Secret Weapons: On Base Percentage (OBP)

by Rich Conroy, Updated Tuesday, February 12, 2008

In the last 20 years, America has been all about customization. Patrons frequent Burger King so that that they can "have it their way." Architects are constantly coming up with new building techniques in order for their customers to build custom homes. And automobiles have gone from having only custom paint jobs and custom parts to being customized with TVs and Ping Pong tables that fold out of the back on them as shown on television shows like MTV's Pimp My Ride.

The customization of America is also seen in fantasy sports leagues. Fantasy baseball hosts such as Yahoo, ESPN and CBS Sportsline host thousands of custom fantasy leagues set up by users who are no longer interested in only playing in the traditional roto and head to head formats. One such change to the traditional fantasy scoring is leagues that now use on base percentage as one of its categories.

There are two ways that leagues use on base percentage as a category. One way is eliminating batting average as a category and replacing it with on base percentage. Another way is to not only have batting average as a category, but also walks as well. Either way, this significantly changes the values of certain players within the fantasy baseball world.

5 Players who are more valuable in an OBP league

David Ortiz, DH, Boston

Where you can get him: Average Draft Position 17.6
Where he should be going: 12th overall right before Alfonso Soriano and Carl Crawford.
In 2007, David Ortiz was an on base percentage monster with a .445 on base percentage to go along with a .332 batting average with 35 homers and 117 RBI's. What is scary about those stats is that last year was considered a down year by Big Papi's career norms. The difference between his 111 walks and players like Soriano and Crawford, who had a combined 63 walks between them, makes a huge difference in Ortiz's value in this type of league despite the fact that in a majority of leagues he only qualifies at the utility spot. Ortiz is a steal in the middle of the 2nd round of your draft and should be highly considered at the end of the first round of 12 team leagues in this format.

Adam Dunn, OF, Cincinnati

Where you can get him: Average Draft Position 43.11
Where he should be going: 30th overall right before Aramis Ramirez and Alex Rios.
The man that many fantasy pundits describe as a batting average killer doubles as a steal of a pick in leagues that count OBP. While playing 81 home games in the bandbox known as the Great American Ballpark, Dunn had an astounding .386 on base percentage to go along with 40 home runs and 106 RBIs during the 2007 season. With an average of 109 walks in the last 3 years, you will be able to sleep well at night knowing you were able to get this 6'6 275lb slugger a full round after his value.

Brad Hawpe, OF, Colorado

Where you can get him: Average Draft Position 79.55
Where he should be going: 61st overall ahead of Gary Sheffield and Corey Hart
Despite his inability to hit left handers (.214 batting average vs. lefties), Hawpe absolutely mashed against National League pitchers, to the tune of a .387 on base percentage with 29 homers and 116 RBI's. Hawpe's OBP was helped by the 81 walks he took this season, thus making him a solid number 2 outfielder in leagues counting on base percentage. Hawpe may be one of your biggest draft day bargains, as you can pick him up nearly 2 rounds after his projected value.

Nick Swisher, OF, Chicago White Sox

Where you can get him: Average Draft Position 103
Where he should be going: 86th overall ahead of Hideki Matsui and Dan Uggla
Being traded from Oakland to the south side of Chicago may be the best thing that could have happened to Nick Swisher. During the 2007 season, while plagued by injuries, he still was able to muster a .381 on base percentage to go along with 22 home runs and 78 RBI's. Now fully healthy and playing in one of the American league's best hitters parks, I can see Swisher returning, if not dwarfing, his 2006 power totals of 35 home runs and 95 RBI's to go along with his stellar on base percentage. If I considered Brad Hawpe a fantasy bargain, then Nick Swisher is an outright fantasy steal.

Sleeper Special: Matt Kemp, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Where you can get him: Average Draft Position 121
Where he should be going: 121st overall due to not having had a breakout season yet
Matt Kemp is my pick this year for the fantasy baseball breakout player in not only OBP formats, but all formats as well. This 23 year old Dodger outfielder is coming off of a season with a stellar .373 on base percentage. Even though his power has not developed yet, over half a dozen teams inquired about Kemp this off-season and the Dodgers' reluctance to trade him leads me to believe that they value him over Juan Pierre and Andre Ethier. Not only will Kemp have a regular spot in the Dodger lineup, Kemp will be a late round gem for any fantasy owner who drafts him.

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