Pitches Per Inning (PPI) = Total Pitches / Innings Pitched
Strike Rate (%) = (Total Strikes / Total Pitches) × 100
Pitches Per Batter (PPB) = Total Pitches / Batters Faced
First-Pitch Strike Rate (FPS%) = (First-Pitch Strikes / Batters Faced) × 100
Composite Efficiency Score = (35% × PPI Score) + (30% × Strike Score) + (20% × PPB Score) + (15% × FPS Score)
The Composite Efficiency Score normalizes each component to a 0–100 scale: lower PPI is better (elite threshold: 15 PPI), higher Strike Rate is better (elite: 65%+), lower PPB is better (elite: ~3.5), and higher FPS% is better (elite: 65%+). Weighted together, the score reflects overall pitching command and endurance.
Note on IP Notation: Baseball records innings pitched in a special format where .1 = 1 out = 1/3 inning, and .2 = 2 outs = 2/3 inning. Enter 6.0 for exactly 6 innings, 6.1 for 6 and 1/3 innings, and 6.2 for 6 and 2/3 innings. The calculator converts these correctly when computing PPI.
The most durable, valuable pitchers in history weren't always the hardest throwers. They were the ones who could throw fewer pitches per inning, command the strike zone, and go deep into games night after night.
Table of Contents
What is Pitch Efficiency?
Pitch Efficiency is a composite measure of how effectively a pitcher uses each pitch they throw. At its core, it answers the question: "How many pitches does this pitcher need to record outs?" The fewer pitches required per inning — while still commanding the strike zone — the more efficient the pitcher is considered.
Unlike ERA, which measures outcomes (runs allowed), pitch efficiency measures the process. A pitcher who allows 2 runs in 7 innings on 85 pitches is more efficient than one who allows 2 runs in 7 innings on 120 pitches, even though both share the same statistical line.
The most common sub-metrics of pitch efficiency include:
- Pitches Per Inning (PPI): The primary efficiency metric. Total pitches divided by innings pitched.
- Strike Rate (%): The percentage of all pitches that are strikes (including fouls and balls in play).
- Pitches Per Batter (PPB): Average pitches needed to complete each plate appearance.
- First-Pitch Strike Rate (FPS%): The percentage of at-bats where the first pitch is a strike — the most predictive single count-leverage statistic.
Why Pitch Efficiency is Critical for Careers and Teams
Arm Health and Longevity
The most direct consequence of poor pitch efficiency is arm overuse. When a starter throws 125 pitches in 5 innings instead of 90 pitches in 7 innings, they are accumulating significantly more stress per unit of production. Over the course of a 30-start season, that gap compounds to thousands of additional throws. Research from baseball medicine reveals a direct correlation between pitch count accumulation — especially at the per-inning level — and UCL injury risk (the ligament that requires Tommy John surgery when damaged).
Relieving Bullpen Pressure
Every inning a starter completes on a low pitch count is an inning saved for the bullpen. In the modern game, bullpens are overworked — teams use 6, 7, 8, and even 9 pitchers per game regularly. Efficient starters who complete 7+ innings on 100 pitches are among the most valuable assets in baseball because they single-handedly reduce the $50 million+ management problem of bullpen health and roster construction.
Quality Start Production
A Quality Start (QS) is defined as 6 or more innings pitched with 3 or fewer earned runs allowed. An efficient pitcher with 15 pitches per inning on a 100-pitch limit can almost always reach 6 innings (6 × 15 = 90 pitches, leaving a 10-pitch buffer). An inefficient pitcher throwing 20 pitches per inning is out of the game after just 5 innings on a 100-pitch limit, providing no quality start and forcing bullpen usage in the 5th and 6th innings — typically the highest-leverage offensive innings for the opponent.
Contract and Roster Value
From a front office perspective, efficient starters provide significantly more value per dollar. An efficient #4 starter who routinely goes 6–7 innings outperforms an inefficient #2 starter who leaves after 4.1 innings, despite the larger contract. Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays have built decade-long competitive streaks in large part by prioritizing efficient strike-throwing pitchers who maximize bullpen rest.
