OnlyBucs

A statistic that is NEVER talked about is BA/RISP (batting average with runners in scoring position). Several years ago, when OPS was emerging as THE evaluation of a good hitter, I tried to make a case on one of the message boards that BA/RISP was an evaluator of "clutch". A well-known expert fan told us all that, in fact, it was more of a random occurrence as to whether a guy knocked in a run and it would basically follow the OPS in effective occurrence. We were furthermore told that there is no such thing as "clutch".



As we watch our beloved Buccos struggle with men on base I wish I could remember who the person was that told us those things in no uncertain terms!

6E45576D455849434F6C4F424F200 wrote: A statistic that is NEVER talked about is BA/RISP (batting average with runners in scoring position). Several years ago, when OPS was emerging as THE evaluation of a good hitter, I tried to make a case on one of the message boards that BA/RISP was an evaluator of "clutch". A well-known expert fan told us all that, in fact, it was more of a random occurrence as to whether a guy knocked in a run and it would basically follow the OPS in effective occurrence. We were furthermore told that there is no such thing as "clutch".



As we watch our beloved Buccos struggle with men on base I wish I could remember who the person was that told us those things in no uncertain terms!
I'm not a fan of either stat. Yoshi reached on a weak dribbler that scored a run from 3B last night. That helped his BA/RISP but I don't think he was trying for a clutch weak dribbler. Some batters get RBI hits vs a drawn in infield by hitting balls that would be routine outs at normal infield depth. Some come to bat with RISP and have to face a fresh BP ace brought in specifically for a favorable matchup while others in that situation might be facing a tiring starter a 3rd time. With a runner only at 1B an extra base hit that scores him does not count toward his BA/RISP. Some players hit for high BAs on good teams that frequently have RISP ahead of them. So a lot of those hits contribute toward BA/RISP. Other players don't get many ABs with RISP and don't get as many chances to count their hits toward their BA/RISP. So I think there are too many variables and random circumstances to conclude much from BA/RISP.



And OPS is basically SLG% with a small amount of OBP thrown in that doesn't change the player's ranking much from what it was as SLG. A player who bats once and hits a HR has a SLG of 4.000 and a OBP of 1.000. Adding 2 unrelated stats using different math systems (4 vs 1) heavily weighs the result by the larger number. You can't ascertain much from OPS that you couldn't conclude from SLG. Looking at OBP separately gives a better idea of where a player ranks in getting on base than by including that stat as a small percentage of the OPS result.

Never was that big on OPS, once it was pointed out to me how heavily it weighs towards slugging. It's not a stat I even bother with now.



BA/RISP is a good tool, but by no means perfect. If you get fewer chances, the BA figure can be misleading.



I think "clutch" is hard to define. I would like to know how many times there was a man on third, with one or no outs, and that runner was scored based upon a ball in play or a hit. I think that's a better definition. If you have Vogelbach at second base and hit a single where the OF has to move some that would score 95% of the rest of the major league but not Vogie, skewers the man on second, also known as a RISP. The man on third scenario is more of a clutch factor than the guy on second. No matter how you get that guy in, you did your job. If you did that every game of the year, you'd have 162 RBI. That's getting it done.