| When looking at baseball statistics, on-base | | | | How can this help us in handicapping? It's pretty |
| percentage and slugging percentage are two very | | | | straightforward actually. There are eight teams in |
| powerful numbers to look at. Putting them | | | | all of baseball that have an OPS higher than .800 |
| together and we get a combined statistic termed | | | | and six of those have shown profits through the |
| OPS. It's nothing fancy but it can be a very useful | | | | first 35 or so games the season. Only Cleveland |
| tool when handicapping. Hitting home runs is nice | | | | (.848 OPS) and Milwaukee (.807 OPS) are in the |
| but getting on base and knocking them around | | | | red. In total, those eight teams are a combined |
| produces even more runs and that is the ultimate | | | | +25.7 units on the season which is extremely |
| goal to winning. A team with a solid OPS will give | | | | impressive this early in the season. Keeping it up |
| you a lot of runs and a better chance of winning. | | | | throughout the entire year is the challenge. |
| As of May 12th, the Toronto Blue Jays lead the | | | | The seven teams that are below .700 in OPS |
| Majors in OPS at .850 while the Chicago Cubs are | | | | have not fared well against the moneyline this |
| last at .681. That is a vast difference and | | | | year. Those seven teams are a combined -37.1 |
| understanding how those numbers translate to | | | | units on the season with Tampa Bay and San |
| wins and losses is the goal in terms of | | | | Diego being the only two teams showing a profit |
| handicapping. Obviously, the higher the OPS, the | | | | from that group. That profit is not that big as the |
| more likely you will see a higher number of runs | | | | Devil Rays and Padres are a combined +1.6 units |
| scored. There are exceptions however. Milwaukee | | | | on the year. Blindly betting on or against these |
| is 7th in the league in OPS but only 16th in runs | | | | two groups is not the way to go about it since |
| scored. The Braves are 8th in runs scored but | | | | other factors do need to be taken into |
| 18th in OPS. These are the only two real | | | | consideration before pulling the trigger. |
| extremes. | | | | OPS affects total plays as well. The theory is that |
| With the designated hitter in the American | | | | teams with a high OPS generally score more runs |
| League, it comes as no surprise that the top five | | | | thus their games would go over more often than |
| teams in the Majors in OPS are from there. What | | | | not. That theory holds true through the early part |
| is a surprise however is that of the seven teams | | | | of the season as those eight teams with an OPS |
| with an OPS below .700, four of those are from | | | | of .800 or greater are 147-116 over (55.9 |
| the AL. Seattle, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Los | | | | percent). The opposite effect of a lower OPS |
| Angeles are the four squads and those four are | | | | leading to fewer runs and lower totals does not |
| also ranked 25th, 27th, 30th and 26th respectively | | | | hold true however. The bottom seven teams |
| in runs scored. The top five teams in OPS are | | | | with an OPS of .700 or less are just 113-122 |
| also ranked in the top 10 in runs scored with | | | | under (48.1 percent) showing that those teams |
| Detroit (9th) being the only team outside the top | | | | have some poor pitching to go along with their |
| five. | | | | poor offense. |