Similar to the NFL, the MLB is a sports betting option that has a seemingly endless list of statistics that can be used to break down matchups and pick winners. The craziest part about this is that the number of statistics that are available have increased with every passing year, which means there is a ton of information for players to peel through in order to figure out what is important and what isn’t needed. When it comes to baseball, there are two key stats that stand out beyond the rest, with one featured on both sides of the ball. When it comes to pitching, the ERA is the most important number to consider. On offense, a team’s RBI is among the most important statistics that is available for picking winners.

The reason for the ERA being the most important stat on the pitching side of the ball is because it offers a direct number to refer to in terms of how a pitcher has performed. For example, if a pitcher gets a ton of run support but hasn’t played well, then he may have a better win total or overall record than a pitcher that actually has a better ERA but a lesser win total. The pitcher’s ERA is exact, a number that can be counted on, while a pitcher’s runs can depend on factors beyond his actual performance. There is a similar reason why RBI is so important on the other side of the ball, even more than average. While a team may have several hitters that can hit for average and get on base, they could have trouble bringing them in and therefore scoring runs, which is why RBI is the most important stat to consider before looking at the lines set down by the pay head bookies.