If starting pitching is the most important piece of the baseball betting data pie, then umpire data is close behind. Also on that pie, whipped cream because it always makes pie better.
The man behind the plate had his own tendencies when it comes to calling a game, the same way that pitchers have their own specific way of throwing heat – think of Tim Lincecum and his dangle, Daisuke “Dice-K” Matsuzaka and his overhead stop or Jonny Cueto’s twist to second base.
When you look at a home plate ump’s stats, you get to see some stats that you wouldn’t necessarily pay attention to when handicapping your MLB bets. An umpire with a bigger strike zone may call more strikeouts and often, the corresponding stat is more UNDER wagers. Conversely, umps with a small strike zone that leads to more hittable pitches and walks means more baserunners can translate that to more runs and OVERs for bettors. Some umpires appear to favor home teams, whereas others are big proponents of the away squad.
The umpire stats we feature here at OddsShark should be incorporated into your daily handicapping regime during baseball season.
- Overall Stats: How many games have they called to date and how many walks, strikeouts and runs have occurred?
- Favorite Stats (monyeline): Do they favor the favorite?
- Underdog Stats (moneyline): Do they favor the underdog?
- Total Stats (O/U): What is their OVER/UNDER record?
