Comments(0) Paul DePodesta, front office special assistant for the Padres and former Dodgers GM, has started a blog. The Harvard-educated economics major is noted for bringing sabermetric principles into baseball decision-making (he did play baseball at the college, too). Pretty cool to be able to share your thoughts with someone so high up in an organization.
Comments(0) Looking at plate appearances per extra base hit is one of the key indicators of a minor league player’s readiness to contribute at the Major League level. A player who produces a lot of extra base hits is more likely to hit the ball harder, exhibit good bat control and control the strike zone. Pair this with a high BB% (of course strikeouts are bad, but I put less stock in BB:SO ratio, since a lot of good hitters also whiff a lot), and I think you have a good indication of who is likely to be ready to handle big league pitching.
Comments(0) Using overall numbers to compare two players against each other has an important limitation: context. When we look at counting stats, where you hit in your batting order can make all the difference. Moving down one spot in the order costs a hitter about 20-25 plate appearances over the course of a season. Is there any way we can remove this lineup effect and compare players based on their individual hitting ability?
