Best way to take playing time into account

[cobra2341]

Title is pretty much self explanatory
Thanks

[SABR Matt]

You're gonna need to be way more specific than that...are you looking for a way to take playing time into account when attempting to understand player SKILL, player VALUE or something else? What are you trying to do?

[Murderers Row]

For pitchers, if I want to do a real quick examination, I multiply their ERA+ by their IP.

[cobra2341]

Matt
Say I want to use SD to judge a pool of players. I'm not sure to just throw out certain numbers due to low ABs.
I'm really just trying to find some stat that takes AB's into account

[Railsplitter]

for pitchers I use Batters faced. For hitters, plate appearances

[Tango Tiger]

I agree with Matt. Why don't you tell us exactly what you are trying to do. By exactly, I mean exactly. Don't make it ambiguous.

If you are trying to figure out how many standard deviations a player is from the population mean, then you do what you were told in stats class:
1 SD = sqrt(p*q/n)
where p = rate, like OBP
q = 1 - p
n = number of trials, like PA

[brett]

What if you are trying to weigh two seasons? Ine year a player may play every inning of every game and have 730 plate appearances, and another year 680. They both may be 100% of maximal playing time.

[Tango Tiger]

We have no idea what the questioner is asking of us.

But, from a statistical standpoint, 730 is 730 and 680 is 680, regardless of how many maximum opps he had.

[brett]

We have no idea what the questioner is asking of us.

But, from a statistical standpoint, 730 is 730 and 680 is 680, regardless of how many maximum opps he had.

So a season with a lower run environment counts less than a season with a higher run environment (more runs=more PA's).

[Tango Tiger]

Counts less in terms of telling you how "real" the performance is, sure.

It doesn't count less in terms of the impact he had on his team.

A relief pitcher's 80 IP counts less than as a starter with 120 IP, for tracking true talent. But, if that relief pitcher is pitching in high leverage situations, he will count more for his team winning.

It all depends on what it is that the questioner is asking for.