FAQ on ERV Scoring

[Ed. Note: Here's is the first rough draft of the ERV Scoring FAQ. More will be added as we go along, but this hits the very high points]

Version 1.0, Date 5/1/2005

What does ERV stand for?

ERV stands for Expected Run Value. There is a thing called an ERV matrix, which is a 3x8 chart (like the one in this article) that tells you how many runs the average team scores at all of the "states" of an inning of a baseball game. A "state" is simply the runners on base and outs in the inning, e.g. none on, 2 outs or bases loaded, 1 out. The ERV is compiled by looking at every game and every situation and averaging the actual runs scored after that situation. For example, in the 2004 MLB season, with bases loaded and no outs, the average team scored 2.25 runs in the remainder of the inning. So, the next time your team has bases loaded an no outs, if they don't score 2 or more runs that inning, you should be disappointed.

What is "ERV Scoring"?

It's a way of using the ERV matrix while you keep score in a baseball game. For every play in the game, you can compare the state of the game before and after the play, and, by comparing the values from the ERV matrix, you can assign a value to the play. For example, with none on and no outs, the average team in 2004 scored 0.54 runs. With no outs and a runner on first, the average teams scores 0.93 runs. So, if the leadoff man walks, you can give that walk a value of 0.39 runs, the difference between the "none on, no out" state and "runner on first, no out" state. We call that 0.39 the Run Value, or RV, of the play. You can credit the batter with 0.39 RV, and debit the pitcher with a -0.39 RV. For a complete description of ERV Scoring, see the Guide to ERV Scoring (coming soon).

So, what is the difference between ERV and RV?

ERV is Expected Run Value, or the runs the entire team is expected to score in the inning. RV is the value you assign to any particular play, and what you total up for batters and pitchers after the game is over.

Why would anyone want to do this?

Because it's fun, that's why! If you like keeping score at games, this is a lot more interesting than keeping track of pitches, for example. It is relatively simple to do, and it gives you some more clear insight into which plays are really valuable and important during the game, and which are not. For example, when a pitcher throws the ball away on a sure double play ground ball with one out, ERV Scoring tells you it cost the team 1.4 runs. Also, the total RV for a player tells you precisely, in a single number equivalent to runs, how much a player contributed to the team's success (or failure). For example, if a player's RV is negative 2.5 for the game, and the team lost by 2 runs, it is a safe conclusion that he lost the game for them.

But how can anyone get a negative RV? What is a negative run?

Remember, ERV is based on the league average -- the average team scores 0.53 runs per inning. So, if the team doesn't score any runs in an inning, they have not met the average expectation, so we say they scored -0.53 runs. Also, for batters, if they make an out, they've put their team in a worse position for scoring runs, so it makes sense that the batter gets a negative. ERV Scoring is analogous to the plus/minus stat in hockey, but it is much more precise, and if a player has a negative RV, he is clearly not meeting average expectations.

You said an RV can be assigned to any play, does that mean fielding and baserunning, too?

Yes, that is one of the most interesting features of ERV Scoring -- you can assign values to errors, great plays, stolen bases, taking the extra base, etc., simply by comparing the states before and after. For example, to isolate the value of an error, simply compare the state of the game had the play been made, with the state that actually ended up. For example, let's say the leadoff man grounds to short, but the fielder bobbles the ball for an error. Had the play been made, the batting team's ERV would have been 0.28 (None on, 1 out). However, the error means it is now 0.93 (Runner on first, no outs). Therefore, the error cost the team in the field 0.65 runs (0.28 minus 0.93). You can assign that value to the fielder, and give the batter the RV he deserved (-0.25, or 0.53 minus 0.28) because the play should have been made. Also, that RV does not go on the pitcher's record because it was not his fault that the play was made -- he gets credit for coaxing a ground out.

One way to think of ERV Scoring is a system to break up the runs scored in a game into little pieces that can be distributed among all the players (pitcher, runner, fielder, batter) appropriately, so we all have a better understanding of who is responsible for victory and defeat.


Is ERV Scoring a "zero-sum" system?

Yes! The RV for a team in each inning should add up to a value that keys off of the 0.53 figure. For example, if the team scores 1 run, the RV should add up to 0.47, which is 1 minus 0.53. That team scored 0.47 runs above the average. For 2 runs, the RV should add up to 1.47, or 2.00 minus 0.53. This helps you keep track that your individual player RVs are correct. Also, the RV assigned to the batters should equal the opposite of the RVs assigned to the opposing pitchers. The Guide to RV Scoring explains this in more detail.