A high level accounting of the BABS player pool

By Patrick Cloghessy

In our quest to set roster targets and assess our ability to meet those targets, it is helpful to have a good sense of the composition of the player pool. From a BABsian perspective, that means taking an accounting of where she is allocating her assets and liabilities. Here is a high-level summary.

Batters

BABS lists 180 batters as F(ull time) players. In a standard 15-team league, we would start 14 offensive players, for a total of 210 starting bats. If we exclude the catcher position (BABS only lists 6 catchers as full-timers) the necessary number of starting bats is, coincidentally, 180.

Of these 180 full-time bats, 100 (56%) offer a power asset. Power appears plentiful. Just 11 own extreme (P+) skills, 32 offer significant (PW) skills and the remaining 57 players bring moderate power (p) to the table.

There are 50 “F” players (28%) who own a speed asset. We know stolen bases will be hard to come by. Can we get speed late? After ADP 200, BABS shows 13 players with a speed asset, whereas there are 28 players with above average power going that late.

There are only 11 “triple threats” (power/speed/average). If we sacrifice BA, the list of power/speed combo players is only six names long. There are 16 batters with the speed/average combination. That’s a total of only 33 full-timers who can pair speed with at least one other asset.  The biggest pond in which to fish for dual assets is power/average, which is home to 51 batters.

In a pool of 180 full-time batters, less than half (84) come equipped with more than one asset on their ledger. In a 15 team setup, this means each team will start 5.6 multi-asset players. This leaves 8.4 one asset (or, gasp! no-asset) starters per club.

And we haven’t even talked injuries yet.

By BABS’ count, 49 of the 180 (F) batters have an injury liability. That means 27 per cent of BABS’ best bets for full time at-bats are at risk of not hitting the mark. The total number of players who spent time on the DL for the last 4 seasons: 408, 473, 528 and 574. We must account for injury risk while assembling our rosters.

We will be forced to roster players who BABS tabs as mid-timers (M) or part-timers (those who hold no playing time asset designation). Identifying which of these players is worthy of speculation is no easy task. BABS lays it all bare.  

Of the 132 “M” batters, liabilities abound: 54 injury, 33 carry “-AV”,  and 60 with experience questions. This is a minefield. Some of the mid/part timers might graduate to full-time status by season’s end. Who should we target? Of the M’s, there are 17 bats with multiple assets; BABS suggests we start there.

The mid- and part-timers contain many prospects and other inexperienced players who, at this time, have unclear paths to playing time. It’s early.

Pitchers

Forty-four starting pitchers are marked by BABS as full-timers. That is fewer than three per staff in 15-team leagues.  Of this group, 23 come with better than average strikeout ability. The same 23 pitchers also own ERA assets. Twenty-three dual-asset SP who are expected to log a full season of innings. Just three come with injury liabilities. The elite tier of SP is fairly safe, albeit sprinkled with regression risk.

That leaves 21 more pitchers who rate as “F”. Nine are graded as above average in ERA, and exactly zero rate as strikeout artists, according to BABS. Injury liabilities total five. The biggest asset these players bring is their ability to take the ball every fifth day.

Which leads to….

M(id timers) — starting pitchers less-likely to log a full season, with a less than stellar track record of taking their regular turn in the rotation. BABS’ database contains 120 players of this type. Liabilities aplenty here: 54 INJ, 46 -ER, 36 EXP. With the risk, comes the possibility of great reward. The names on this list are downright scary, and 36 of them are dual asset (k/era) hurlers. More than a few of these “M” arms could wind up in the bullpen, and with the right role,  deliver usable roto stats.

Injury assessment for pitchers is intuitive. Pitching is fragile overall. Those who tend to stay healthy tend to throw the most innings. BABS recognizes this, and grades accordingly.

Remember, it’s January, roles can change. Opportunities will arise.