FIP: A New ERA

In the study of baseball, it has become increasingly apparent the Earned Run Average (ERA) statistic does not effectively evaluate pitchers. As a result, many now turn to the FIP -- or Fielding Independent Pitching -- statistic, which neutralizes the good or bad fielding that can affect a pitcher's ERA.

If you have any questions or concerns about these metrics, head over to Fangraphs.com or contact the video's creator at DRaysBay.com.

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[ytbroadcastinmyself]

Poor Yuniesky Betancourt.

[e8ghtmileshigh1]

-2.8 career WAR lol

[BeastDaEast7]

Please make more videos!!! Even if it's a story about luck dragons lol

[KrunchyGoodness]

Let us say that you are right: FIP awards value to a pitcher throwing non-FBs in that the HR rate will be lower. Let's look at Weaver from 2011 to 2012. His FB% went down. If you are right, HR/9 should go down, but it increased. Why? Because his HR/FB rate increased. So the formula for the HRs used in FIP is related to both FB% and HR/FB, but when you do the math, the FBs cancel out. So no, FBs have no added or subtracted value seen in FIP. You only see that if HR/FB is constant, which is xFIP.

[sestey4]

That's not true. Ground ball pitchers tend to give up less home runs because they'll give up fewer fly balls.

If you are of the belief that a pitcher can't surpress his HR/FB rate, then you can use xFIP.

[KrunchyGoodness]

The problem with FIP is that it ignores much more than just fielding. Sure, Ks, BBs, HRs, and HBPs are all good things to respectively do or avoid, but there are other results as well. A pitcher may throw a pitch that is more likely to be hit for a ground ball, a fly ball, or a line drive. GBs and FBs are more likely to be fielded for an out than LDs, so they are desired. If a pitcher is an effective GB pitcher, FIP overlooks his talent.

[mikeyanagita1]

you got OWNED

[KobraCola]

a hit. Both ERA and FIP are flawed statistics, I think a new, better stat will eventually be invented.

[KobraCola]

The thing is, FIP doesn't counter in pitchers who are better at drawing hits that DO go to their fielders, even if their fielders are turrible. There's a huge different between a hot grounder that goes past Yuniesky that Alexei would get and a slower dribbler that goes straight to both player to make the out. The pitcher directly influences whether the contact is strong or poor. Furthermore, some pitchers are better at preventing line drives, which is the easiest way for a hitter to get (cont'd)

[eraser122]

We already moved on to xFIP and SIERA, lol