'Positional' OPS+

[willshad]

I think it would be interesting to see OPS+, only adjusted for the players' position, For instance, instead of taking the OPS, and comparing it to league average, you compare it to the average of all the players at his position. This might seem unfair, since the quality at any given position fluctuates all the time..but doesn't WAR compare a player to others at his position? Is there any way I can see a list of all time players using this stat?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I'd love to see Honus Wagner's positional OPS+ for the 1908 season. It must be like 500! :hyper:

[Tyrus4189Cobb]

I too have wanted this information. I don't think it exists anywhere, but one could use this site to calculate everything. Unlike the BBRef Player Index, it separates the player's stats by position (i.e. Bob Smith hit 10 homers in 19xx, but only 9 were as a catcher).

At one time I was going to calculate the OPS+ for players specifically by position (I did it for Tony Lazzeri in one post). However, I don't what to do if players are traded, how to compile things together for the different positions, and some other things. I can only do it using all of a guy's stats given one Park Factor

[dominik]

it is not a one and only stat but it certainly would be interesting to know.

[brett]

The problem with positional OPS+ is that it "implies" that a 200 positional OPS+ shortstop is worth twice as much with the bat as a 200 positional OPS+ first baseman which is clearly not true.

If a shortstop produces 160, and an average SS 80 he is netting his team 80 "points" whatever they translate too. If a first baseman is putting up 240 and an average first baseman 120, he is netting 120 "points" or 150% as much as the SS. The reason ultimately is that shortstops get a lower percentage of their overall value from hitting.

I'm just going to suggest that it might be better to take a player's MARGINAL positional OPS+ and add it to 100.

So the SS has a margin of 160-80, or +80 which would make him worth 180% of an average hitter in margin. The first baseman is 240-120, or 120 plus 100 making him worth 220% on the margin.

[Second Base Coach]

If I were the general manager of a team, or if I were writing for a fantasy baseball magazine I might want to know this information. But for us here and what we do, eh...