Baseball Beyond Batting Average

How do we measure defense in baseball? Traditionally, statistics primarily told us about errors committed, but there's much more to fielding than that. Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) is one of the most popular advanced measures of fielding prowess. But how does it work? Mark and Andy break down the stat and look at the best and worst fielders as measured by DRS. You may be surprised at the results. Finally, join in a round of Roll The Stat and beat the hosts at their own game with your newfound expertise.

Are you frustrated that ERA is not adjusted for park and for run environment? Do you want a way to convince your friends that Mike Henneman was in fact the best pitcher in Tigers history? Then ERA+ might be the stat for you. Mark and Andy tell you how to calculate it, why it's good, why it's bad, and who has been the best and the worst in history using the stat as the measuring stick. Wrap it up by playing along in a round of Roll The Stat, and see how much your ERA+ knowledge has grown in just an hour.

To get a true measure of baseball players and teams, many advanced statistics are park adjusted. What exactly does that mean and how is it done? Mark and Andy dive into the many layers of park factors to find out what goes into them, how different sites calculate theirs, and the pros and cons of using them at all. This week's Roll The Stat is a park factor guessing game--which historical stadiums have been hitter-friendly and which have been nicer to pitchers? Some parks have the effect you would expect, while others are a bit more surprising.

Mark and Andy go further down the advanced statistics rabbit hole to investigate the complex wOBA. No matter how you pronounce it, the hosts explore why it is a good alternative to OPS, but one that still has its drawbacks. Find out who are the wOBA winners and losers throughout baseball history, and play along in another game of Roll The Stat. By the end, whether you like it or not, you too will be a wOBA expert.

FIP is the most commonly referenced advanced pitching metric. But how is it calculated? Mark and Andy do a deep dive into the FIP formula and its pros and cons. Also find out which pitchers are the best and worst according to this measure. Finally, show off your new FIP knowledge by joining the guys in a round of Roll The Stat, the baseball metric guessing game that's sweeping the nation.

Mark and Andy look into the mystery that is Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP). How is BABIP calculated and how should it be calculated? What information does it give us about the players it represents? Which hitters and pitchers have had historically high or low BABIPs? Finally, join our hosts in the game that's sweeping the nation--Roll the Stat--to see if you're a BABIP expert now.

Mark and Andy take on their first pitching metric, the trendy WHIP--the gateway metric for advanced pitching stats. Learn how to tell when a WHIP is good or bad, and find out which pitchers have sported the best and worst WHIPs throughout baseball history. Finally, join along in another spirited round of Roll The Stat to see how much of a WHIP expert you are now.

Mark and Andy finish off the gateway advanced baseball stats by exploring all the different combinations of OBP, SLG, and batting average. Learn about the pros and cons of OPS and ISO and which hitters have excelled (and failed), using these stats as a measure. Also learn about the lost legacy of Ron Kittle, a slugger whose baseball skills extended beyond the playing field.

Mark and Andy delve into the another gateway baseball stat--slugging percentage. Find out how the stat developed over time, why it's important, and who has sported good and bad slugging percentages throughout baseball history. Finally, join the guys in a round of Roll The Stat by guessing different players' career slugging percentages.

In the first episode of Baseball Beyond Batting Average, Mark and Andy investigate the gateway advanced baseball metric, on-base percentage (OBP). Find out what OBP means, how it originated, how to determine a good and bad OBP, and what players throughout baseball history have been leaders (or losers) in the category. Join your hosts in a round of Roll the Stat, the stat guessing game.