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 Better than average On-base percentage more telling statistic for hitters
Posted: Wednesday August 25, 1999 07:44 PM
One of the more overrated statistics in baseball is the batting average. Sure, it’s a great way of showing how good hitters are, but it really doesn't tell the whole story. For that, you need to look at the on-base percentages. For example, take a look at the Oakland A's. They've got the worst batting average of any team in the American League, yet they're in the middle of the wild-card race. Why? Because they lead the majors in walks and, therefore, their on-base percentage is among the best in the AL. Oakland’s exceptional on-base percentage translates into runners for its big home run hitters to knock home. And that's why losing Tony Phillips was such a big blow, despite the fact that he was hitting just .244. He had an on-base percentage of .362. A good on-base percentage is especially important for players at the top of the lineup. For example, if you went by batting averages alone you would think that Shannon Stewart and Doug Glanville are the best leadoff hitters in the majors. While both players are good young talents, they wouldn't be a manager's first choice to lead off. That would go to someone like Brady Anderson or Kenny Lofton in the AL or Rickey Henderson or Craig Biggio in the NL. Not surprisingly, those guys have the highest on-base percentages among leadoff hitters. That's why Henderson is still such a valuable asset to the Mets, even at age 40. He's played nearly three dozen fewer games than Glanville, yet he's scored nearly as many runs. On-base percentage can also be used to show the worth of power hitters. Take Jim Thome, for example. Thome may lead the majors in strikeouts, but his on-base percentage is among the top 10 in the AL. If he had even average speed, he'd have 20 more runs scored this season. And then there's Jeff Bagwell. His power numbers rank among the best in the NL. But, he also leads the majors in both on-base percentage and runs scored. Those are MVP statistics. So forget about the batting races and start looking at on-base percentages. It will tell you a lot more about who's disciplined at the plate and how productive he is for his team. Ozzie Smith, a 15-time All-Star, is a baseball analyst for CNN/SI, the 24-hour sports news network from CNN and Sports Illustrated. His column appears each week during the baseball season, exclusively at CNNSI.com.
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