2013 MLB Regular Season running thread

and what is that magical formula that can tell you which player is more valuable?

 

The best player IS the most valuable to your team, period. If you perform best in a given season, you're giving your team value no other player in the league can give a team.

 

If I was your math teacher I would probably dock you some points for not showing much of your work, but I'll give you some credit for the attempt. You still haven't answered JC's and my question about what one statistic you think is most important — or, more appropriately, most valuable.

 

I don't know if ONE statistic is most valuable, though. I do like OPS, and OPS+, in terms of encompassing everything offensively. Defensive metrics are so unreliable. If you don't steal on at least 70 percent of your attempts, you're hurting yourself in that area. I think WAR is valuable, and I like B-R's more than Fangraphs', because it encompasses everything.

 

Like this one?


1.He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
2.He is not the winning pitcher;
3.He is credited with at least ⅓ of an inning pitched; and
4.He satisfies one of the following conditions:
1.He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning
2.He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
3.He pitches for at least three innings

 

It seems like every player who goes to the Mariners after a big season immediately sucks. If it was one or two guys, I could think it was a coincidence. But I think something about putting on that uniform does it. And I want the Mariners to be good, anything positive that turns a national eye toward Seattle is good in my book.

Oh and I agree with Moddy on the advanced stats thing. One of my friends sent me an article on Matt Kemp when he slumping (added 84 points to his average over the six-game trip) that had something called "hard-hit average." That seems rather subjective to me.

 

Is there a formula to factor in different roles people play on their team? I'm not asking to be a smartass.

If a rightfielder batting seventh puts up the same numbers as third baseman hitting cleanup is their value the same? Is there a formula to measure the defensive contributions of players at different positions? How does the best middle reliever compare in value to the best offensive player?

Again, I'm not asking to be snarky. If anybody besides NDJournalist knows the answer I'm interested.

 

Theoretically, WAR is meant to do all of this.

 

WAR does this all and why is my answer not relevant?

 

because you are an STD

 

Cool. Thanks, Dick.

My problem is sabermetrics and stuff isn't that I don't think it's useful or that I'm at the "get off my lawn" stage of my life quite yet. It's that I didn't like sitting in algebra class when I was in high school and I don't want to turn my sports fandom into algebra class now. I don't fault other people for getting enjoyment out of it, but I'm OK with the less 'advanced stats" for the most part.

If a guy has a great ERA and a bad record I can figure out what the deal is. Maybe a players batting average and RBI total don't tell me everything, but it tells me a lot. I'd rather watch games and see that a guy is hitting the ball, but his teammates aren't getting on base than do math homework to figure it out.