Stats
What Baseball Stats Should You Track at 12U?
At 12U, baseball starts to look like real baseball. The field is still 60/90 (or 50/70 depending on the league), but the pitching is faster, the competition is sharper, and stats start to be meaningful enough to inform coaching decisions. This is the age where tracking the right stats — and ignoring the wrong ones — shapes player development.
Here's what to focus on, what to track lightly, and what to skip at 12U.
Track These Closely
On-Base Percentage (OBP)
At 12U, OBP is more important than batting average. A player who walks regularly is demonstrating plate discipline — the single most valuable offensive skill at this age. Players who chase bad pitches at 12U carry that habit into 13U and 14U where the pitching punishes it.
12U target: .350+ OBP is solid. .400+ is strong.
Quality At-Bat Percentage (QAB%)
This is the age to introduce quality at-bats as a team philosophy. Hard contact, walks, productive outs, and long at-bats all count. QAB reframes offensive success around the process, which is what you can coach. Full QAB guide →
12U target: 45%+ QAB is solid. 55%+ is strong.
Strike Percentage (Pitching)
Strike percentage is the most important development stat for 12U pitchers. A pitcher who throws 60%+ strikes at 12U is in excellent shape. Below 50% means they walk too many batters and the team can't compete.
12U target: 57%+ is solid. 63%+ is strong.
Pitch Count
Mandatory at all ages. Track every pitch. Follow the rest day rules. At 12U (Little League), the daily limit is 85 pitches with tiered rest days. Pitch count details →
Track These Lightly
Batting Average (AVG)
Track it because players and parents expect it, but don't use it as your primary offensive measure. Batting average over a 15-20 game season is too variable to be reliable. Use it alongside OBP and QAB, not instead of them.
Strikeout Rate
Strikeout rate is useful for identifying hitters who need plate approach work. At 12U, a K rate above 28% is worth addressing. But don't overreact to a few bad games — look at the trend.
ERA
ERA starts to be directionally useful at 12U because the defense is better and scoring is more consistent. Use it alongside strike percentage for a fuller pitching picture, but don't put too much weight on it.
Don't Worry About (Yet)
OPS / Slugging Percentage
OPS and SLG become meaningful at 13U+ when players generate genuine power. At 12U on a 50/70 field, most extra-base hits are still contact-driven, not power-driven. Focus on OBP, not SLG.
Exit Velocity
Useful for travel ball evaluation at 13U+. At 12U, the physical maturation gap between early and late developers is too wide. A kid who hasn't hit his growth spurt yet might have a low exit velo but excellent mechanics.
Advanced Fielding Metrics
Fielding percentage and errors are fine to track at 12U. Anything beyond that isn't worth the effort.
The 12U Stat Dashboard
If you could only see 5 numbers for each player on your team, these are the ones that matter most at 12U:
| Stat | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| OBP | Reaching base — the most important offensive skill |
| QAB% | Competing at the plate — process over outcomes |
| K rate | Plate discipline — contact vs. strikeouts |
| Strike % (pitchers) | Command — the key pitching development metric |
| Pitch count (pitchers) | Workload — arm safety |
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I share stats with 12-year-olds?
Selectively. Share QAB percentage (it rewards effort and process). Share strike percentage with pitchers (it's actionable). Be cautious with batting average and ERA — they can be discouraging. Using stats without overcoaching →
Is 12U too young for sabermetrics?
Yes. Stick to the basics: OBP, QAB, strike percentage, pitch count. Save OPS, wOBA, and exit velo for 13U+.
What's the biggest mistake coaches make with stats at 12U?
Over-indexing on batting average. A coach who benches a kid hitting .180 but ignores their .420 OBP and 60% QAB is making a data-driven mistake with the wrong data.
