Stats

Quality At-Bat (QAB) — Definition, Criteria & Youth Benchmarks

A quality at-bat (QAB) is any plate appearance that meets at least one of the defined criteria for a productive at-bat — regardless of whether the batter gets a hit. A hard line drive caught by the shortstop is a QAB. A 9-pitch walk is a QAB. A first-pitch popup is not. QAB measures the process and competitiveness of an at-bat, not just the outcome. That makes it one of the most useful stats for coaching youth hitters — and one of the most underused. Full coaching guide →

QAB Criteria

An at-bat counts as a quality at-bat if it meets any one of these criteria:

#	Criterion	Why It Counts
1	Hit	Any hit is a productive at-bat
2	Walk (BB)	Reached base by being disciplined at the plate
3	Hit by Pitch (HBP)	Reached base — it counts
4	Sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly	Advanced a runner or scored a run at the cost of an out
5	Productive out — moved a runner from 2nd to 3rd, or scored a runner from 3rd	The out had a purpose
6	Hard-hit ball — line drive or hard ground ball, regardless of result	The batter hit the ball hard; the defense just happened to make the play
7	8+ pitch at-bat	Battled, worked the count, made the pitcher throw a lot of pitches
8	At-bat that raised the pitcher's pitch count by 4+ after falling behind 0-2	Fought back from a bad count and made the pitcher work

Some teams add additional criteria. Some simplify to 6 criteria. The exact list matters less than the philosophy: reward competitive at-bats, not just hits.

QAB Formula

QAB% = Quality At-Bats ÷ Total Plate Appearances

Example: A player has 40 plate appearances in a month. Of those, 22 meet at least one QAB criterion:

QAB% = 22 ÷ 40 = 55%

Why QAB Is Better Than Batting Average for Coaching

Batting average punishes bad luck. A screaming line drive caught by the second baseman counts the same as a weak grounder to the pitcher — both are outs, both are 0-for-1. But one was a great at-bat and the other wasn't.

QAB captures the difference. The line drive is a QAB (hard-hit ball). The weak grounder is not.

Over a 15-game youth season, batting average is heavily influenced by randomness — where the ball happens to land. QAB is influenced by the batter's approach, discipline, and effort — things the player can control and the coach can develop.

This reframes the conversation with players. Instead of "you went 0-for-3," it's "you had 2 quality at-bats today — a hard line drive and a 7-pitch walk. Keep doing that and the hits will come."

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Youth QAB Benchmarks

Level	Below Average	Average	Above Average	Strong
10U Rec	Below 35%	35-45%	45-55%	55%+
12U Competitive	Below 40%	40-50%	50-60%	60%+
14U Travel	Below 45%	45-55%	55-65%	65%+

How to Track QAB

During games: As each batter completes their at-bat, mark whether it met any QAB criterion. In Rizzler, this can be tracked as part of in-game scoring — the scorer notes the at-bat result and the QAB indicator.

After games: Review QAB percentages for each player. Look for trends — is a player's QAB percentage improving even if their batting average is flat? That's a sign they're developing the right habits.

In evaluations: QAB percentage is a valuable input for player evaluations. Pair it with OBP and strikeout rate for a complete picture of offensive development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do most teams track QAB?

At the travel level (12U+), more teams are adopting QAB. At the rec level, it's less common but equally valuable. Any coach can start tracking it — it adds about 30 seconds per at-bat to note whether it was a QAB.

Can a strikeout be a QAB?

Yes, if the at-bat lasted 8+ pitches or if the batter fought back from 0-2 and drove the pitch count up by 4+. A 10-pitch strikeout is a quality at-bat because the batter made the pitcher work.

What's the relationship between QAB and OBP?

They overlap but aren't the same. Every walk (part of OBP) is a QAB. But QABs also include hard-hit outs, productive outs, and long at-bats that don't affect OBP. A player can have a moderate OBP but a high QAB% — meaning they're doing a lot right at the plate even when they're making outs.

How do I explain QAB to parents?

"A quality at-bat means your kid competed. They hit the ball hard, worked the count, or moved a runner. A hit is great, but a hard line drive that gets caught is still a good at-bat. QAB tracks whether your kid is doing the right things at the plate."

QAB changes how you think about offense. The Coach's Guide to Quality At-Bats → · What is a Quality At-Bat? → · Back to Batting Stats →