MLB, College & Youth Benchmarks
Major League Baseball (MLB) Starters
- Pitches Per Inning (PPI):
- Elite: Under 14.5 PPI
- Above Average: 14.5–16.0 PPI
- League Average: 16.0–17.5 PPI
- Below Average: 17.5–19.0 PPI
- Poor: Above 19.0 PPI
- Strike Rate:
- Elite: 66%+
- Above Average: 63–66%
- MLB Average: 61–63%
- Below Average: 58–61%
- Poor: Under 58%
- First-Pitch Strike Rate:
- Elite: 65%+
- Good: 60–65%
- MLB Average: approximately 58–62%
- Below Average: Under 55%
MLB Relievers
Reliever efficiency is different from starter efficiency. Relievers typically throw higher-velocity, fewer-pitch types and face batters 1–2 times. They are expected to execute at 14.0 PPI or lower with a strike rate above 65%. Because they face each batter only once, they can pitch more aggressively. First-pitch strike rate is even more critical for relievers, where elite closers often exceed 70% FPS rate.
College Baseball (NCAA Division I)
Elite college starters project at 15–17 PPI, with leading programs like Vanderbilt, Louisiana State, and Arkansas developing pitchers whose efficiency metrics approach MLB projections. The aluminum bat era (before BBCOR) inflated pitch counts; in the BBCOR era, college standards have tightened.
High School & Youth Baseball
At the high school level, a 15–17 PPI pitcher is considered outstanding. Most high school aces sit between 16–19 PPI. Youth baseball (12U–14U) benchmarks skew higher due to control development, with 18–22 PPI being typical for most developmental pitchers. Pitch count rules (mandated by Little League, NFHS, and state athletic associations) are critical injury-prevention measures at these developmental ages.
Fastpitch Softball
Softball pitchers operate from 43 feet (at elite competitive levels) with underhand mechanics that generally produce different efficiency profiles. Elite fastpitch pitchers at the NCAA Division I level (like Alabama or Tennessee programs) routinely post 11–13 pitches per inning with 65%+ strike rates, as the shorter distance compresses batter reaction time and leads to quicker contact or strikeouts. At youth recreational levels, 15–20 PPI is typical.
The Four Components of Pitch Efficiency
1. Pitches Per Inning (PPI) — The Starting Point
PPI is the most direct measure of efficiency. A pitcher completing 6 innings on 90 pitches (15.0 PPI) has a dramatically better efficiency profile than one completing 6 innings on 114 pitches (19.0 PPI). The practical consequence is devastating: the 19.0 PPI pitcher must exit after approximately 5 innings on a 95-pitch limit, while the 15.0 PPI pitcher can finish 6+ with room to spare.
2. Strike Rate — The Command Foundation
Strike rate is the most direct predictor of PPI. Most inefficiency (high PPI) results from 3-ball counts — the pitcher falls behind and must throw additional pitches to retire the batter. Every walk is approximately 4–5 pitches that produced no out. Improving strike rate by even 3–4 percentage points (from 60% to 64%) can dramatically reduce pitches per inning, as fewer at-bats reach deep counts.
3. Pitches Per Batter (PPB) — The Sequence Metric
PPB captures how efficiently a pitcher retires each batter regardless of how those outs are distributed across innings. Some pitchers are efficient in two ways: either through elite command (getting called strikes) or through contact management (throwing strikes early to generate quick weak contact). Both approaches can produce low PPB figures. A pitcher with 3.5 PPB across 24 batters has used only 84 pitches — extremely efficient for a full game's work.
4. First-Pitch Strike Rate (FPS%) — The Leverage Point
Research across decades of MLB data shows that batters who start an at-bat at 0-0 hit dramatically better when the first pitch is a ball (1-0 count) vs. a strike (0-1 count). The batting average differential between 0-1 and 1-0 counts can exceed .100 points. More importantly, first-pitch strikes set up the pitcher for favorable 0-2 and 1-2 counts where strikeout probability spikes and walk probability crashes. Every FPS reduces average pitch count per batter by 0.3–0.5 pitches — seemingly small, but enormous in aggregate over 25+ batters.
Strategies to Improve Your Pitch Efficiency
1. Establish Fastball Command
The most reliable first-pitch strike is a well-located fastball. If your fastball command is shaky, you are likely starting too many at-bats with ball one, which triggers the inefficiency cascade. Bullpen sessions dedicated exclusively to fastball location — targeting the inner and outer thirds of the plate, up and down — are the foundation of pitch efficiency improvement.
