The StatMan  

We talk some fantasy sports on the show, but when I talk about a certain player scoring 10 points in a game or 30 points for a week, what exactly does that mean?

In the show's house fantasy baseball league, the First to Third League (FTL), we play head-to-head, which means we draw up a 20-game schedule before the season and the starting lineups of each team goes up against the starting lineup of that team's opponent.  Each game takes place over an entire week (Monday through Sunday) and the playoffs are played over the final six weeks of the MLB regular season.

The starting lineups consist of: 1 C, 1 1B, 1 2B, 1 SS, 1 3B, 1 corner infielder (1B/3B), 1 middle infielder (2B/SS), 5 OF, 1 utility hitter (any hitter and all DHs must play here), 5 SP, 2 RP, 2 "wild card" pitchers (either SPs or RPs).

Hitters score one (1) point for every total base, run scored, and run batted in.  They score two (2) points for every stolen base, but lose two (-2) points for every time the hitter is caught stealing.  Hitters score one (1) point for every walk and lose one (-1) point for every strikeout.  They score one (1) point for every time they are hit by a pitch, but lose one (-1) point if they ground into a double play.

Pitchers score five (5) points for a win, eight (8) points for a save, and lose four (-4) points for a loss.  A hold by a middle reliever is worth four (4) points.  A good start for a starting pitcher yields three (3) points for a quality start, a long start returns two (2) points for a complete game, and a great start is worth four (4) points for a shutout.  Each out recorded by a pitcher is worth one (1) point (3 points per inning pitched) and pitchers score one (1) point for a strikeout, but a hit allowed, a walk allowed, or a hit batsman cost pitchers a point (-1) and an earned run gives back three (-3) points.

For those of you who absorb this better in a list, here you go:

So, if a player hits a solo home run, it is really worth six points (4 total bases, 1 run scored, 1 run batted in).  A player who singles, steals a base, and scores a run nets four points.

A pitcher who wins (+5) a six-inning (+18 for 6 IP) quality start (+3) after allowing two runs (-3 x 2 = -6) on six hits (-6), walking three (-3) and striking out seven (+7) would score 18 points.  A closer who strikes out the side and does not allow anything else would pick up 14 points.

I hope that explains our fantasy baseball scoring system.  If you have any questions, please leave a Comment.