#killthewin

A better way to evaluate pitchers needs to be established.  Well, I know that seems like a crappy statement but its true.  We all use either Wins and Losses or ERA, but it seems like but both have their flaws.  I had a conversation with a friend the other day about baseball sabermetrics.  When I brought up that I think Wins and Losses are useless, he quickly said no they aren’t.  He said, “Well it’s what gets a player to the hall of fame.”  I replied, “Do you think that is right?”  No response.  It seems like the Hall has misjudged players in this manner, by mostly picking them by their Win-Loss records. 

 

First, I introduce a nice stat but nowhere near what we need to replace the win.  Game Score, a Bill James stat is a nice tool.  It has no formula, and it is very simple to find.

 

1.  Start with 50 points.

2.  Add one point for each out recorded, so three points for every complete innings pitched.

3.  Add two points for each inning completed after the fourth.

4.  Add one point for each strikeout recorded.

5.  Subtract two points for each hit allowed.

6.  Subtract four points for each earned run allowed.

7.  Subtract two points for each unearned run allowed.

8.  Subtract one point for each walk.

 

FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) one of my personal favorites is also a better stat then Wins and Losses.  If you want a better description of it here is a link. http://www.fangraphs.com/library/pitching/fip/

 

I hope to soon attempt to make a stat indicating whether a pitcher deserves a “win” or not. 

 

Also remember Brian Kenny’s motto #killthewin