quality start

American

[kwol-i-tee stahrt] / ˈkwɒl ɪ ti ˈstɑrt /

noun

Baseball.

a statistic indicating that a pitcher has pitched at least six innings in a game while allowing no more than three earned runs. QS

Etymology

Origin of quality start

First recorded in 1920–25, for an earlier sense; 1995–2000, for the current sense

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

quality start

Dodgers starting pitcher Eric Lauer turned in a quality start, yielding three runs in six innings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

And a quiet offensive night for the Dodgers wasted a quality start from right-hander Emmett Sheehan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

It was his sixth quality start of the season and the Mariners’ 32nd quality start this season, moving them to the most in MLB just ahead of the Phillies at 31.

From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2024

The Mariners have been so reliant on high-level outings from their starters that it’s glaring when a pitcher such as Gilbert doesn’t provide at least a quality start.

From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024

The feeling that every time he takes the ball, the team will get a quality start.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023