statistics.

Hitting Categories

In fantasy baseball, points are mainly accumulated through a player’s statistical performance in hitting categories. The following list details the hitting categories that are typically used in fantasy baseball, as well as the corresponding statistics that comprise each category.

Hitting Categories
The batting average category is determined by dividing a player’s number of hits by their number of at bats. A hit is any time a batter safely reaches base, and an at bat is any time a batter steps up to the plate (with the exception of walks and hit by pitches).

The home run category is more straight-forward, as it simply tallies the number of home runs hit by a player over the course of the season. Home runs are typically worth more fantasy points than any other hitting category.

The runs batted in (RBI) category assigns points to batters based on the number of runners they drive in with their hits. So, if a batter hits a single with runners on first and third base, they would be credited with two RBIs. RBIs are also typically worth more fantasy points than other hitting categories.

The stolen base category keeps track of how many bases a player steals over the course of the season. Stolen bases are worth fewer fantasy points than home runs or RBIs, but can still be a significant source of points for hitters, depending on your league settings.

The final two hitting categories typically used in fantasy baseball are total bases and strikeouts. Total bases simply counts the total number of bases a batter accumulates through their hits (so, a single would be one total base, while a home run would be four). Strikeouts are tallied every time a batter strikes out swinging or looking at a pitch. In most cases, these two categories will have reversed point values (i.e., total bases will be worth negative points while strikeouts will be worth positive points), meaning that you’ll want to avoid batters who rack up lots of strikeouts while also accumulating few total bases.

Pitching Categories

In most leagues, pitchers accumulate points for each actual stat they achieve during the course of a game. For example, if a pitcher throws a shutout, he’ll be rewarded with a certain number of points. If he strikes out 10 batters, he’ll be rewarded with additional points, and so on.

The specific pitching categories and point values can vary slightly from league to league, but they typically include:

Points Earned: These are the Raw Stats that a Pitcher earns while performing on the mound. (i.e. 1 point per Inning Pitched, 1 point per Strikeout, -2 points per Hit Allowed, -1 point per Base on Balls Allowed, etc)

Quality Starts: A Quality Start is when a Starting Pitcher pitchers at least 6 Innings while giving up 3 Runs or less. A Pitcher receives 2 points for each Quality Start.

Saves: A Save is awarded to a Relief Pitcher who finishes a game for his team while preserving the lead. A Pitcher receives 3 points for each Save.

Holds: A Hold is awarded to a Relief Pitcher who enters the game in a Saving Situation (Usually the 8th or 9th inning with his team leading by 1-3 runs) and pitched well enough to keep his team in the lead until another Relief Pitcher or the Closer comes in and records the final out(s) of the game and gets credit for the Save. A Pitcher receives 1 point for each Hold.

How to Earn Points

In fantasy baseball, points are used to determine the standings and, ultimately, the league champion(s). A team’s fantasy score is the sum of the fantasy points earned by each of that team’s active players. There are a variety of ways to earn fantasy points, which we’ll detail below.

Hitting

Hitting statistics are the heart and soul of every fantasy baseball team. In order to have a chance to win at this game, you need players who can hit for average, hit for power, and drive in runs. This section will explain how these statistics are used to score points in most fantasy baseball leagues.

Batting Average (AVG): This is the most basic hitting statistic, and it is simply a measure of a player’s average number of hits per at-bat. For example, if a player has 50 hits in 150 at-bats, his batting average would be .333 (50 divided by 150 equals .333).

Home Runs (HR): A home run is worth four points in most fantasy baseball leagues. A home run is defined as a hit that enables the batter to circle all the bases before the defense can put out three other batters. In order to hit a home run, the batter must hit the ball over the fence in fair territory.

Runs Batted In (RBI): A run batted in is worth two points in most fantasy baseball leagues. A run batted in occurs when a batter hits a fly ball or ground ball that drives in one or more runs. It is important to note that a player does not need to hit a home run to get credit for an RBI – any time he hits the ball and drives in runs, he gets credit for an RBI.

Pitching

Pitchers earn points based on the statistics they rack up during a game. One point is awarded for each out pitched, two points are awarded for each inning pitched, four points are awarded for each strikeout, and so on. The specific criteria used to award points to pitchers can vary from league to league, but the overall goal is to award points in a way that reflects a pitcher’s contributions to his team’s success.

Scoring Systems

Fantasy baseball scoring is how you earn points in your league. There are a few different ways that points can be accumulated, and the most popular method is by a roto system. In a roto system, points are given based on where your team finishes in each statistical category at the end of the season. Another way to score points is by head-to-head, where points are given based on how your team does in each matchup.

Head-to-Head

In a head-to-head league, your team competes against another team in your league each week. The team that scores the most points that week wins the matchup, and the winner is awarded a win for the standings. If you finish the week tied with another team, it is considered a tie. There are usually 13 weeks of regular season games, plus 1-2 weeks for playoffs (depending on your league settings).

The standings in a head-to-head league are calculated by wins and losses, not by total points scored. So if you go 10-3 (wins-losses) on the season, you will finish ahead of a team that goes 8-5 even if they score more total points than you do.

Rotisserie

In a Rotisserie league, teams accumulate points based on the statistical performance of their players in each offensive category. The team that accumulates the most total points across all categories at the end of the season is declared the winner. In head-to-head leagues, each team is matched up against another team each week, and the team that wins the most categorical matchups for that particular week is awarded a win. The team with the most wins at the end of the season is declared the winner. See below for more specific details on how fantasy baseball scoring works in Rotisserie and head-to-head leagues.

Rotisserie:
In a Rotisserie league, teams are ranked from first to last in each of the 10 fantasy baseball scoring categories at the end of the season. The standings in each category are then combined to produce an overall standings list, with the team occupying first place in overall standings declared the Rotisserie league champion. In some cases, ties in certain categories may be broken by looking at which team has accumulated more total statistics (for example, if two teams are tied for first place in home runs, then whichever team has hit more home runs overall will be declared the winner).

Head-to-head:
In a head-to-head league, each fantasy baseball team is matched up against another fantasy baseball team each week. At the end of each week, whichever team has accumulated more points in each scoring category earns a win in that category for that particular week. In most head-to-head leagues, there are also losses and ties; for example, if Team A beats Team B 9-3 in home runs for a particular week but loses 5-4 in stolen bases, then Team A would be awarded a win (in home runs) and a loss (in stolen bases) for that week. The fantasy baseball team with the most wins at the end of the season is declared the head-to-head league champion.