The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the Game and the New Ones That Are Saving It

For years, traditional statistics like batting average and earned run average have been used to evaluate players. But these stats are often misleading and don't tell the whole story. In recent years, new stats like WAR and FIP have been developed that are more accurate and provide a better picture of player performance.

Smart Baseball: The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right Way to Think About Baseball

by Keith Law

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	6143 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	309 pages

FREE

The Old Stats

Traditional statistics like batting average and earned run average are based on simple counting. Batting average is calculated by dividing the number of hits a player has by the number of at-bats. Earned run average is calculated by dividing the number of earned runs a pitcher allows by the number of innings he pitches.

These stats are easy to understand and they can be used to compare players in a simple way. However, they are often misleading. For example, batting average does not take into account the quality of a player's hits. A player who hits a lot of singles is not as valuable as a player who hits a lot of home runs. Similarly, earned run average does not take into account the quality of a pitcher's innings. A pitcher who gives up a lot of hits is not as valuable as a pitcher who gives up a lot of walks.

The New Stats

In recent years, new stats like WAR and FIP have been developed that are more accurate and provide a better picture of player performance. WAR stands for Wins Above Replacement. It is a stat that measures how many wins a player contributes to his team over a replacement-level player. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching. It is a stat that measures how many runs a pitcher would allow per nine innings if he had no control over his defense.

These stats are more complex than traditional stats, but they are also more accurate. WAR takes into account all aspects of a player's performance, including his hitting, fielding, and baserunning. FIP takes into account all aspects of a pitcher's performance, including his strikeouts, walks, and home runs allowed.

The Future of Stats

The development of new stats like WAR and FIP is a positive trend. These stats are more accurate and provide a better picture of player performance than traditional stats. As these stats become more widely used, we can expect to see a more informed and accurate evaluation of players.

Here are some of the benefits of using new stats:

• They are more accurate.
• They provide a better picture of player performance.
• They can be used to compare players in a more meaningful way.

Here are some of the challenges of using new stats:

• They can be complex and difficult to understand.
• They are not always available for all players.
• They can be biased towards certain types of players.

Despite these challenges, the development of new stats is a positive trend. These stats are helping us to better understand and evaluate player performance. As these stats become more widely used, we can expect to see a more informed and accurate evaluation of players.

Smart Baseball: The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right Way to Think About Baseball

by Keith Law

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	6143 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	309 pages

FREE