Hello, class. If you remember, last week we talked about the basics of Sabermetric principles and how they look at stats differently than most people and value lesser used stats over more traditionally viewed numbers like ERA and batting average.

The point of Sabermetrics is to identify trends and predict the future. One of the major stats in an expert’s psychic arsenal is Fielder Independent Pitching, or FIP for short. FIP aims to evaluate a pitcher’s true performance by eliminating all outside factors to calculate a pitcher’s ERA with an average BaBIP, defensive support, and strand rate.

So, if a player is posting an unusually low ERA, check his FIP. If it’s a run higher than his ERA, you should deal them soon before they blow up. If your starter is getting blown lately, a lower FIP would mean good times are on the horizon.

Let’s compare two pitchers who struggled recently: Ted Lilly and Tommy Hanson . Both pitchers had consecutive games of nine and five earned runs each. A good owner will go check the peripherals to see what the problem is, checking FIP first.

Knowledge is power, so keep reading .