Most important positions/roles in sports?

[JonathanW]

How would you rank them in terms of IMPORTANCE to their team winning (I'm just looking at the big 4 major US team sports)?

(in no particular order):
football QB
basketball PG
baseball Pitcher
hockey Goalie
Any other positions you think?


I'm going:
1- Pitcher, if he does bad enough, the only way you win is by scoring a LOT of runs
2- Goalie, same as pitcher, except the defense can be good enough to not let many shots get to him
Next one is tough.
3- PG, I started to say QB, but PG plays both offense and defense. But QB is generally more impactful on offense.
4- QB

 

[J_Dee]

Fanbuzz: The Most Important Positions in Baseball, Ranked Definitively From 1-9

The pitcher's definitely the most important position on a baseball team. But catcher's a solid second.

 

[funKYcat75]

Hockey goalie. The speed of the game and the length of the ice means they have to be ON at all times. A puck could be heading your way at any point in time.

 

[DreadLox]

Your 1st coach. Baseball. Soccer. Basketball. Whatever. When you're a kid that age, it's like Moses.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Your 1st coach. Baseball. Soccer. Basketball. Whatever. When you're a kid that age, it's like Moses.

 

[WayneDougan]

How would you rank them in terms of IMPORTANCE to their team winning (I'm just looking at the big 4 major US team sports)?

(in no particular order):
football QB
basketball PG
baseball Pitcher
hockey Goalie
Any other positions you think?


I'm going:
1- Pitcher, if he does bad enough, the only way you win is by scoring a LOT of runs
2- Goalie, same as pitcher, except the defense can be good enough to not let many shots get to him
Next one is tough.
3- PG, I started to say QB, but PG plays both offense and defense. But QB is generally more impactful on offense.
4- QB

No offense, this list is flat wrong. The QB in pro football is by far the most important position and this is proven out by the betting line movement when the starting Pro Bowl QB is scratched due to injury vs an All-Pro any other position.

PG is the least important and shouldn’t be on the list. It’a as simple as saying “who is more important to his team: LeBron James or DeAngelo Russell?

 

[Myotis]

Catcher in baseball.
Goalie in soccer.

 

[WayneDougan]

Goalie in soccer.

So having a good goalie is more important that having Lionel Messi?

 

[JonathanW]

No offense, this list is flat wrong. The QB in pro football is by far the most important position and this is proven out by the betting line movement when the starting Pro Bowl QB is scratched due to injury vs an All-Pro any other position.

PG is the least important and shouldn’t be on the list. It’a as simple as saying “who is more important to his team: LeBron James or DeAngelo Russell?

No offense, but you are wrong, because you are basing it on a flawed assumption. Why does an injury to the starting QB change the betting line more, because most teams have a huge quality-gap between their starting QB and backup(s). Whereas hockey teams know how important goalie play is and generally have a good backup. In football, if your QB goes down, just run the ball a bunch. Also betting lines are not a gauge of importance, but rather a gauge of PERCIEVED importance by those who will be betting. Just like UK, UNC, Duke often have lower betting odds than they probably should because there are so many who will bet on them to win just because of who they are (& Vegas knows that). In baseball, due to the nature of the game, playing daily rather than weekly, teams have at least 5 starting pitchers, generally with the top 3 all pretty solid. Baseball finds SP so valuable, a top SP earns as much as a top player at any other position, even though he plays in 1/5 as many games, and approximately 1/6 or 1/7 as many innings. One way you could assess it is by determining how much higher a % do teams pay for that position over other positions. But even then, that doesn't take into account how often that player is on the field/court.

You may be right about the PG. Because other positions/players can often fill that role quite well (like a Lebron).

 

[chroix]

Pitcher
Goalie
QB
The person with the broom in curling
PG

 

[WayneDougan]

No offense, but you are wrong, because you are basing it on a flawed assumption. Why does an injury to the starting QB change the betting line more, because most teams have a huge quality-gap between their starting QB and backup(s). Whereas hockey teams know how important goalie play is and generally have a good backup. In football, if your QB goes down, just run the ball a bunch. Also betting lines are not a gauge of importance, but rather a gauge of PERCIEVED importance by those who will be betting. Just like UK, UNC, Duke often have lower betting odds than they probably should because there are so many who will bet on them to win just because of who they are (& Vegas knows that). In baseball, due to the nature of the game, playing daily rather than weekly, teams have at least 5 starting pitchers, generally with the top 3 all pretty solid. Baseball finds SP so valuable, a top SP earns as much as a top player at any other position, even though he plays in 1/5 as many games, and approximately 1/6 or 1/7 as many innings. One way you could assess it is by determining how much higher a % do teams pay for that position over other positions. But even then, that doesn't take into account how often that player is on the field/court.

This is wrong. There are literally metrics that prove why it is wrong. And if you don't like metrics just look at salary (owners pay for value).

• Everybody knows the QB is the most important position in sports. That's why starting QBs make $45M+ on average these days.
  • The line matters because Vegas knows what happens when you lose your QB - it's literally the most important player you can lose. And the likelihood of you winning goes down significantly.
  • Yes, the importance of the difference between starter and backup matters. But using that as a guide makes your starting pitcher, goalie, or PG point irrelevant. If you can just replace them, who cares?
  • BTW, my favorite line is "if your QB goes down, just run the ball a bunch". Lord have mercy... what a take! How did that work out for SF when they lost Purdy and their backup in the same playoff game?
• Starting pitchers do make a lot, but they can only pitch 1/5 of the games.
  • The WAR (wins above replacement) for the best starting pitcher is usually slightly below the highest WAR for the best hitters.
  • If you are referring to a single game, then yes, I'd rather have Chris Sale than Aaron Judge. But for an entire season, I'd rather have Judge, Soto, Betts, or a healthy Acuna over Chris Sale,
• Hockey Goalie:
  • The best goalies make about 60% of the salary the best hockey forwards make.
  • But sure, if you don't have a goalie in hockey - like that position doesn't get filled - you will probably lose every game. Then again, if you don't fill your pitcher position you won't even be able to play the game.
• Point Guard:
  • I think you admitted it, but positions in basketball are sort of arbitrary anyway.