2. Develop a Go-To First Pitch Strike Offering
Some pitchers benefit from using a secondary pitch (curveball, changeup) as their first-pitch strike weapon precisely because batters expect the fastball. A first-pitch curveball for a called strike puts the batter immediately on the defensive. Elite pitchers are often those who can throw any pitch in any count for a strike, making them essentially unpredictable and allowing them to attack counts immediately.
3. Work Ahead, Then Pitch Backward
Ahead-in-the-count pitching (0-2, 1-2) allows pitchers to use waste pitches and chase pitches without damaging counts. Behind-in-the-count pitching (2-0, 3-1) forces pitchers to throw in the zone, giving hitters an enormous advantage. Teaching "pitch backward" after getting ahead (throw an off-speed pitch when the hitter expects fastball) creates whiffs that are otherwise unavailable when teams are pitching from behind.
4. Let Contact Work for You
Strike-throwing pitchers who generate weak contact (grounders, popups) can be exceptionally efficient even without high strikeout rates. A groundball double play on 3 pitches retires two batters (1.5 pitches per batter) — far more efficient than a strikeout on 7 pitches. Pitchers with elite groundball rates and low walk rates (sinkerballers, submarine pitchers) routinely post 14–15 PPI figures despite modest strikeout numbers.
5. Understand Hitter Tendencies
A pitcher who scouts hitters effectively can attack weaknesses immediately rather than requiring 4–5 pitches to feel out each batter. If a hitter has a documented hole on fastballs up and in, you attack there first-pitch and either get a called strike or a weak pop-up. Pre-game scouting combined with real-time pitch calling directly translates into lower pitch counts per batter across a start.
Limitations: When Efficiency Can Be Misleading
- Contact Quality Ignored: A pitcher can be extremely efficient while allowing hard contact. A pitcher who throws strikes that hitters barrel up (high exit velocity, high hard-hit rate) can have excellent PPI numbers but terrible ERA. Efficiency is about process; ERA is about outcomes.
- Opponent Quality Matters: Pitching efficiently against the bottom of a weak lineup is dramatically easier than against the heart of an elite lineup. A pitcher who faces 6 cleanup-type hitters in a game will naturally accumulate more pitches than one facing weaker hitters regardless of command quality.
- Single-Game vs. Season-Level Data: One efficient start doesn't make an efficient pitcher. Pitching efficiency should ideally be measured over 10–15+ starts to smooth out variance from lucky/unlucky at-bats. A single 9-inning shutout on 95 pitches is remarkable but may reflect opponent weakness as much as true efficiency.
- Deceptive vs. Command-Based Efficiency: Some pitchers achieve low PPI through unusual deceptive deliveries (submarine, sidearm) that force quick contact rather than true command. This is still efficiently effective but for different reasons, and it creates different scouting adaptations from opponents over time.
- Ballpark Effects: Walk rates are somewhat park-independent, but contact-based efficiency varies. Pitcher-friendly parks with large foul territories (or altitude effects) can naturally reduce pitch counts by creating more foul-outs and reducing extra-base hits that drive up hitter pitch patience.
Pitch Efficiency in the Analytics Era
Modern baseball analytics has created sophisticated extensions of pitch efficiency. The Statcast era has introduced concepts like "Stuff+" (quality of pitch movement and velocity), "Location+" (accuracy of pitch placement), and "Pitching+" (the composite of stuff and location), which together predict future ERA better than traditional metrics.
Pitch efficiency in the Statcast era is also measured through "Whiff Rate" (swinging strikes per swing) — a pitcher who generates more whiffs per swing can be somewhat less efficient (more pitches per at-bat) but still be more effective because batters are making poor contact when they do swing. The trade-off between efficiency and swing-and-miss rate is a crucial analytical balance.
TrackMan and Rapsodo technology now allow college and even high school programs to measure pitch efficiency alongside Stuff metrics in real time. A pitcher who has 15 PPI, 64% strike rate, and 28% whiff rate on his best pitch is an analytically complete picture that even 10 years ago would have required extensive manual scorekeeping to assemble. Today, coaches at all levels can make data-driven efficiency decisions within seconds of a pitcher leaving the field.