MLB Wins Above Replacement - WAR - Major League Baseball (2024)

FAQs

What is wins above replacement in major league baseball? ›

Definition. WAR measures a player's value in all facets of the game by deciphering how many more wins he's worth than a replacement-level player at his same position (e.g., a Minor League replacement or a readily available fill-in free agent).

The formula itself is not very complicated and it is WAR = (Batting Runs + Base Running Runs +Fielding Runs + Positional Adjustment + League Adjustment +Replacement Runs) / (Runs Per Win). This itself is not a complicated formula, however each of the singe components are more difficult to calculate.

WAR stands for “wins above replacement” and it attempts to measure a player's overall value to a team by positing how many wins he is worth when compared to a replacement-level player. It is a complex system which is calculated differently for each defensive position.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the 32 players who posted a career WAR over 100.

A player's WAR value is claimed to be the number of additional wins his team has achieved above the number of expected team wins if that player were substituted with a replacement-level player: a player who may be added to the team for minimal cost and effort.

VORP is a cumulative or counting statistic, not a projected statistic. For example, if Player A has a VORP of +25 runs after 81 games, they have contributed 25 more runs of offense to the team than the theoretical replacement player would have, over 81 games.

An All-Star caliber player tends to be around, at least, 3-6 WAR in a given season. Once you get over 6 WAR for a single season, and especially once 7 or 8 WAR are eclipsed, you're probably talking about an MVP candidate. For position players, batting, base-running and fielding are all components.

CURT: The short answer? WAR is the best metric. While it's not without its flaws, it is the best catch-all statistic in baseball. Different sites (FanGraphs, Baseball Reference, Baseball Prospectus, etc.)

Essentially, replacement-level players are of a caliber so low that they are always available in the minor leagues because the players are well below major-league average. Prospectus' definition of replacement level contends that a team full of such players would win a little over 50 games.

Does the NFL have wins above replacement? ›

PFF's Wins Above Replacement (WAR) metric does all this through the methodology described here. In essence, WAR measures a player's (or team's) value in all facets of the game by deciphering how many more wins they are worth than replacement-level players at the same position.

A save is awarded to the relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team, under certain circ*mstances. A pitcher cannot receive a save and a win in the same game.

Barry Bonds, OF

The highly controversial Bonds is considered by many to be the best hitter who ever lived, winning seven MVPs, 12 Silver Sluggers, and holding the all-time home run and walk records. Despite his personal success, Bonds appeared in only one World Series, losing as a Giant in 2002.

Catcher: Johnny Bench, 75.1

The long-time Reds backstop recorded at least 4.0 WAR in 12 seasons, including a career-high 8.6 in 1972, his second MVP campaign.

No, the seven-time MVP isn't going into Cooperstown, but the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Tuesday that Bonds will join Jim Leyland and Manny Sanguillen in their 2024 Hall of Fame class.

The levels of MiLB are as follows, starting with the highest level and working down to the lowest: AAA or triple A is the highest MiLB level, and where players are most likely to be called up to the parent Major League team. AA or double A. Class A advanced or “High A”

A pitcher cannot receive a save and a win in the same game. A relief pitcher recording a save must preserve his team's lead while doing one of the following: Enter the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitch at least one inning.

In general, a good WHIP for a pitcher is around 1.00 or lower. This means that on average, the pitcher allows one base runner or less per inning. The lower the WHIP, the better the pitcher is at keeping opposing batters off the bases and minimizing scoring opportunities for the opposing team.