Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP, estimates a pitcher’s performance using only outcomes he can largely control, stripping away the randomness of team defense.
By focusing on strikeouts, walks, hit batters, and home runs, the metric tells a cleaner story about how well a pitcher truly threw the ball.
Use the calculator below to translate your raw totals into an easy‑to‑compare FIP score for any level of play or league.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good FIP value?
A FIP near 3.00 is excellent, around 4.00 is average, and anything above 5.00 suggests the pitcher struggled.
Context such as league scoring levels still matters.
Why does FIP use a constant?
The constant shifts leaguewide FIP so its scale mirrors the league’s average ERA, making the number easier to interpret alongside traditional stats.
How is innings pitched entered with partial innings?
Enter thirds of an inning as decimals: one out is 0.1, two outs is 0.2.
For example, 6 and two‑thirds innings should be typed as 6.2.
Does FIP replace ERA?
No. FIP complements ERA by filtering out defensive influence, but ERA still reflects the actual runs that scored under a pitcher’s watch.
Can relievers and starters be compared with FIP?
Yes.
Because it normalizes per inning, FIP allows direct comparison of pitchers regardless of role or workload.