Using abs (at bats) as a stat in leagues???????

[squibber]

Help settle this debate... What do you think of using at bats as a stat in a roto league which already has games limits for hitters? I contend that it actually punishes teams with players who walk a lot and there's really no point to counting this stat. Everyone's ab numbers should be similar at the end if they are playing all their players, except the teams with players who walk a lot will lose points. That could be a difference maker at the end of the season.

The person for this says that it punishes players that play fewer hitters to keep their batting averages high. I would counter that a player doing this is already hurting themselves in runs, rbi, and hrs, so abs aren't needed.

What do you think? Are there any pros for using abs as a stat in a roto league because I don't see any.

[Matthias]

You're right. He's wrong.

[Merlin401]

You're right. WIth a game limit this is a stupid stat IMO.

Buuuuut I actually think ABs can be an interesting category for strategy. You can actually see some very limited streaming of hitters trying to get people playing in double headers and such. We have this in my league as an offensive stat and it definitely favors aggressive managers so I kind of like it in that sense.

[Matthias]

Generally, double headers count as two games so that would be pointless.

The only way to game the stat would be to draft heavy on lead-off hitters who will accumulate slightly more ABs per season than people further down the order.

[Merlin401]

Generally, double headers count as two games so that would be pointless.

Right thats why I said it was silly in his case. In my league we have no "game" maximums so the double header thing is a very valid way of boosting ABs

[squibber]

Thanks for the input guys. I agree that having a games limit and counting abs is kind of pointless. It actually might hurt the legitimacy of the league because these extra points could skew the final points total.