WHIP, an acronym for its formula: Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched = WHIP, is a great starting point for evaluating a pitcher’s preliminary job of keeping opposing hitters off the bases.
Due to it’s simplicity, WHIP is accessible to everyone. While it isn’t a perfect stat for evaluating a pitcher’s ability to keep the base paths empty, it’s much quicker to calculate than on-base percentage against or other more advanced metrics. WHIP can be calculated with a simple box score or pitching line in a matter of seconds due to its simple formula that uses only some of the most common baseball stats.