Power-Speed numbers...

[clancyphile]

Power/Speed numbers for the 2008 Brewers lineup:

 

2B: Rickie Weeks - 19.5

SS: JJ Hardy - 3.7

LF: Ryan Braun - 20.8

1B: Prince Fielder - 3.8

RF: Corey Hart - 23.4

3B: Bill Hall - 6.2 (injury)/13.0 in 2006

CF: Mike Cameron - 19.3

C: Jason Kendall - 3.0

 

Okay, how do we make some lineup decisions based on this stat? This figure could arguably justify Cameron batting second, and Hardy batting 7th, but it does seem to warrant putting Braun third, ahead of Fielder.

[zzzmanwitz]

can you explain this stat a little better. Thanks.

[clancyphile]

From Baseball-Reference.com:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/leader_glossary.shtml

PowSpd - Power/Speed Number. This is (2*HR*SB)/(HR + SB). It is a Bill James creation and indicates a player with both good speed and power.

So, if Bill Hall were to hit 35 homers and steal 30 bases, his power/speed number would be 32.3. Rickie Weeks hitting 25 homers and stealing 80 bases would have a power/speed number of 38.1.

 

 

(cleaned up code --1992)

[zzzmanwitz]

I guess I would think this number justifies putting braun behind fielder, giving him more chances to run.

[joepepsi]

It seems to overemphasize speed. I don't think Kendall has the same value as Fielder or that Cameron and Weeks are each 5.5-6 times more valuable than Prince.

[rluzinski]

Okay, how do we make some lineup decisions based on this stat?

 

I don't see why you should.

[RyDogg66]

Ben Sheets - 29.2

 

How do we make a decision based upon this stat.

[sbrylski]

Yeah, I'm confused on the true meaning of this stat. It seems very arbitrary.

[RyDogg66]

I like the Power-Speed stat, dont get me wrong, but I also feel that the Walks-Doubles stat is far superior when making lineup decisions.

 

edit: Whoopsie, another post I forgot to turn blue....

[Ennder]

This is one of those metrics that just makes no sense at all to me. SB don't measure speed very well to begin with and there is more to power than HR, so even at the most basic level it isn't a good stat.

[rluzinski]

James developed the speed score, which does a pretty good job of approximating a player's speed. This doesn't really tell us anything about a player's speed.

[igor67]

The most useful thing about speed is using to identify old player skills. Which tells us that Hall, Weeks, Hart, and Braun will all probably age very well and still be pretty good looking ball players at 35. Prince is a bigger risk to drop off. Speed by itself isn't the only thing that figures in, but it does remind us that a Jason Giambi aging pattern is a much better likelihood than say Ted Williams.