I think so. There are many great players who don't have great averages and percentages that are productive. Take guys like Sammy Sosa, Reggie Jackson, and Andruw Jones for example. Reggie was a career .262 BA .356 OBP .490 SLG hitter but in his prime he was a 25 HR, 80 RBI guy. He also hit 563 hrs, 1702 rbis, and 2584 hits for his career. Sammy also has a dismal average and on base% but he's always been able to produce runs for teams. Andruw Jones is another example. He may not hit for average or get on base that much but you can always count on him to be a 30hr, 100 rbi guy.
2007-07-31 17:47:19 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
Batting average may be overrated, but OBP and Slg are very good predictors of offensive performance. Add them together, and you get OPS. Or, multiply OBP by TB, and you get a good approximation of runs created.
In fact, RBI is a horrible predictor, as they depend on many factors the player has no control over. For example, Gary Carter has 100 RBI seasons where he performed worse than a scrub would have... meaning, almost anyone could have gotten 100 RBI batting there.
2007-07-31 18:00:20 · answer #1 · answered by patsen29 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
you know funny you say this...i was watching the yankee game tonight where AROD is looking for number 500 and he hit one that would have been off the wall but was caught. yeah u hit it a few feet over in the outfield and u can get either a double or a fly out. i think it is a little overrated, but great hitters dont get robbed all the time, for instance derek jeter who always has a high average. and the guys u mentioned (sammy reggie and andruw) are all....power hitters. power hitters tend to strike out more because they swing for the fences, which also leads to lower averages. singles and doubles hitters tend to have better averages. And with on base percentage, its not overrated. the best and "smartest" players have the best OBP. Get a lot of walks, hit the ball well, u will have a good OBP.
2007-07-31 18:04:14 · answer #2 · answered by Bryan B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Reggie Jackson's on base percentage and slugging percentage were phenomenal in his prime. His career numbers don't look great now because of the offensive explosion, and also because he hung on a little too long, and ended his career with a few bad seasons.
With Sosa and Jones, they do put a lot of runs on the board. But you have to remember that a low on base percentage player is a guy who makes a lot of outs, and takes a lot of opportunities away from his teammates, so they end up with fewer RBIs. Almost all 100 RBI guys are still good hitters, but the ones with low on base percentages are often overrated.
2007-08-01 03:20:37 · answer #3 · answered by Thomas M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OBP (or OBA) isn't only a measure on walks, it takes into accounts hits too and even HPB's. BA surely isn't overrated but it doesn't give the whole story which is why we have so many stats in baseball that give us missing pieces. Just because a guy takes a couple pitches and walks doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It all depends on the player and situation. Leadoff hitters are better off having a good OBP than average. I don't look down upon walks, because now you get baserunners which increases your chances to score runs off a rally where as a guy who can do more "damage" might only a solo shot out of the AB.
2016-05-19 21:09:49 · answer #4 · answered by adrienne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would find it hard for OBP to be overrated. With most players, there is a tradeoff between BA and SLG. The greats, who can bit for average and power, are few. Basically, of recent times, Thomas, Griffey, Pujols and surely a few guys I cannot think of now embody this combination of BA and SLG. Thomas, of course, did well in all three areas in his prime.
I'll tell you this: I'd rather have a .270 hitter with an OBP of over .400 (Brian Downing comes to mind) than an impatient .310 hitter whose OBP is only like .350.
2007-07-31 18:08:53 · answer #5 · answered by wingo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. They would not be keeping track of them if they were. Bottom line is that this is still a one on one battle between hitter and pitcher. Some guys sacrifice average and obp to hit for power. Some guys sacrifice power for average and obp. Just depends on your game and your team role. Those are great players you have mentioned because they impact the outcome of the game with their talent. Their job is to drive in runs that is why they hit 3rd or 4th and guys with higher obp and averages hit in front of then and their job is to score.
2007-07-31 22:08:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Batting average is WAY overrated.
OBP and SLG are still underrated (particularly OBP), but that is slowly improving.
2007-07-31 18:18:16 · answer #7 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