The baseball statistic on-base + slugging percentage, or OPS, as it is more commonly called, has come to the forefront in evaluating a hitter’s ability to positively impact an offense. It is not a complex statistic by any means. The official definition is: OPS adds on-base percentage and slugging percentage to get one number that unites the two. It is meant to combine how well a hitter can reach base, with how well he can hit for average, and for power. There are two main types of players with differing skill sets that accumulate a high or effective OPS. The two main archetypes are the speed and contact hitter, and the high power and high strikeout hitter. Which type of player is more valuable to your team? Before pondering this question, it is important to recognize a flaw in this statistic. OPS is not perfect, it values on-base and slugging percentage equally. In reality, a point of on-base percentage is worth more toward a team’s run expectancy than a point of slugging percentage. Despite this, OPS is still a strong gauge on whether a player is having an effective offensive season. When comparing both archetypes we must define them.
The power focused OPS player is one that has the ability to consistently drive the ball in the air for extra bases and homeruns. In doing so, they tend to strike out more than league average. Players of this mold are heavily focused on launch angle and exit velocity. They are not focused on contact rate or how much they swing and miss. Pete Alonso, Jorge Soler, Trevor Story, Joey Gallo, and Khris Davis, come to mind as living representations of this archetype. These players are incredibly valuable to run production and have impacted the game in such a way that strikeouts are now overlooked. This begs the question: At what point do strikeouts hinder the value being produced by the long ball? The answer lies in an advanced statistic known as BRRL/ BBE %. It quantifies every batted ball event(BBE), including walks, to the number of barreled balls(BRRL). According to statcast, for a ball to be barreled it must carry an exit velocity of at least 98 mph. High power OPS players with an all-or-nothing approach are saved by this statistic when strikeouts pile up. They still produce enough to strikeout at whatever pace they set and also tend to draw a lot of walks due to the fear of running into their barrel.
On the other side of the spectrum are players who garner a high OPS by consistently making contact and having a consistent approach at the plate. They are more reliant on contact, speed, and the ability to get on base in a variety of different ways. Their focus is not much different than the player mentioned above except this archetype is more consistent in making contact. Anthony Rendon, Jose Altuve, DJ Lemahieu, and Whit Merrifield are well-established representations of this approach. They rely heavily on contact rate, strikeout-to-walk ratio, and driving the ball for extra base hits. In contrast to the all-or-nothing power type, they are more level in their play and less likely to be affected by a “slump” or an unproductive stretch at the plate. At what point does the lack of strikeouts become more valuable than the ability to hit the ball out of the park? The question posed is the inverse of the one posed in the previous paragraph. The answer here is a bit more simplistic. It is in the old-fashioned runs batted in statistic. If a player can still drive in a lot of runs without hitting the ball out of the park then homeruns begin to matter a little less. Consistent contact types still must lift the ball enough to drive hits for doubles, triples and even homeruns. They may not hit homeruns at the same rate as the power player but they still need to drive the ball and hit well with runners in scoring position in order to maintain a high OPS.
There are different routes a player can take to garner a high OPS and effectively help with run production. The two main archetypes discussed are at the forefront of analytical thinking by today’s front-offices. Both types of players are essential in maximizing value out of your roster and resources. Which player is more conducive to playoff success? A team needs a strong mix of both types. The high contact, high OPS player has the ability to put the ball in play at a more consistent rate which makes them just a tad more valuable to a playoff push. The point of this comparison is in maximizing efficiency for the ultimate goal, a World Series Championship.