| In no sport are statistics kept like they're kept in | | | | baseball picks, you should begin with the Quality |
| baseball. The nature of the game of baseball lends | | | | Start. The definition is very simple: A Quality Start |
| itself to the compiling of stats because every | | | | is where the pitcher goes at least 6 innings and |
| occurrence on a baseball field is easily isolated and | | | | allows 3 or less earned runs. |
| therefore quantifiable in some way. The same | | | | It's easy to understand and to the point and tells |
| cannot be said for other sports. But just how | | | | you pretty much all you need to know about the |
| important are baseball stats to making winning | | | | guy you may bet on. A pitcher who can provide |
| baseball picks? A better question might be: Which | | | | quality starts with some consistency is a guy who |
| baseball stats are useful in making winning baseball | | | | keeps his team in the game and gives them a |
| picks? | | | | very realistic chance of winning each and every |
| A quick look around any major sports website will | | | | time he takes the mound, and that's really all you |
| reveal the sheer volume of statistics kept on | | | | can ask of the starting pitcher. Additionally, a |
| baseball. ESPN, for example, has pages and pages | | | | quality starter, by going at least 6 full innings, will |
| of stats covering every facet of the game, the | | | | minimize the impact the bullpen - usually a |
| vast majority of which are totally useless to the | | | | collection of fair to poor pitchers - will have on the |
| baseball bettor. | | | | game. |
| No single aspect of the game has more impact on | | | | At Precision Plays we begin our analysis of any |
| the success or failure of your baseball picks than | | | | potential baseball pick by determining whether or |
| does starting pitching and, like every other aspect | | | | not the starting pitchers involved can be relied |
| in baseball, starting pitching comes with both | | | | upon to provide their respective teams with a |
| metric and standard craploads of stats. What is | | | | solid performance - with a Quality Start. For |
| his groundout to flyout ratio? How does he pitch | | | | seven years, this method has translated into |
| with RISP? How about with RISP and 2 outs? | | | | success for us and our clients. |
| How does his second time through the lineup | | | | Of course, the Quality Start cannot tell you |
| compare to his first? You can easily locate his | | | | whether or not your baseball picks will win, but it |
| ERA and compare it to his DIPS ERA and | | | | WILL point you in the right direction. Historically, |
| component ERA - that is, if you have no life. | | | | teams who get a Quality Start out of their |
| One stat, however, gets very little attention, and | | | | pitcher win 60-65% of the time. |
| that's the Quality Start. Of all the hundreds of | | | | That's a pretty good jumping off point for any |
| pitching stats you can look at in deciding your | | | | baseball bet. |