This scatter plot shows how effectively each MLB team prevents runs. The x-axis is WHIP (walks + hits per inning pitched) and the y-axis is runs allowed per game (RA/G), lower is better on both. The faint vertical and horizontal lines mark league-average WHIP (~1.27) and RA/G (~4.39), so the bottom-left quadrant highlights the stingiest staffs that limit both baserunners and runs. The gray diagonal is a trend line: as WHIP rises, RA/G rises too, confirming that keeping traffic off the bases is the biggest driver of run prevention. Color reflects each club’s total runs scored (green = stronger offense), which doesn’t move the point but adds context about two-way balance. Teams that sit below the trend line are converting baserunners into outs better than expected—often through elite defense, strong bullpen leverage, or park effects, while those above the line are giving up more damaging contact or suffering poor sequencing. Outliers tell the story: for example, the Rockies push far into the top-right because of Coors Field’s run environment, whereas clubs clustered in the bottom-left combine low WHIP with low RA/G and represent true run-prevention leaders. Overall, the chart makes clear that WHIP strongly predicts runs allowed, and the deviations explain how teams outperform or underperform their baserunner numbers.
