Base-out Percentage: Baseball’s Great Hidden Stat

Baseball is arguably the most number-dependent sport. A batter is judged on his batting average (Hits divided by at-bats), and the highest batting average wins the batting title. A pitcher is deemed good or bad based almost exclusively on his ERA (Nine times earned runs allowed divided by innings pitched). There is no eye test in baseball; performance drives numbers and numbers drive our perception … Continue reading Base-out Percentage: Baseball’s Great Hidden Stat

A Non-comprehensive Argument Against the Designated Hitter

As a Boston Red Sox fan, I’ll openly admit my team has benefitted from the designated hitter rule. David Ortiz is a near-lock for the Hall of Fame, and he had eight times as many plate appearances as a DH as he did as a first baseman. J.D. Martinez’s name is being thrown around for AL MVP despite playing just ten games in the field … Continue reading A Non-comprehensive Argument Against the Designated Hitter