Two pitchers can post the same ERA and be nothing alike. Pitcher analytics shows you why. You will learn what FIP counts and leaves out, how xFIP swaps actual home runs for an expected figure, and why SIERA is its own formula rather than FIP in a new jacket. Statcast adds contact quality, movement and whiff data on top. The trap is stacking these numbers and calling it proof, when FIP and xFIP share so many inputs. A worked example walks through the FIP arithmetic by hand, including why the result is unfinished without a league constant. Know what each stat measures and your read on a starter gets sharper before you price a bet.
Learning objectives
Explain the mechanism, reproduce the worked examples, identify failure modes, and use the exercise to show comprehension.
