Last night we watched the opening Major League Baseball game of the 2015 season. Right away I noticed that ESPN showed OPS for all the batters.
OPS is "On base percentage" Plus "Slugging Average". It is a pretty decent measure of how well a batter avoids making outs and how well the batter hits for power (i.e. extra bases). Like all index numbers, it isn't perfect. But it is probably the best comparatively simple measure of a batter's performance, and likely the best comparatively simple measure of a batter's ability.
OPS emerged (as I recall) during the many discussions and debates on the old internet newsgroup: rec.sport.baseball. The discussions there were heated and illuminating and likely formed a basis for much of what came to be known as "Moneyball". It was a thrill to be a part of them.
I tried to use the measure, OPS, back in the 1990s when I was doing some baseball sportscasting, but had to fight nearly everyone along the way. It is refreshing and pleasing to see this simple concept finally being so well-accepted within the mainstream sports media.
Thank you, ESPN.