Earned run

Written byNick Gilden Hours Last Updated on Categories Baseball

What is the Meaning of Earned Run in Baseball?

An earned run is a term given to any run that the offensive team score against a pitcher without the help of an error or passed ball.

What Counts As An Earned Run?

Pitchers receive an earned run by scoring on a hit, sacrifice, sacrifice fly, wild pitch, bunt, base on balls, stolen base, fielder’s choice, putout, or balk. Any other runs that the defensive team achieves, e.g. by means of an error or passed ball, are considered to be unearned runs – if there are no errors or passed balls during the inning, all runs are automatically scored as earned runs. If an error does occur, it is often down to the judgment of the official scorer to determine whether the run in question would have been scored if the error had not occurred.

Are Earned Runs Scored Differently?

Both earned and unearned runs are scored the same when it comes to determining the score of the game – the only difference is that the run is recorded as unearned, or in other words, given away by the opposing team. Although they don’t count towards game scoring, earned runs are one of the most important counting statistics used in baseball to be used as an indicator of a pitcher’s success.

I'm Nick, a professional researcher & writer by day and a die-hard baseball fan by night. I have a deep love and knowledge of the game and love sharing it with others. I've been involved in baseball in one way or another for as long as I can remember - playing the game on an amateur level since I was a kid, writing about the game for my college newspaper, and now working with some of the biggest names in baseball media.