QAB stands for "Quality At-Bat" and is a baseball statistic used to determine a hitters offensive value for his team. A Quality At-Bat is any plate appearance that results in a positive outcome for the team, which does not necessarily mean that a player reaches a base. The definition of a Quality At-Bat can vary from coach to coach, but most coaches and players know what a Quality At-Bat is when they see one. Some examples of a Quality At-Bat include:
- Executing a hit and run, sac bunt, sac drag, or squeeze
- Executing a bunt for a hit
- Walk, hit by pitch, or catchers interference
- Moving a runner from 2nd base to 3rd base with 0 outs
- Driving in a run from 3rd base with less than 2 outs
- Any RBI (sac fly, 2 out RBI, etc.)
- All hard hit balls (not all base hits are Quality At-Bats)
- 8+ pitch at-bats
- When you can see 4 or more pitches after you are down 0-2 in the count
To determine a QAB percentage, the number of Quality At-Bats is divided by a batters total plate appearances. For MLB players, a good QAB percentage is anywhere from 50-60% and above, while for youth, high school, and college players, a QAB percentage above 40% may still be considered good. QAB is a subjective statistic and the definition can vary from coach to coach, but it is a well-known concept that can be used to judge how well a hitter performed during their plate appearance by looking at how the at-bat helped the team.
