Reference
DPH Glossary
Definitions and explanations for the statistics, metrics, grades and methods used across Diamond Prospects.
1B
Singles. Hits that allow a batter to reach first base without an error or fielder's choice.
2B
Doubles. Hits that allow a batter to reach second base without an error or fielder's choice.
3B
Triples. Hits that allow a batter to reach third base without an error or fielder's choice.
AB
At-Bats. Official batting opportunities, excluding walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifices, and certain interference plays.
AVG
Batting Average. Hits divided by at-bats (H/AB).
BB
Walks. Bases on balls awarded after four pitches outside the strike zone.
BB/9
Walks Per Nine. Walks per nine true innings pitched.
BS
Blown Saves. Save opportunities in which a pitcher relinquishes the lead.
CS
Caught Stealing. Times a runner is put out attempting to steal a base.
DH
Designated Hitter. Player who bats without occupying a defensive fielding position in the lineup.
ER
Earned Runs. Runs charged to a pitcher that are not attributable to qualifying fielding errors or passed balls under scoring rules.
ERA
Earned Run Average. Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: 9 x ER / true innings pitched.
G
Games. Number of games in which a player appeared.
GS
Games Started. Number of games a player started at a listed position or as a pitcher.
H
Hits. Times a batter safely reaches base on an officially scored hit.
HBP
Hit by Pitch. Times a batter is awarded first base after being hit by a pitch.
HLD
Holds. Relief appearances preserving a lead in a save situation without earning a save, per statistical convention.
HR
Home Runs. Hits on which the batter scores by circling the bases, usually by clearing the outfield fence.
HR/9
Home Runs Per Nine. Home runs allowed per nine true innings pitched.
IBB
Intentional Walks. Walks intentionally issued to a batter.
IP
Innings Pitched. Pitcher innings recorded using baseball-outs notation: 42.1 is 42 innings and one out, not 42.1 decimal innings.
K/9
Strikeouts Per Nine. Strikeouts per nine true innings pitched.
MLB Player ID
Unique Major League Baseball identifier used to link a player to statistics, grades, news, and images.
OBP
On-Base Percentage. Rate of reaching base by hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch; standard formula (H+BB+HBP)/(AB+BB+HBP+SF).
OPS
On-Base Plus Slugging. OBP plus SLG; common summary of offensive production.
Outs Recorded
Total pitching outs: 3 x complete innings plus 0, 1, or 2 extra outs.
PA
Plate Appearances. Times a hitter completes a turn at the plate, including at-bats, walks, hit-by-pitches, and sacrifice plays.
Positional Usage
Games, starts, and innings by defensive position; distinguishes primary and secondary assignments.
Primary Position
A player's designated principal defensive or playing position.
R
Runs. Times a player scores.
RBI
Runs Batted In. Runs credited to a batter for driving in teammates or themself under official scoring rules.
RP
Relief Pitcher. Pitcher whose primary role is entering games in relief; Diamond Prospects reports relievers separately from starters.
SB
Stolen Bases. Bases advanced by a runner through a credited steal.
SLG
Slugging Percentage. Total bases divided by at-bats; weights extra-base hits more than singles.
SO / K
Strikeouts. Batter strikeouts; for pitchers, batters struck out.
SP
Starting Pitcher. Pitcher whose primary role is starting games; Diamond Prospects reports starting pitchers separately from relievers.
SV
Saves. Relief appearances qualifying for an official save under MLB scoring rules.
Secondary Positions
Other positions where a player has documented playing time.
Swingman
Pitcher used in both starting and relieving roles; classification may require reviewed usage overrides.
TB
Total Bases. Bases earned from hits: singles plus 2x doubles plus 3x triples plus 4x home runs.
Two-Way Player
Player contributing as both a hitter and pitcher; batting and pitching performance must be kept distinct unless explicitly combined.
WHIP
Walks Plus Hits Per Inning Pitched. Walks plus hits allowed per inning pitched: (BB+H)/true innings pitched.
