Pitching is one of the most important aspects of baseball. It is often said that pitching wins championships, and a successful pitching staff can make or break a team’s season. As such, it is important for teams to understand all of the metrics used to measure and evaluate pitchers. One of these metrics is G, which is short for “games started”. In this article, we will take a look at what G means for pitchers, how it is calculated, and how it can be used to assess a pitcher’s performance.
What is G?
G, or games started, is a statistic used to measure the amount of games a pitcher has started in a season. It is usually accompanied by a number that indicates how many outs the pitcher recorded in that game. For example, if a pitcher records 12 outs in a game, it would be recorded as “G-12”. G does not include relief appearances, so if a pitcher appears in a game but does not start it, the statistic will not be recorded.
How is G Calculated?
G is calculated by taking the number of games a pitcher starts in a season and subtracting the number of relief appearances they make. It is important to note that G does not include starts in which the pitcher is removed from the game before recording three outs. For example, if a pitcher starts a game and is removed after recording two outs, it would not be recorded as a G.
What Does G Tell Us?
G is a useful statistic for evaluating a pitcher’s performance. It can tell us how often a pitcher is starting games, and how successful they are in those starts. A high G statistic indicates that a pitcher is reliable and capable of going deep into games, while a low G statistic indicates that the pitcher is often being removed early.
G can also be used to compare pitchers. For example, if two pitchers have the same number of wins, but one has a higher G statistic, it indicates that the pitcher with the higher G is likely a more reliable and effective starter.
Conclusion
G is an important statistic for evaluating pitchers. It is calculated by subtracting the number of relief appearances from the number of games started, and it can tell us how often a pitcher is starting games, and how successful they are in those starts. G can also be used to compare pitchers, as it can indicate which pitcher is more reliable and effective. Understanding G is essential for any team looking to evaluate their pitching staff and make decisions about who should be starting games.