About the Inside Edge Player Ratings

player ratings About the Inside Edge Ratings

At the heart of the game, hitting and pitching come down to more than just at-bat ending results. At Inside Edge, literally every pitch counts. That is the basis of the Inside Edge Player Ratings. Every pitch is given a value, whether it be a first-pitch taken for a strike, or a 2-0 pitch that is driven for a double. The values placed on each pitch are derived empirically, based on how much they ultimately affect the outcome of Plate Appearances. The first-pitch strike, for example, shaves off about 20 points of Batting Average and 50 points of slugging percentage (on, or after that pitch) versus throwing a first-pitch ball. So, the pitcher receives a certain amount of positive "Pitch Points", or "Edge Points" for that pitch, and the hitter receives negative points for that pitch. The bulk of the IE Ratings are determined, then, by averaging the Pitch Points, and then normalizing them to a scale of 0 to 100. Pitcher and hitter points are the inverse of each other. For example, if a hitter’s Edge Points averaged out to 60, the combined average for the pitchers he faced would come out to 40 (100-60). There are a couple of other factors at play in the IE Rating system. We reward consistency, so players who uphold a certain standard over several months looking back to 2007 receive bonus points. We also adjust for plate appearances so that players with minimal PA’s can receive a rating, but not qualify for top spots until they have amassed a reasonable amount of playing time to prove they are worthy of their score. By drilling down to pitch-level, Inside Edge Player Ratings boil the many aspects of performance down to one number. Some of the classic IE metrics such as Chase Percentage, Miss Percentage of Swings, and Well-hit Average all factor into the equation, and provide what we feel is the most complete measurement of player performance available.