Hit by Pitch
HBPA batter struck by a pitch they did not swing at and made an effort to avoid, awarded first base without an at-bat being charged.
A batter hit by a pitch is awarded first base, provided they did not swing and made an attempt to get out of the way. The umpire judges the effort to avoid, and at youth level that judgment is usually generous.
Like a walk, it is a plate appearance but not an at-bat, so batting average is unaffected while on-base percentage rises. It is tracked as HBP rather than folded into walks.
A pitch that hits the bat first, or that catches the batter inside the strike zone, is not a hit by pitch. The former is a foul ball or a hit; the latter is simply a strike.
Does a hit by pitch count as an at-bat?
No. Like a walk, it is a plate appearance but not an at-bat, so it does not affect batting average. It does count toward on-base percentage.
Does a hit by pitch count as a hit?
No. It is its own category, HBP. The batter reaches base but is not credited with a hit.
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