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Pointless MLB stats/Favorite MLB stats

zendudezendude Posts: 208 ✭✭
in Sports Talk

W-L records for pitchers. (pretty much irrelevant)
RBI for hitters. (teammates/lineup placing play a big role)

These stats are so much a part of baseball tradition but are kind of irrelevant.


My favorite stats: OPS for hitters, ERA and WHIP for pitchers.

What are your favorite/least favorite stats?

Comments

  • zendudezendude Posts: 208 ✭✭

    Saves are a glory stat but kind of ridiculous as well.
  • HallcoHallco Posts: 3,646 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Complete game stats for a pitcher are kind of irrelevant in the modern era....since most pitchers have a "max" number of pitches they are usually allowed to throw nowadays.

  • 57loaded57loaded Posts: 4,967 ✭✭✭


    << <i>W-L records for pitchers. (pretty much irrelevant)
    RBI for hitters. (teammates/lineup placing play a big role)

    These stats are so much a part of baseball tradition but are kind of irrelevant.


    My favorite stats: OPS for hitters, ERA and WHIP for pitchers.

    What are your favorite/least favorite stats? >>



    i'd pretty much agree with you.
    to some degree this can have a function on what kind of park the hitter or pitcher plays a majority of their games, too.
  • PowderedH2OPowderedH2O Posts: 2,443 ✭✭
    I prefer ERA+ and WHIP over ERA or Wins. Let's face it, a starting pitcher for the Dodgers or the A's has a considerable head start in ERA over someone pitching for the Red Sox or Cubs. When you look at Bob Gibson's incredible 1968 season, it just blows your mind. Pedro Martinez of 2000 gave up 0.62 earned runs per game more, so it doesn't appear as impressive. But when you look at the context of the situation, it is just ridiculous. He had a freaking 1.74 ERA while pitching for the Red Sox with half of his games at Fenway, at the height of the Steroid Era. He gave up 0.7373 WHIP. There are only two other seasons under 0.8000 in history, and those were during the dead ball era. And yet, Pedro doesn't win 20 games. He wins one less game than Andy Pettitte who has a WHIP of 1.461 and an ERA of 4.35 and ERA+ of 111. So, Andy was basically giving up twice as many hits/walks per game, and 2.5 times the earned runs per game, and yet has more wins than Pedro. And that, my friends, shows us why evaluating a pitcher on "wins" is basically a crapshoot.
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  • EstilEstil Posts: 7,058 ✭✭✭✭
    Total bases -- It isn't really TOTAL bases if it doesn't include walks, HBP, stolen bases, and so on. It should include ALL bases reached safely for it to truly be TOTAL bases.

    Also, I think judging a pitcher by his W/L record first is unfair. ERA should count first.

    And lastly, when determining the HOF worthiness of a player, his overall career stats line should come first, not championships and especially not "did he dominate for x number of years". I don't mind those other things being in favor but it shouldn't count against.
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    Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
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  • bigfischebigfische Posts: 2,252 ✭✭
    xFIP, secondary average, and iso power are all very good stats as well.
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  • zendudezendude Posts: 208 ✭✭


    << <i>While we're at it, I'm not sure why the OP favors OPS over OPS+, much like ERA over ERA+.

    As for Wins, while they might be misleading for those evaluating talent, it has to count for something that the guys who actually put up those stats consider it extremely important. >>






    I agree. OPS+ and ERA+ are arguably the most valuable stats there are to evaluate a player's performance. I'd like to see MLB add them to the end of the season awards.
  • digicatdigicat Posts: 8,551 ✭✭


    << <i>I'd like to see MLB add them to the end of the season awards. >>



    The awards are basically popularity contests. They always have been, and always will be. Just like selections to the All Star Game.

    The only award based on some statistical computation is the "Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year Award", and even then, the methodology is debatable.
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  • EstilEstil Posts: 7,058 ✭✭✭✭
    No, the ALL-STAR GAME (especially the starting lineup) is a popularity contest.
    WISHLIST
    D's: 54S,53P,50P,49S,45D+S,44S,43D,41S,40D+S,39D+S,38D+S,37D+S,36S,35D+S,all 16-34's
    Q's: 52S,47S,46S,40S,39S,38S,37D+S,36D+S,35D,34D,32D+S
    74T: 37,38,47,151,193,241,435,570,610,654,655 97 Finest silver: 115,135,139,145,310
    73T:31,55,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,80,152,165,189,213,235,237,257,341,344,377,379,390,422,433,453,480,497,545,554,563,580,606,613,630
    95 Ultra GM Sets: Golden Prospects,HR Kings,On-Base Leaders,Power Plus,RBI Kings,Rising Stars
  • digicatdigicat Posts: 8,551 ✭✭


    << <i>The awards are basically popularity contests. They always have been, and always will be. Just like selections to the All Star Game. >>





    << <i>No, the ALL-STAR GAME (especially the starting lineup) is a popularity contest. >>



    Isn't that basically what I just said?





    << <i>Total bases -- It isn't really TOTAL bases if it doesn't include walks, HBP, stolen bases, and so on. It should include ALL bases reached safely for it to truly be TOTAL bases. >>



    The whole idea of "total bases" is to measure how far safely HIT to, not how many bases he touched. It's also a key component of slugging percentage.
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    WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
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