# Baseball: does anyone track baserunning stats (not SBs)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-does-anyone-track-baserunning-stats-not-sbs/940549>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** baseball-mlb\
**Created:** [April 22, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-does-anyone-track-baserunning-stats-not-sbs/940549 "2021-04-22T16:32:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-does-anyone-track-baserunning-stats-not-sbs/940549/1 "2021-04-22T16:32:05Z")

</div>

I know stolen bases and caught stealings have always been tracked. But what about how often a runner on first makes it to third on a single or scores on a double? Or a runner on second scores on a single? And on the flip side, how often runners are thrown out trying to advance the “extra” base? Are these stats tracked and are they included into the various WAR-type scores?

For the most part, this would depend on speed, baserunning smarts, and third-base coaching (& outfield size). But I would think some of it would also depend on whether a runner typically has righty or lefty hitters hitting behind them, since they would most commonly drive the ball to left and right fields, respectively. For a runner trying to advance to third, it’s obviously a lot easier if the ball was hit to right field since it’s much further from third base. But conversely, for a runner trying to score, it’s probably easier if the ball is hit to left field, since left-fielders tend to have weaker arms.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-does-anyone-track-baserunning-stats-not-sbs/940549/2 "2021-04-22T16:57:07Z")

</div>

Yes. Everything is tracked, though it’s really hard to track down. Here’s [Whit Merrifield’s advanced stats page on Fangraphs](https://www.fangraphs.com/players/whit-merrifield/11281/stats#advanced). You’ll find a couple of baserunning stats - UBR (Ultimate Base Running), wGDP (weighted Ground into Double Play), and wSB (weighted Stolen Bases). UBR is a complicated formula with a bunch of different components that you’re looking for, but I don’t see them on Fangraphs. But if we check out [his baseball-reference page](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/merriwh01-bat.shtml), there’s a whole section of Baserunning stats, with really granulated categories.