Run batted in

[3][4] The 2018 edition of the Official Baseball Rules of Major League Baseball (MLB), Rule 9.04 Runs Batted In, reads:[6] A run batted in is a statistic credited to a batter whose action at bat causes one or more runs to score, as outlined in Rule 9.04.

The perceived significance of the RBI is displayed by the fact that it is one of the three categories that compose the triple crown.

In addition, career RBIs are often cited in debates over who should be elected to the Hall of Fame.

However, critics, particularly within the field of sabermetrics, argue that RBIs measure the quality of the lineup more than it does the player himself.

This is because an RBI can only be credited to a player if one or more batters preceding him in the batting order have reached base (the exception to this being a home run, in which the batter is credited with driving himself in, not just those already on base).