ability. A better hitter will record better in different batting indicators
and better pitcher will record better in different pitching indicators.
We can answer the question by determining pitcher/batter’s individual
ability to pitch and bat. But in extension, we can think that, besides
individual abilities, which year or season they are playing in. It is an
interesting topic for baseball fans to debate which group of players have
an edge over others depending on the season. Regardless of individual
statistics, some years will have pitchers recording relatively better
statistics than batters, and some years will have batters recording
relatively better statistics than pitchers. To determine this, people use
relative valuation, based on the value between similar assets, instead of
absolute valuation, based on one specific value.
To consider which season was the year of the batter or the pitcher, we
need a standard value for the comparison. We previously discussed ERA,
IP, K, for pitchers and AVG, OBP, SLG for batters, but these values are
for each individual player, which are unreliable in comparing the whole
season. Runs per game (R/G) is an indicator which is calculated by
dividing the amount of runs scored by the amount of games played in a
season.
R/G = Total Runs Scored/Total Games x 2
This indicator is calculated using total runs scored on one season rather
than records of individuals, so it reflects on the whole MLB season.
It divides the value in the total amount of games played so it can be a
reliable source to accurately compare, despite the adjustments in total
games played per season.