2027/2028 Projected WAR Snapshot
A provisional forecast of player WAR for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, distinct from historical WAR.
Aging Curve
Estimated typical change in performance by player age, position, role or skill; requires empirical validation.
Backtest
Evaluation of forecast accuracy on past seasons not used to fit that forecast.
D$V
Diamond Dollar Value. Diamond Prospects research concept for expressing modeled on-field baseball value in dollars. Not an estimate of the contract a player will sign and not approved for public release.
Diamond Projections
Diamond Prospects research into future player performance. Forecasts should always be identified as projections rather than actual results.
Historical WAR
Observed season WAR calculated by a particular provider from actual season performance.
Historical vs Projected Graph
Chart distinguishing actual historical observations from estimated future seasons, commonly solid vs dashed lines.
MAE
Mean Absolute Error. Average absolute difference between a prediction and its outcome.
Market Value
An estimate of a player's potential contract value in the marketplace. It differs from on-field dollar value and should not be described as an approved public DPH forecast.
Ohtani Combined Projected WAR
A projected WAR total for a two-way player, with hitting and pitching contributions tracked separately to prevent double counting.
Projected Playing Time
Forecast of future plate appearances, outs, innings or games used in player projections.
Projected WAR
Estimate of future-season WAR; inherently uncertain and not an observed result.
Projection Confidence
Indicator or interval expressing uncertainty in an estimated future outcome; requires calibration.
Regression to Mean
Forecasting adjustment drawing extreme observed rates toward a justified prior or comparable-player baseline.
WAR
Wins Above Replacement. Estimate of overall player contributions in wins above a replacement-level player; depends on provider methodology.
bWAR / rWAR
Baseball-Reference WAR. Baseball-Reference version of Wins Above Replacement; not numerically interchangeable with fWAR.
fWAR
FanGraphs WAR. FanGraphs version of Wins Above Replacement; hitter and pitcher methodologies differ.
4-Seam Velocity
Four-Seam Fastball Velocity. Average speed of a pitcher's four-seam fastball, typically in mph.
Barrel% Allowed
Barrel Rate Allowed. Share of opponents' batted balls classified as barrels; lower is better.
CSW%
Called Strike Plus Whiff Rate. Called strikes plus swinging strikes divided by total pitches.
FB%
Fly-Ball Rate. Percentage of qualifying batted balls classified as fly balls.
FIP
Fielding Independent Pitching. ERA-scale estimate based mainly on strikeouts, walks, hit batters and home runs rather than balls in play.
FIP-
FIP Minus. League- and park-adjusted FIP index; 100 is average and LOWER is better.
GB%
Ground-Ball Rate. Percentage of qualifying batted balls classified as ground balls.
HR/FB
Home Runs per Fly Ball. Home runs divided by fly balls, as defined by the source.
K/BB
Strikeout to Walk Ratio. Pitcher strikeouts divided by walks allowed; not equivalent to K-BB%.
Pitch Movement
Measured horizontal and vertical displacement of a pitch relative to a defined reference trajectory.
Pitch Usage%
Pitch Usage Rate. Share of pitches thrown using a particular pitch type.
Pitch Velocity
Measured speed of a pitch, generally in miles per hour.
Pitching Workload
Volume pitched, commonly innings, total outs, games and starts.
SIERA
Skill-Interactive ERA. ERA-scale estimator incorporating strikeouts, walks and batted-ball tendencies; lower generally indicates better underlying pitching.
Spin Rate
Revolutions per minute of a pitched baseball.
WAR per Role IP
WAR per Role Innings Pitched. A workload-adjusted view of pitcher WAR, used to compare production with the context of playing time.
Whiff% (Pitcher)
Whiff Rate (Pitcher). Swinging misses divided by swings against a pitcher; higher is generally better.
xERA
Expected ERA. Statcast expected run-prevention estimate based on expected wOBA and a run-scale conversion.
xwOBA Allowed
Expected Weighted On-Base Average Allowed. Modeled opponent weighted on-base average allowed by a pitcher; lower is better.
AAV
Average Annual Value — The average amount of money a player earns per season over the life of a contract.
