MLB Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) Explained

If you already know a thing or two about baseball, the chances are that you’re familiar with acronyms like wOBA, BABIP and xFIB. These jumbled letters may look confusing, but they can take your MLB betting to the next level.

MLB Betting Sites

Today, we want to teach you all about weighted on-base average (wOBA). This popular offensive statistic can be extremely helpful if you know how to use it, so be sure to stick around if you’re serious about beating the bookies.

How Does wOBA Work?

Weighted on-base average is one of the most important and popular offensive metrics in baseball. Created by Tom Tango, a Canadian statistician, wOBA measures a hitter’s overall offensive value, based on the relative values of each offensive event.

This metric differs from standard on-base percentage by taking into consideration the manner in which a player attains bases, as opposed to merely acknowledging their ability to reach base.

The wOBA metric assigns a specific value to each method of getting on base, based on its significance in contributing to the expected number of runs scored. This gives bettors a greater understanding of a hitter’s powers.

MLB Betting Lines

How to Calculate wOBA

Weighted on-base average uses multiple outcomes to generate the final result. Here is a list of all the outcomes that are considered when it comes to calculating wOBA:

Unintentional walk

Hit by pitch

Single

Double

Triple

Home run

At-bat

Walk

Intentional walk

Sacrifice fly

Each outcome is multiplied by its run value and those totals are then added together. That number is then divided by the overall number of at-bats, walks (minus intentional walks), sacrifice flies and hit by pitches.

The final number of this formula will be a rate that represents a hitter’s wOBA for the season. Typically, a wOBA of .400 or higher is an elite hitter. Anything around or greater than .350 should be enough to place the hitter among the MLB’s top performers.

MLB Predictions

How Bettors Can Utilize wOBA

You will be pleased to learn that wOBA can be very beneficial to baseball bettors. By using wOBA stats, bettors can search for value in the bookies’ odds and attempt find unique opportunities that others will miss.

First and foremost, wOBA can serve as a valuable tool for identifying players in good form within a lineup. If you can identify the top hitters in a team, you can use your findings to aid bets like moneylines, totals and props.

It can also assist in assessing whether a team is capitalizing effectively on their offensive opportunities at the plate. If a team has several players with low wOBA values, you may want to steer clear.

That said, like any statistical measure in baseball, it is crucial to consider the sample size. A hitter’s wOBA becomes more reliable as the sample size grows. As with all data, failing to conduct thorough research can lead to misleading conclusions.

Learn how BABIP works next in our in-depth MLB statistc guide.