Baseball is a sport full of statistics, and one of the most commonly used is OPS, which stands for on-base plus slugging. OPS is a statistic used to measure the overall effectiveness of a hitter. It combines the two most important offensive statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG), into one number. This number is used to compare different players, and to track the progress of a hitter’s performance over time. In this article, we’ll discuss what OPS means in baseball and how it is calculated.
What is On-Base Percentage?
On-base percentage (OBP) is a statistic used to measure how often a hitter reaches base. This includes hits, walks, hit-by-pitches, and errors. It does not include sacrifice flies or sacrifice bunts, as these do not count as a plate appearance. OBP is calculated by dividing the total number of times a hitter reaches base (H + BB + HBP) by the total number of plate appearances. The result is then multiplied by 100 to produce a percentage.
What is Slugging Percentage?
Slugging percentage (SLG) is a statistic used to measure a player’s power at the plate. It takes into account extra base hits such as doubles, triples, and home runs. SLG is calculated by dividing the total number of bases a hitter accumulates (1B + (2 x 2B) + (3 x 3B) + (4 x HR)) by the total number of at-bats. The result is then multiplied by 100 to produce a percentage.
How is OPS Calculated?
OPS is calculated by adding together a player’s on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The result is then multiplied by 100 to produce a percentage. It is important to note that OPS does not take into account the number of plate appearances, which means that it does not accurately reflect a hitter’s ability to produce hits.
What Does OPS Tell Us?
OPS is a statistic that can be used to compare different players and track the progress of a hitter’s performance over time. It is a good indicator of a hitter’s overall offensive ability, as it takes into account their ability to reach base and their power. However, it does not take into account the number of plate appearances, which means that it does not accurately reflect a hitter’s ability to produce hits.
Conclusion
OPS is a statistic used to measure the overall effectiveness of a hitter. It combines the two most important offensive statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG), into one number. This number is used to compare different players, and to track the progress of a hitter’s performance over time. OBP and SLG are calculated separately, then added together to produce a percentage. OPS is a good indicator of a hitter’s overall offensive ability, but it does not take into account the number of plate appearances, which means that it does not accurately reflect a hitter’s ability to produce hits.