Baseball is often referred to as America’s pastime, and the sport is filled with statistics that track a players performance. One such statistic is OBS (On-base plus Slugging), which is used to measure a hitter’s overall offensive value. This statistic is a combination of two traditional statistics, On-base Percentage (OBP) and Slugging Percentage (SLG). In this article, we’ll explore what OBS means in baseball stats, how it’s calculated, and what it can tell us about a player.
What is OBS?
OBS (On-base plus Slugging) is a statistic used to measure a hitter’s overall offensive value. It is a combination of two traditional statistics, On-base Percentage (OBP) and Slugging Percentage (SLG). OBS is expressed as a number and can range from 0 to 1.000. The higher the number, the better the hitter.
How is OBS Calculated?
OBS is calculated by adding a player’s On-base Percentage (OBP) to their Slugging Percentage (SLG). The equation looks like this:
OBS = OBP + SLG
OBP is calculated by dividing a player’s total number of times on base (hits, walks, hit-by-pitch, and sacrifice flies) by their total plate appearances (at-bats, walks, hit-by-pitch, sacrifice flies, and intentional walks). SLG is calculated by dividing a player’s total number of bases (singles, doubles, triples, and home runs) by their total number of at-bats.
What Does OBS Tell Us?
OBS is a statistic that measures a hitter’s overall offensive value. It combines two traditional statistics, On-base Percentage (OBP) and Slugging Percentage (SLG), which measure a hitter’s ability to get on base and hit for power, respectively. OBS is a good indicator of a hitter’s overall offensive ability. It is also useful for comparing players from different eras, as it is adjusted for the eras in which the players played.
OBS vs. Other Baseball Statistics
OBS is not the only statistic used to measure a hitter’s offensive value. Other statistics, such as batting average (BA), on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage (SLG), and weighted on-base average (wOBA) are all used to measure a hitter’s offensive value. However, OBS is a better statistic than these others, as it takes into account a player’s ability to get on base and hit for power.
Conclusion
OBS (On-base plus Slugging) is a statistic used to measure a hitter’s overall offensive value. It is a combination of two traditional statistics, On-base Percentage (OBP) and Slugging Percentage (SLG). OBS is expressed as a number and can range from 0 to 1.000. The higher the number, the better the hitter. OBS is a good indicator of a hitter’s overall offensive ability and is useful for comparing players from different eras. It is also a better statistic than other measures of offensive value, as it takes into account a player’s ability to get on base and hit for power.