BPM
Box Plus/Minus — An estimate of how many points per 100 possessions a player contributes above or below an average NBA player. Positive numbers are better.
DBG
Diamond Basketball Grade — Diamond Prospects' proprietary evaluation score that combines statistical production, impact metrics, efficiency, age, role, and projected value into a single grade. Higher grades indicate stronger overall free agency profiles.
DEPM
Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus — The defensive component of EPM measuring a player's impact on team defense. Positive values indicate stronger defensive influence.
EPM
Estimated Plus/Minus — A modern impact metric estimating a player's effect on team performance per 100 possessions after adjusting for teammates, opponents, and context. One of the best publicly available all-in-one metrics.
OEPM
Offensive Estimated Plus/Minus — The offensive component of EPM measuring a player's impact on team offense. Positive values indicate stronger offensive influence.
Usage%
Usage Percentage — Estimates the percentage of team possessions a player finishes while on the floor through a field goal attempt, free throw attempt, or turnover. Higher numbers indicate a larger offensive role.
VORP
Value Over Replacement Player — Estimates how much value a player provides compared with a readily available replacement-level player. Higher values indicate greater overall contribution.
WS/48
Win Shares per 48 Minutes — Estimates the number of wins a player contributes normalized to 48 minutes played. League average is typically around 0.100.
eFG%
Effective Field Goal Percentage — A shooting efficiency metric that accounts for the added value of three-point shots. It provides a more accurate measure of scoring efficiency than traditional FG%.
Average EV
Average Exit Velocity. Average measured exit velocity of a player's tracked batted balls.
BABIP
Batting Average on Balls in Play. Hits on balls in play divided by at-bats minus strikeouts and home runs plus sacrifice flies.
BB%
Walk Rate. Walks divided by plate appearances, expressed as a percentage.
BB-K
Walk Minus Strikeout Rate. Difference between hitter walk rate and strikeout rate (BB% minus K%); a plate-discipline measure.
Barrel
Batted ball combining launch angle and exit velocity associated with high expected offensive outcomes.
Barrel%
Barrel Rate. Barrels divided by batted-ball events, expressed as a percentage.
Chase Rate
O-Swing%. Rate of swings at pitches outside the strike zone.
Contact%
Contact Rate. Share of swings that make contact, under the provider's tracking definition.
EV
Exit Velocity. Speed of the ball immediately after contact, usually in miles per hour.
Expected Performance
Expected Performance (DBH component). A broad category describing how expected batting outcomes can inform an offensive evaluation.
Hard-Hit%
Hard-Hit Rate. Share of batted balls hit at 95 mph or greater in Statcast terminology.
ISO
Isolated Power. SLG minus AVG; measures extra bases per at-bat.
K%
Strikeout Rate. Strikeouts divided by plate appearances for hitters, or batters faced for pitchers.
K-BB%
Strikeout Minus Walk Rate. For pitchers, strikeout percentage minus walk percentage; higher is generally better.
LA
Launch Angle. Vertical angle of a batted ball relative to the ground, measured in degrees.
Sprint Speed
Statcast running-speed measure, expressed in feet per second, from qualifying competitive runs.
Sweet-Spot%
Sweet Spot Rate. Share of batted balls with launch angles between 8 and 32 degrees in Statcast usage.
WAR/600
WAR per 600 Plate Appearances. Player WAR normalized to 600 plate appearances: WAR divided by PA times 600; a rate-like comparison, not additional earned WAR.
Whiff%
Whiff Rate. Share of swings that miss the ball: swinging misses divided by total swings.
Zone Contact%
Zone Contact Rate. Rate at which swings on pitches inside the strike zone result in contact.
wOBA
Weighted On-Base Average. Offensive rate statistic that weights each reaching-base event by its estimated run value.
wRC
Weighted Runs Created. Estimated runs generated by a hitter using context-adjusted offensive events.
wRC+
Weighted Runs Created Plus. Park- and league-adjusted offensive index; 100 is league average and 120 is 20% above average.
xBA
Expected Batting Average. Statcast model estimate of batting average based on batted-ball quality and other modeled factors.
xSLG
Expected Slugging Percentage. Statcast model estimate of slugging percentage based on quality and characteristics of contact.
xwOBA
Expected Weighted On-Base Average. Statcast modeled wOBA using quality of contact and noncontact outcomes; model inputs vary by event.
