This article is part of our The Z Files series.
There is always a lot of talk about category math, but not much by way of how to get it done. I've been haggling about how I want to give it a shot. The problem is everything comes down to where you are in your own league. I could choose an arbitrary number of homers or steals and provide a one-size-fits all approach, but it would be, well, arbitrary, and not necessarily applicable.
Another complication is ratio categories deserve their own treatment. And they'll get them later this week.
Lastly, hitting counting stats and pitching counting stats are of a different ilk. So much of pitching revolves around the number of starts your team has in a scoring period, along with the quality of matchups. As such, the counting stat focus will be on the hitting side of the ledger.
Before sharing what I hope is useful data (it's certainly interesting and entertaining), this is a good time to bring back a piece I wrote a few years ago concerning the ability to move within the rotisserie categories: A Practical Approach to Standings Analysis.
OK, so here is what I did. Beginning on Labor Day, there are exactly four weeks left in the season. Accordingly, I calculated a rolling 28-day total for homers, runs, RBI and steals. The overlap was just one game, so I'm looking at Day 1 - Day 28, Day 2 - Day 29, etc. For simplicity, I left the two-game Korea Series out of the
There is always a lot of talk about category math, but not much by way of how to get it done. I've been haggling about how I want to give it a shot. The problem is everything comes down to where you are in your own league. I could choose an arbitrary number of homers or steals and provide a one-size-fits all approach, but it would be, well, arbitrary, and not necessarily applicable.
Another complication is ratio categories deserve their own treatment. And they'll get them later this week.
Lastly, hitting counting stats and pitching counting stats are of a different ilk. So much of pitching revolves around the number of starts your team has in a scoring period, along with the quality of matchups. As such, the counting stat focus will be on the hitting side of the ledger.
Before sharing what I hope is useful data (it's certainly interesting and entertaining), this is a good time to bring back a piece I wrote a few years ago concerning the ability to move within the rotisserie categories: A Practical Approach to Standings Analysis.
OK, so here is what I did. Beginning on Labor Day, there are exactly four weeks left in the season. Accordingly, I calculated a rolling 28-day total for homers, runs, RBI and steals. The overlap was just one game, so I'm looking at Day 1 - Day 28, Day 2 - Day 29, etc. For simplicity, I left the two-game Korea Series out of the analysis.
All that is presented is each player's high over the course of the study. The individual stat high marks don't have to emanate from the same 28-day period. They're designed to demonstrate the maximum you can logically expect from each player, with the common-sense understanding that very few of them, if any, will surpass their current season-long highs. The numbers provide a logical framework for whether your team can achieve what's necessary to gain points in the hitting counting-stat categories. And, if nothing else, sorting the different columns is fun.
