Book updates
BABS 2017: What’s new, early charts, more
While we all know the inherent beauty that BABS possesses, she readily recognizes that there is always room for improvement. The challenge, though, is to improve while maintaining simplicity. I didn’t want to add complexity to her natural beauty. In the end, the only changes I made were to provide a bit more consistency and…
Read MoreFinal 2016 BABS Ratings
Even with the massive in shift in the balance between power and speed this season, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw still ended up atop the BABS rankings. Planetary alignment is a good thing. Those two are this era’s no-brainers, but the rest of the 2016 final rankings reveals a wealth of information. A quick scan…
Read MoreTrout, Freeman pace the field as we enter the homestretch
I should have a little more faith in BABS. She’s been good to me; I should support her even when her ratings seem a little off. To wit: A few weeks ago, I was a guest of Patrick Davitt’s on Baseball HQ Radio. He was looking over the late July BABS update and noticed some…
Read MoreBetts, Fowler Top the BABS Leaderboard
Through nearly two months, we are starting to see some of the early season’s extreme performances settling down. But even within that settlement, there are a few players who are taking that next step up. A reminder about how to use the chart: Batters and pitchers, individually, are ranked by skill, regardless of playing time.…
Read MoreBABS In-Season
The concept of assessing talent using broad measures, and balancing assets and liabilities, applies to all stages of the baseball season. Even though our drafts are over, the need to evaluate talent does not end. BABS works just as hard during the season as in the weeks leading up to it. In some ways she…
Read MoreDynasty Leagues and a BABS Love Letter
Can BABS work in a deep, dynasty league format? I took it out for a spin in the XFL Experts league to find out. The incidentals: The XFL is the industry’s only experts league with keepers, but it’s really a hybrid keeper/dynasty competition. It is a 15-team mixed league that uses 9 of the 10…
Read MoreBroad Assessment Balance Sheet – March 27 Update
I’m a few days early, but here are the BABS spreadsheets updated for Mixed leagues, with data as of March 26. This will be the final update before Opening Day. The updated files (both Excel and html online) include the new indicators for on base average. The ADPs and converted dollar values remain those from…
Read MoreThe Lower Depths of BABS
The Asset and Liability ratings generated by BABS hold no bias towards playing time. Whether you are a 600-AB full-timer or a 100-AB backup catcher, your skills and risks are evaluated on the same scale. However, those who are in line for significant playing time do get pushed up in the rankings, leaving the mid-timers…
Read MoreIf Every Player Was Healthy
Here is where the beauty of BABS really comes into play. Players with overriding Liabilities – from health to experience to playing time opportunity – are never accurately portrayed by current rating and ranking systems. There is no better time to show this than spring training. Several young players are making some noise in camp…
Read MoreBABS in Leagues with Alternative Rules
BABS provides a different way of thinking about roster management in fantasy leagues, but it’s virtually impossible for one system to be all things to all formats. Leagues with alternative rules or hybrid structures are going to require a bit of tweaking. However, there are some underlying facts that are important to know. (First, an…
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