Blocking Percentile
Catcher Blocking Percentile. Percentile of catcher blocking performance within the catcher comparison group.
Blocking Pitches
Number of pitches in the available catcher blocking opportunity sample.
Catcher Blocking Runs
Estimated runs contributed by preventing pitches from getting past the catcher.
Catcher Framing Runs
Estimated runs contributed by receiving borderline pitches relative to an average catcher.
Catcher Throwing Runs
Estimated runs contributed or saved through catcher control of the running game, under the data provider's model.
DRS
Defensive Runs Saved. Estimate of defensive runs a player saves relative to average under the provider's methodology.
Defensive Innings
Innings played at a particular defensive position; may differ from designated-hitter starts.
Fielding Percentile
Player's percentile within an appropriate defensive comparison group; dependent on eligible peers and metric direction.
Framing Percentile
Catcher Framing Percentile. Percentile of catcher pitch-framing performance within the catcher comparison group.
Framing Pitches
Number of pitches in the available catcher framing opportunity sample.
OAA
Outs Above Average. Statcast estimate of outs converted above or below expectation by a defender; higher is better.
Provisional Catcher Defense
A catcher defensive assessment identified as provisional because some inputs or observations are incomplete.
SB Attempts
Stolen-Base Attempts Faced. Stolen-base attempts faced; an opportunity and workload measure for throwing evaluation.
Throwing Percentile
Catcher Throwing Percentile. Percentile of catcher throwing-run performance among the available catcher benchmark group.
Catcher Defense Grade
Diamond Prospects' catcher-specific assessment of defensive performance, considering the quality of throwing, receiving and framing, and blocking. Exact weighting and calculation are private.
DBH
Diamond Prospects Hitter Grade. Diamond Prospects' proprietary overall hitter evaluation, summarizing a player's offensive performance, contact quality, baserunning and defensive contributions. Higher grades indicate stronger overall evaluations. The calculation is private.
DBH Rank
A hitter's position in the approved Diamond Prospects hitter rankings.
DPG
Diamond Prospects Pitcher Grade. Diamond Prospects' proprietary overall pitcher evaluation using multiple aspects of run prevention, command, bat-missing ability and contact management. Starting pitchers and relievers are evaluated separately. The calculation is private.
DPG Rank
A pitcher's placement within the appropriate starting-pitcher or relief-pitcher DPG leaderboard. Ranks across the two groups are not directly comparable.
DPG Role Scope
The pitching role used to categorize an evaluation, typically starting pitcher (SP) or relief pitcher (RP).
Frozen Grade
An evaluated grade or ranking snapshot protected against unapproved changes.
Methodology Version
An internal identifier associated with a version of an evaluation or data methodology. Detailed methods remain private.
Percentile Rank
Where a player's result stands relative to an eligible comparison group. Higher displayed percentiles indicate better relative results; they are not success probabilities.
Provisional Grade
A grade based on limited available data; interpret it with the displayed coverage caveat.
Research Only
Analytics retained for internal study rather than public display or approved publication.
Role-Relative Grade
An assessment interpreted against players with similar roles, such as starting pitchers compared with other starting pitchers.
Club Option
Contract provision allowing a team to elect whether to extend a contract under specified terms.
Free Agent
Player whose contract status permits negotiation with clubs, subject to league rules and options.
Opt-Out
Contract provision permitting an eligible party, typically the player, to terminate remaining guaranteed years under conditions.
Player Option
Contract provision allowing the player to elect whether to remain under specified terms.
Qualifying Offer
Qualifying Offer (QO). MLB one-year offer made under collectively bargained rules that can affect compensation and signing consequences.
