BvP and Versus-Pitcher Stats
The other key thing to look at, for me, when I am picking hitters is the vs. pitcher stats (also known as BvP). And, frankly, this applies no matter what. If I am looking at a pitcher with an ERA over 6.0 and a WHIP over 2.0 and 10 straight losses, playing the best offense in the league, yeah, I might start a bunch of those hitters. But if their MVP cleanup hitter happens to be 0-for-28 against him for his career with 15 strikeouts, guess who is NOT making his way onto my fantasy roster?
Most often, vs. pitcher stats don’t mean very much – the sample size is way too small or there is too much variability of outcomes – it’s impossible to determine if anything is statistically significant. So don’t read anything into a guy who is 0-for-4 lifetime against a pitcher – he could have just been having a bad week. But there are at least a couple of situations in which vs. pitcher stats can help you make a decision, or at least put a player’s potential in a new perspective for you.
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