Statistics and data are incredibly important in today’s sports industry. From fans utilizing MLB Stats to wager on games to coaches and technical staff using them to point out where a particular player needs to improve, the need for statistics and their proper usage is imperative.
Those who have picked up a copy of Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis know that it demonstrates how statistics and analytics have altered the way baseball is played. In 2011, a movie that was based on the novel and starred Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill made it to the big screen. Those who watched it know that betting on the MLB should utilize MLB stats and know how to calculate various statistics, as well as identify which players have the most impressive stats.
Earned Runs Average
Earned Runs Average is a statistic that uses the total number of earned runs allowed and divides that number by the total number of innings thrown, then multiplying that figure by nine. A pitcher, for instance, completed all seven innings while allowing three runs to score against him. His earned run average would come out to 3.86.
This indicates that throughout the course of a full nine innings, he is surrendering a total of 3.86 runs per game. The better the ERA, the lower it should be. Ed Walsh, who played in the MLB for a total of six seasons, holds the record for the lifetime ERA with a mark of 1.82. In this context, Clayton Kershaw is also deserving of notice. His lifetime earned run average of 2.44 is lower than that of any other current pitcher.
Batting Average
The term “Batting Average” refers to a statistic that is calculated by dividing the total number of hits by the total number of bats. When a player who is at bat hits the ball into fair territory and safely reaches first base, at a minimum, without the assistance of an error or a fielder’s choice, that player is credited with a hit.
Ty Cobb, who played 22 seasons in the MLB, holds the record for the best career, hitting an average of 0.366. Hugh Duffy’s BA of 0.440 was the best of any player over the course of a single season.
Runs Batted In
RBI is an abbreviation that stands for “runs batted in,” and a hitter receives credit for having an RBI whenever his plate appearance leads to the scoring of a run. There are, however, a few notable deviations from the norm. When a player scores a run due to an error or when the batter grounds into a double play, that player does not get an RBI for their contribution to the run’s scoring.
With 2,297 runs batted in throughout the course of his career, Hank Aaron holds the record for being one of the best players to ever play the game. He is also widely regarded as one of the all-time greats. Albert Pujols, who currently plays professionally and has 2,075 RBIs, is the active player who comes the closest to matching Aaron’s total.
On-Base Percentage
The On-Base Percentage (OBP) is calculated by dividing the number of times a hitter reaches base by way of hits, walks, or getting hit by a pitch by the total number of times he has faced the pitcher. Due to the fact that it is seldom given as a genuine percentage, it is sometimes referred to as the on-base average or OBA.
Ted Williams, who played for the Boston Red Sox, is the player with the highest career on-base percentage. His lifetime on-base percentage was 0.482. Barry Bonds holds the record for most OBP in a single season.
In point of fact, he had two of the finest seasons in terms of his on-base percentage. In 2004, he had an incredible 0.609 as his overall average. His on-base percentage (OBP) of 0.582 two years before was the highest in history at that time.
