FanPost

My Dumb New Stat: Meaningful Plate Appearance Percentage



I know, just saying it out loud, it sounds like something that would've been the brainchild of Sabean or Bochy, had either of them cared enough to share it with the media. I fully realize what I'm about to put out there, for public consumption, goes directly against all modern baseball thinking and really against any rational thought. I'm going to share here anyway, perhaps because I'm a masochist, asking for ridicule. I present to you my new stat, the MPAP: Meaningful Plate Appearance Percentage. Read on after the jump, if you dare.

Basically, this stat operates on the hilariously wrong, outdated, stupid, silly creative? notion that not all plate appearances are created equal, especially for such an offensively-challenged team like the Giants, where runs are treated like drops of water in the desert.

I count the following things as "good," as in they can never be bad:

All walks, because any time a Giant draws a walk, it's cause for celebration.

All hit-by-pitch(es?), because they're like walks, but more painful-looking.

All extra-base hits, because this team lacks pop.

Getting a lead-off single in any inning, because reaching base as a leadoff batter increases your odds of scoring that inning dramatically.

Moving a runner on 1st with no outs over to second, because hey, two chances now to score him with a single, providing that he's not the second-coming of Bengie Molina.

Moving a runner on 2nd with no outs over to third, because now they can score without a hit or an error.

Getting a run home from 2nd or 3rd, in any situation.

Hitting a single with one out and a man on first.

Hitting a single with a man on 2nd, and two outs, even if they don't score.

Hitting a single with two outs as the 8th place hitter, allowing the pitcher to come up that inning.

If a pitcher sacrifices a runner to second with one out, I guess (but only a pitcher).


I count the following things as "bad," because they can never be good:

Not reaching base as a leadoff batter, because that dramatically reduces your chances of scoring that inning.

Not getting a runner at first to second with no outs.

Not getting a runner at second to third with no outs.

Not getting a runner at third home with none or one out.

Not getting on base as the 8th place hitter and two outs, with the pitcher due up next.

Not reaching base with two outs and a runner on 2nd or 3rd base, basically making the third out with runners in scoring position.


The following things I count as neither good nor bad, and thus don't count them at all:

Making the second or third out of an inning with no one base or with a runner only on first base (except that thing about the eighth place hitter and two outs).

Getting a single with two outs and a man on first, because it will likely require another hit to bring them home, and getting multiple hits in one inning isn't likely.

Getting a single with one or two outs and no one base (for the same reason, it's an empty hit).

Finally, I attach different weights to them, by units of 1.000, like slugging percentage does, so doubles count 2.000, triples 3.000 and homers 4.000. I count every lead-off single, walk, HBP or runner successfully moved up one base as 1.000. I count every runner moved up two bases like a one-out single that gets a runner to third or a single that scores someone from second like it's a double, so 2.000. I count every runner moved up three bases, like a double that scores someone from first, like it's a triple, so 3.000. Solo-shots are 4.000, two-run HRs are 5.000, three-run HRs are 6.000 and grand slams are 7.000.

Still with me after all that? Good. By my little formula, here's the MPAP for the Giants hitters after the Arizona series. I'll update after every series, and we'll see who the most "clutch" hitters are. Really, it's a like OPS with "clutchness" added in. Note, the following averages aren't based just on hits, they're based on all successful plate appearances divided by unsuccessful ones.

Pill: 3.000 (2 for 2, with a 2-run HR)

Sandoval: 1.250 (5 for 8, with a 2-run HR and a 2B)

Posey: 1.142 (4 for 7, with a 2-run HR)

Cabrera: 1.000 (4 for 9, with a 2-run HR and a 2B)

Burriss: 1.000 (2 for 2)

Blanco: .750 (2 for 4, with a 2B)

Crawford: .571 (3 for 7, with a 2B)

Huff: .500 (3 for 8, with a 2B)

Lincecum: .333 (1 for 3)

Pagan: .286 (1 for 7, with a 2B)

Theriot: .250 (1 for 4)

Belt: .222 (2 for 9)

Cain: .000 (0 for 1)

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