What Stats Are Important to Pitchers? Red Sox's Garrett Crochet Pulls Back Curtain

Analytics have certainly changed Major League Baseball over the years.

In the past, pretty much the only metrics that were looked at were things like batting average, home runs, ERA, strikeouts, and even pitcher wins. Now, there are a million different metrics out there. So, with so much information, what is actually important to look at for the players on the field itself? While speaking with Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet about a wide range of topics, including where he stands in his injury recovery and his Sam Adams-sponsored "Crochet Pale Ale," the big lefty also shared what he looks for from a stats perspective.

"WHIP. I feel like strikeouts is getting blown on proportion," Crochet said to Red Sox on SI. "I'm gonna say WHIP and strikeouts. ERA is obvious, and I so I kind of want to go like opponent OPS. When I'm scouting, I mean, most teams probably scout opposing pitchers this way, so I'm not really giving away the formula. ...

"So when I'm scouting hitters, it's what pitch do you not hit? Okay, I'm probably going to throw that one. Yeah. And then when you're looking at your arsenal as a whole, how does it fare? I feel like that's very indicative of the ERA leaders, the strikeout leaders. It's kind of all-encompassing."

The Red Sox Star Shared What He Looks For

Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) looks on during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Opponent OPS being mentioned isn't shocking, but it isn't something talked about as much as WHIP or ERA or something like that. OPS stands for On-Base Plus Slugging. When talking about a position player, you'll always hear about a player's OPS. Willson Contreras is the leader for Boston right now at .925, for example. But it's not something talked about when discussing pitching stats as much, which is why it's interesting to hear from one of the best pitchers in the game.

For Crochet, last year, batters had a .617 OPS against him. This year, before landing on the Injured List, that number had increased to .818. This was just in a 30-inning sample size due to injury. For his career, batters have a .640 OPS against him.

In baseball, there is so much information that it's hard to cut through the noise sometimes. But, one of the game's best broke down what they look for. So, if you're a pitcher out there wondering what you should be looking for, try what Crochet does.

On the Sam Adams-sponsored "Crochet Pale Ale," front, Crochet met with fans across the Fenway area earlier in the week handing out the personalized beer. Crochet, like Derrick White of the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots legend Julian Edelman and Boston Bruins legend Zdeno Chara are a part of a Sam Adams four-pack called "Our City, Our Beer."

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