The 7 Most Overrated Stats in Baseball

Mariano Rivera just broke the all-time saves record as you all may know.

However, what exactly is it save? It is kind of an arbitrary measure to say the least. Who can actually say that a game needs to be saved, implying that it might be lost, if a new pitcher comes in with a lead of three runs or less at the end of the game or with the tying run on back? Is the team really in danger of losing at that point?

I'm not trying to belittle Mariano Rivera. He is one of the best relief pitchers of our time, but I also want to emphasize that he is amazing because he throws amazing pitches. Arbitrary statistics do not explain very much about that.

With this thought in mind, let's take a look at six other overrated statistics.

Quality Starts

I don't want to simply bash on pitching stats, but this is again a totally arbitrary measurement. Pitching six innings and giving up three or fewer earned runs is simply a benchmark. Also, giving up three earned runs over six innings results in an ERA of 4.50 which is not that impressive. Of course, with the previous statement I am assuming that ERA is a valid measurement.

However, I think that the main problem with this is that quality really depends on a measurement that seems kind of random.

Runs Batted in

I know that I am getting into a debate here. However, there is a quality argument that runs batted in is not a very accurate measure of a player's ability to produce runs.

The argument is based upon the premise that it is outside of the individual player's control. If I'm the batter, I cannot determine whether or not there is a runner on base when I hit that double. Therefore, I am not rewarded for hits that I do get when nobody is on base.

I do realize that perhaps RBI totals might be able to explain the ability to perform under pressure, but it is not an accurate measurement of how a player drives in runs.

Wins

I am making roughly the same argument here that I have been everywhere else. A win is never measuring the same thing.

For example, I might surrender 10 runs on Monday, but if my team scores 11, I will get the win. However, whenever it is my time in the rotation again, I might pitch eight innings of one run ball, but I could very well get a loss if my team doesn't score any runs for me.

Which day did I better? Which day did I get the win?

I am not arguing that wins are unimportant. Obviously, they are the most important. However, I am arguing that when looking at the big picture of a pitcher's performance, this is another one of those areas that is somewhat out of the ultimate pitcher's control.

Losses

Let me continue my discussion from before.

I could pitch one of the best games of my career, but I might lose it if I have no offensive support. I know that wins and losses are two of the most important things in baseball because they examine the playoffs and seeding.

Like I have already emphasized on the previous slide, losses are just as important as wins, by they are overrated in the sense that they do not truly evaluate how well an individual pitcher has necessarily performed. Wins and losses involve the entire team, and they shouldn't be pinned on one player.

Home Runs

I like home runs. I like seeing people hit the ball a long way. My main problem with this statistic is that it varies from ballpark to ballpark.

We all know that some ballparks favor hitters and others favor pitchers. Therefore, a home run in one ballpark might be a simple fly ball in another park. This is obviously a problem with statisticians because from what I know, measurements should be taken equally with the same standards.

Again, I like home runs. However, since they vary so much from place to place, they are not the most accurate measure of how much power a player actually possesses.

Holds

I will leave you with one more statistic regarding relief pitchers. A hold is apparently not an official statistic according to the MLB, but it is basically a save before the end of the game. All of the same conditions apply to what qualifies as a hold except for the fact that it does not have to be the end.

However, just like saves, it is okay to allow a run or two as long as the lead is not lost. Are you really holding the lead then?

Throughout this entire article, I do not mean that everything we measure in baseball is 100 percent wrong. What I am saying however is that statistics can be biased, and it is important to know what you are reading.