What Is Total Bases in Softball?

Total bases counts the bases gained by hits only. A single is one, a double two, a triple three, a home run four. Bases reached by walk, by hit-by-pitch, by error, or by stealing don't count.

It's the numerator of slugging percentage, and it's the simplest way to express how much damage a hitter did over a stretch of games without reducing it to a rate.

Because it's a counting stat rather than a rate, total bases rewards playing time — useful for season leaderboards, misleading for comparing a full-season player against someone who missed half the year.