Overview
An RBI is credited when a batter's action causes a runner to score, including hits, sacrifice flies, groundouts that allow a run, and bases-loaded walks. For home runs, the batter's own run is also counted. NPB's career record is Sadaharu Oh's 2,170, far ahead of second-place Katsuya Nomura (1,988). The single-season record is Makoto Kozuru's (Shochiku) 161 in 1950, though this came during the unusual first year of the two-league split. In the modern era, Tuffy Rhodes' (Kintetsu) 131 in 2001 serves as a more representative benchmark. RBI totals depend heavily on having runners on base, making them strongly influenced by batting order position (particularly the 3rd through 5th spots) and preceding batters' on-base percentages. While sabermetrics criticizes RBI for not accurately reflecting individual ability, the RBI title remains one of the three components of the Triple Crown and carries significant prestige.