Judge/Pavlidis: Catching up to defensive metrics behind the plate
From Jonathan Judge and SABR member Harry Pavlidis at Baseball Prospectus on January 12, 2016:
It’s Catcher Day at Baseball Prospectus, as we celebrate the expansion—both in method and in scope—of our new catching statistics. Given the age and breadth of some of these stats, we truly feel as if we are debuting our large adult child.
The statistics both apply to and measure players other than catchers, but they are all perhaps most important to catchers as we measure their total value to a team. The statistics are four-fold, covering three critical catching skills:
1. Running Game
a. Swipe Rate Above Average (SRAA) – the effect of the player on base-stealing success;
b. Takeoff Rate Above Average (TRAA) – the effect of the player on base-stealing attempts;
2. Blocking Pitches
a. Errant Pitches Above Average (EPAA) – the effect of the player on wild pitches and passed balls;
3. Framing (AKA “Presenting”)
a. Called Strikes Above Average (CSAA) – the effect of the player on strikes being called.
Obviously pitchers, runners and even batters can be subjects of these measures. We’ll publish those as well, providing deeper insight into just how aggressive Rickey Henderson was. But today is about catchers and not an excuse to mention Rickey Henderson. You never really need a reason to mention Rickey Henderson . . . but we digress.
Read the full article here: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=28193
Originally published: January 12, 2016. Last Updated: January 12, 2016.