An RBI is credited when a run scores because of what the batter did — a hit, a sacrifice fly, a walk with the bases loaded. It is the oldest way of answering ‘who drove in the runs,’ and it is still the number most often quoted in an MVP argument.

The problem is that RBI is as much a measure of the eight hitters around you as of you. A cleanup hitter on a team that gets on base constantly will out-RBI a better hitter batting second on a weak offense, every year, without being better. Lineup slot and teammate quality are doing a large share of the work.

NUT leaves RBI out entirely. A hitter is measured on what he controls — reaching base and hitting for power — against league average, so the number does not move because the guy ahead of him got a hit. When RBI and NUT disagree about a hitter, the disagreement is usually opportunity, not ability.

What is a good RBI?

RBI is not used in NUT at all. NUT measures what the hitter did; RBI measures how often teammates happened to be on base when he did it.

Updated live during the season.

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