Sox Stats Update

Call me a number-cruncher, but I love team statistics as a measure of how competitive a team is.

After 50 games (31% of the season) the Sox still lead in team batting average, at .290, which is 8 points ahead of the hated Yankees. More importantly, we have the best record in baseball at 35-15. Other notable stats include: 3rd in striking out, with just 262, or 5.24 K/game. The Yanks are dead last, with 421, or 7.8 K/game. The Sox are tied for second in doubles (105), 5th in home runs, second (to the Yanks) in runs per game, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases per game. We're tied for seventh in stolen bases, with a respectable 30. Only three teams with winning records have more steals, and only the leader (Seattle) has twice as many as us. Last year at this time, probably everybody but Oakland could double or triple the Sox steal totals. Our pitching is good too - and the Yanks are again second to us in the harbinger stat, this time ERA. We also lead both leagues in Shutouts with 7, as well as in Saves (21) and Save opportunities (25). We're last in home runs allowed, but first in hit batsmen. We're also last in walks allowed, hits allowed, and total bases allowed. We're second to the Yanks in W+H/IP and opponents OBP.

If Major League Baseball were a rotisserie league, where would the Sox lie? I'll work it like my own fantasy team in a league where points are awarded for R, HR, RBI, SB, OPS, W, SV, K, ERA, and WHIP. The #1 team gets 14 points in the AL, and so on. I'm correcting for games played in all categories where it's necessary.

Stat	SOX	YANKS
R	13	14
HR	10	14
RBI	13	14
SB	7.5	6
OPS	13	14
W	14	13
SV	14	13
K	13	14
ERA	14	13
WHIP	13	14
Total:	124.5	129

The Yanks are clearly the first-place team in this rotisserie league, with the Sox a close second. What's really amazing though is that out of these 10 vital stats, the Sox and Yanks share first and second place in all but two categories, one of which is the SB category, which is notorious in Yahoo sports for being highly overrated and designed to give lousy teams a chance. Anyway this weekendthe Sox are invadin' the Bronx, and it's gonna be good times, baby!