After using Marcel for Perfect Points, I decided to switch to RotoChamp for visualizing position scarcity using fangraph’s player draft distribution.
I’ll link to the RotoChamp Into Perfect Points Here (in a second,) but for now here’s the visualization:
If you’re unfamiliar with box plots, here’s the deal:
In descriptive statistics, a box plot or boxplot (also known as a box-and-whisker diagram or plot) is a convenient way of graphically depicting groups of numerical data through their five-number summaries: the smallest observation (sample minimum), lower quartile (Q1), median (Q2), upper quartile (Q3), and largest observation (sample maximum). A boxplot may also indicate which observations, if any, might be considered outliers.
Boxplots display differences between populations without making any assumptions of the underlying statistical distribution: they are non-parametric. The spacings between the different parts of the box help indicate the degree of dispersion (spread) and skewness in the data, and identify outliers. Boxplots can be drawn either horizontally or vertically.
Essentially, the two lines both above and blow the box are the highest and lowest values in our player pool. The thick black line in the middle of the box is the average points for that position. Above the average until the top of the box is 25% of the pool and below the box is another 25% of the pool. Inside of the box is 50% of all of the players for that particular position. Therefore, if the box is tiny, there’s a huge grouping of players around the average. The dotted lines up and down to the maximums each also represent 25% each. If they’re long, it means there’s a huge drop off somewhere in there. If they’re small, it means they’re top or bottom heavy.
A few observations:
Catcher is deeper than you’d normally expect. The difference of the drafted players isn’t nearly as spread as you’d expect.
All of the positions have a large group of players closely packed and, if we extended the graph to include players outside of Fangraph’s player pool, there’d be even more packed in there. What this means is that when you go to draft in the later rounds, you should worry about value but rather about high-upside picks.
Starting pitchers are very top-heavy and it might even make sense to draft one in the first few rounds. I always hate drafting pitchers early, but if I’m going to do it, I’ll do it this year.
Shortstops are a mess and you better get one early.
