Reading Baseball Depth Chart Projections

When reading a depth chart in baseball it helps to know that the chart can help to create a projection for a certain team. Baseball depth chart projections work to help give people a better idea of how a season is expected to turn out over a period of time. This is used by many experts in the field of baseball who are interested in looking to see what is more likely to happen in the future of the season.

A depth chart's projections will be based on time-weighted predictions for each player on a team. The statistics of a player who plays more often will be weighed at a greater rate than that of a typical bench player. Therefore, for the Boston Red Sox a person who plays every day like David Ortiz will have his statistics become a stronger factor in projections than that of backup catcher Kevin Cash.

Various factors are used in projections on depth charts. For batters, the player's projected batting average, runs batted in, home runs, stolen bases and slugging percentage are among the main factors. For pitchers factors include the number of innings pitched, the era run average, the number of strikeouts and walks and the number of hits given up.

As all of the statistics are weighed out according to the amount of time a player is expected to play for a season full projections can be made. Reading a depth chart here is easy in that the main players in each position would be listed first followed by everyone who is either on the bench or bullpen.

The final results will be calculated according to various factors. These factors will be the overall batting average, the overall number of runs scored and allowed and the on base percentage of the entire team. Upcoming schedules will be factored in as well.

The projections that will be used will change as the season goes along. For instance, as of April 24, 2008, the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays were expected to finish the season with a record of 90-72, which is much higher than the record of less than seventy wins projected according to the performances of the players from last season on that team. The results do change as the year goes along, so it should be noted that the projections are only predictions.

Baseball depth chart projections are used to help with determining how well a team is expected to do in one baseball season. Reading a depth chart here is easy to do, and various factors will be used to help with determining how a team will work. These projections can easily change throughout the year though.