Small samples versus missing data

A player page shows a zero, a dash and a note saying the player didn't appear. They can look equally empty at a glance, but they represent different situations.

A recorded zero means the event was measured and the count was zero. A dash may mean the measurement is missing or doesn't apply. A player absence means there was no performance in that game to summarize. The site's field definitions tell you which interpretation is intended.

That distinction matters before you calculate an average. A complete zero-hit game belongs in a hit total. An unavailable hit count isn't something you can silently fill with zero just to finish the calculation.

Imagine a recorded line of zero hits in five at-bats. Divide zero by five and the batting average for those at-bats is .000. The player had five chances that count as at-bats, and none produced a hit.

Now imagine five at-bats with the hit field unavailable. You know how many at-bats are listed, but you don't know how many became hits. The average is unknown from that record. The arithmetic hasn't failed; an input is missing.

Finally, a zero-at-bat record doesn't produce a .000 batting average by dividing zero by zero. It may include walks or other plate appearances, so the explanation needs the actual fields. Check the record rather than forcing every empty line into a zero rate.

A receiver plays twice while their team plays four times. We have two appearances, not four observed performances. If the receiver gained 20 and 40 yards, those appearances average 30 yards.

Their two absences don't add two zero-yard performances. You can spread the 60-yard contribution across four team games if that is the question you mean to ask, but label that measure clearly. It is different from an average when the player appeared.

When a provider is missing one of the player's game records, the situation changes again. You may have incomplete coverage of appearances. Keep that coverage note visible rather than making the smaller data set look complete.

Before using a blank field, ask whether it means zero, missing, not applicable or no appearance. Good report labels make those cases clear. If they don't, the source notes are the next place to look.

Use precise language: “Two recorded appearances averaged 30 yards” or “Target counts aren't supplied.” Both statements help the reader. “The player wasn't targeted” would invent a result if you only know that the target field is blank.

Missing information can limit a comparison without making the whole report useless. Use the fields that are supported, and leave the unanswered question open. Filling the gap with a convenient zero creates confidence the evidence hasn't earned.