Webb-Fried Opener Shows Flaws Of Advanced Metrics, We Can Do Better
Advanced metrics have moved the game forward, but at times their underpinnings aren't very sturdy. Case in point - the Opening Day clash that gave Webb the FIP advantage.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb works against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved There are a good number of baseball accounts on the social media platform X that are worth a follow, and @notgaetti is right up there among them.
The operator of that account is a true baseball fan, and I would consider him a skeptic of advanced statistical metrics. His regular “NEPTA” (Not Enough People Talk About) posts tend to highlight players who are less appreciated by the modern, more statistically inclined baseball fan. Now, as I can chalk up my career in baseball to my knowledge and development of advanced metrics (they got me in the door, and gave me the opportunity to learn to scout and round out my skill set), you might think I’d have an issue with @notgaetti.
Not at all. He’s right - staunch advocates of statistical analysis can be too firmly entrenched in their own world, just as scouting-only, traditionalist advanced stat-deniers can be too entrenched in theirs. The tools inform the numbers, and the numbers inform the tools - utilizing a mix of approaches is always best.
And @notgaetti is at his best - and his funniest - when he points out some of the outlandish WAR (Wins Above Replacement) comparisons one can make. Kevin Kiermaier accumulated 36. 2 bWAR in his career, compared to Dante Bichette’s 5.
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