WHIP is walks plus hits divided by innings pitched. In MLB, the average WHIP is about 1.30, and under 1.00 is elite. For a high school pitcher, under about 1.20 is very good and 1.20 to 1.50 is solid. Youth WHIPs usually run higher because walks come easier at young ages. Our free ERA calculator works it out from his pitching line.
You’re looking at your son’s stats in GameChanger and there it is, next to his ERA: WHIP. Maybe it says 1.45 and you have no idea whether that’s good or bad. Here is what WHIP means, how to calculate it, and what a good WHIP looks like at each level.
What WHIP means
WHIP stands for walks plus hits per inning pitched. It answers a simple question: on average, how many batters does he let on base each inning? The formula is just walks plus hits, divided by innings pitched.
Say he pitches 6 innings and allows 4 hits and 3 walks. That’s 7 baserunners divided by 6 innings, a WHIP of 1.17. Our free ERA calculator figures WHIP for you from his pitching line, along with ERA and strike percentage.
Two details trip people up. Innings are written in thirds, so 5.1 innings means 5 and one-third, not 5.1. And WHIP doesn’t count batters who reach on an error or a hit-by-pitch, only walks and hits.
What is a good WHIP?
In the big leagues, the average WHIP in recent seasons has been right around 1.30. Anything near 1.00 or below is elite. Those numbers give you a useful scale for any level:
WHIP for youth and high school pitchers
There’s no official standard below college, and young pitchers usually run higher WHIPs than big leaguers because walks come easier at those ages. As rough rules of thumb, a high school pitcher under about 1.20 is doing very well, and one in the 1.20 to 1.50 range is solid. Above 1.50, walks are usually the reason.
For youth pitchers, don’t read too much into the number at all. Fields, umpires, and defenses vary wildly, and a few bloop hits can swing it in a short season. One nice thing about WHIP for young players: unlike ERA, it doesn’t depend on how many innings a game has, so a 6-inning game and a 9-inning game measure the same way. Our guide on what a good ERA is explains why ERA gets tricky at young ages.
| WHIP | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Under 1.00 | Dominant. Very few baserunners. |
| 1.00 to 1.20 | Very good. In control most innings. |
| 1.20 to 1.50 | Solid, especially for young pitchers. |
| 1.50 to 2.00 | Too many free passes or hard contact. |
| Over 2.00 | Command is the job right now. |
Walks or hits: which is the problem?
WHIP lumps walks and hits together, so look at which one is driving it. If it’s mostly walks, the issue is command, and that’s the most fixable problem a young pitcher has. Our guides on why he walks so many batters and a good strike percentage are the place to start.
If it’s mostly hits, he may be throwing strikes but leaving them over the middle, or his fastball may be very hittable at his level. Our guide on why he gets hit hard covers that side.
“A walk is a hit you gave away for free.”
Cut the walks and WHIP drops faster than anything else you can change.What actually lowers WHIP
Fewer walks comes first. That means a delivery that repeats, so he can throw strikes when it matters, and getting ahead with strike one. After that, it’s pitch location and, as he gets older, a second pitch he can throw for strikes. None of that comes from chasing the number itself. It comes from small, steady improvements in his mechanics and command. Little things now, big numbers later.
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WHIP is walks plus hits divided by innings pitched. Big leaguers average around 1.30, and under 1.00 is elite. For a high school pitcher, under about 1.20 is very good and 1.20 to 1.50 is solid, while youth numbers swing too much to read closely. Check whether walks or hits are driving it, and compare him to himself, not to the kid on Instagram. If his WHIP is dropping over a season, he’s getting better.
Common questions
What is WHIP in baseball?
WHIP stands for walks plus hits per inning pitched. It shows how many baserunners a pitcher allows per inning, on average. The formula is walks plus hits, divided by innings pitched.
What is a good WHIP?
In MLB, the average is around 1.30, and under 1.00 is elite. For a high school pitcher, under about 1.20 is very good and 1.20 to 1.50 is solid. Youth WHIPs usually run higher.
How do you calculate WHIP?
Add walks and hits, then divide by innings pitched. For example, 4 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings is 7 divided by 6, a WHIP of 1.17. Remember that 5.1 innings means 5 and one-third. Our free ERA calculator does it for you.
Is WHIP or ERA more important?
They measure different things. ERA counts earned runs, which depend a lot on defense and luck. WHIP counts baserunners, so it’s often a steadier read on how well a pitcher is doing, especially at young ages.
Does a hit by pitch count in WHIP?
No. WHIP only counts walks and hits. Batters who reach on a hit-by-pitch or an error aren’t included.
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