Spotrac Market Figure
Third-party market and contract estimate shown in source records, not a DPH-validated contract prediction.
UFA
Unrestricted Free Agent. Player eligible to negotiate without an applicable exclusive negotiating right; confirm exact league or contract context.
DiaP+
DiaP+ is Diamond Prospects' proprietary quarterback evaluation metric. DiaP+ is designed to estimate overall NFL prospect quality and draft value. Unlike Production+ and Legacy+, DiaP+ is a scouting metric rather than a historical performance metric. It combines a prospects Physical+, College Production+ and the official DiamondProspects draft grade to come up with an advanced metric to measure a prospects ceiling and overall player rating. DiaP+ Scale 95+ = Generational Prospect 90-94 = Elite Prospect 85-89 = Round 1 Caliber 80-84 = Day 2 Caliber 75-79 = Day 3 Caliber 70-74 = Draftable Under 70 = UDFA Range
Legacy+
Legacy+ measures a quarterback's total NFL career outcome. Legacy+ combines: NFL Production+ Career Accomplishments Awards Championships Longevity The metric is designed to answer: "How successful was this quarterback's NFL career?" A score of 100 represents an average NFL career outcome. Legacy+ Scale 175+ = GOAT Status 140-174 = Hall of Fame 120-139 = Ring of Honor 100-119 = Franchise QB 75-99 = Successful Career 50-74 = Backup / Spot Starter Under 50 = Minimal Impact / Bust
Mine Score
Mine Score evaluates a college football program's ability to produce NFL quarterbacks. The metric considers: Number of Quarterbacks Drafted Draft Position Legacy+ Performance of Drafted Quarterbacks Mine Score is used to rank schools as quarterback development programs. Mine Score Scale 80+ = QB Factory Dynasty 65-79 = Elite QB Factory 50-64 = Strong QB Factory 35-49 = Above Average 20-34 = Average 10-19 = Limited Success Under 10 = Minimal NFL QB Success
NFL Production+ (Draft Position Baseline)
NFL Production+ (Draft Position Baseline) compares a quarterback's NFL production against the historical expectations of the draft segment in which they were selected. This metric answers: "How much did this quarterback outperform or underperform expectations based on where he was drafted?" Quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Brock Purdy, and Dak Prescott tend to score extremely well because they significantly exceeded historical expectations for their draft positions. A score of 100 represents expected production for that draft tier.
Production+
NFL Production+ measures a quarterback's NFL statistical production relative to other drafted quarterbacks in the Diamond Prospects database since 2000. NFL Production+ evaluates: Passing Yards Passing Touchdowns Passer Rating Adjusted Yards Per Attempt (AY/A) Rushing Production Games Played Games Started Playoff Starts A score of 100 represents average NFL production. NFL Production+ Scale 140+ = Generational 130-139 = Elite 120-129 = Excellent 110-119 = Above Average 90-109 = Average 80-89 = Below Average 70-79 = Poor Under 70 = Very Poor
Physical+
Physical+ measures a quarterback's physical profile relative to historical NFL quarterback prospects. The metric evaluates: Height Weight Physical+ is designed to measure physical tools rather than football ability. Other physical metrics such as arm length, hand size, wingspan, 40 time, or any other testing measurment used at the NFL Combine or Pro Day is not used, because in this day and age people sit out and it is too hard to come up with a concrete baseline/average. A score of 100 represents an average quarterback frame. Physical+ Scale 107+ = Elite 103-106 = Above Average 98-102 = Average 94-97 = Below Average Under 94 = Poor
Production+
Production+ measures a quarterback's college statistical production relative to the average quarterback in the Diamond Prospects database since the year 2000. A Production+ score of 100 represents average production. Scores above 100 indicate above-average production, while scores below 100 indicate below-average production. Production+ incorporates passing production, efficiency, rushing production, and overall offensive output. Production+ Scale 140+ = Generational 130-139 = Elite 120-129 = Excellent 110-119 = Above Average 90-109 = Average 80-89 = Below Average 70-79 = Poor Under 70 = Very Poor