CTR: Inside the Numbers

20 games into the season, and the Yankees are 11-9. What's more encouraging to me is the shape of their underlying performance, which indicate that they're a far better team than that. Here's a look inside their numbers so far.

Last	PA	wOBA	OPS+	RAA	psRAA	psOPS+
Jeter	95	0.498	217	13.7	14.6	241
Giambi	79	0.542	254	14.4	13.2	232
Rodriguez	91	0.398	148	5.1	3.8	137
Cano	74	0.363	123	2.0	3.1	140
Damon	97	0.339	109	0.6	2.6	134
Posada	75	0.352	109	1.3	2.2	126
Sheffield	92	0.380	132	3.8	2.2	120
Cairo	19	0.366	135	0.6	0.3	123
Matsui	87	0.317	100	-1.2	0.0	115
Crosby	10	0.234	35	-0.9	-1.0	32
Stinnett	13	0.220	53	-1.3	-1.1	62
Phillips	23	0.180	0	-3.1	-3.4	0
Williams	53	0.234	38	-4.5	-5.4	34

If you've read The Book, you are familiar with wOBA. If you haven't, go read it. wOBA is a linear-weights based formula scaled to map with OBP, ie .300 is bad, .400 is good, .500 is exceptional. It's the run value per plate appearance multiple by 1.15 to more closely match OBP. I use wOBA to calculate RAA(runs above average) by subtracting the league average wOBA from the player's wOBA, dividing by 1.15, multiplying by plate appearances, and then park-adjusting. psRAA and psOPS+ are just based on a comparison to the players listed at the same position in the AL.

Last	G	GS	IP	ERA	FIP	FIP-ERA	ERA+	BABIP	CERA	CERA+	HR+	BB+	K+	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA	RAA
Mussina	5	5	33	2.45	3.19	0.74	195	0.264	3.86	133	135	186	143	0.214	0.260	0.307	0.253	9.0
Johnson	5	5	25.7	2.81	3.43	0.62	162	0.273	3.98	129	94	347	118	0.235	0.254	0.381	0.273	6.4
Wang	5	5	30	4.80	3.56	-1.24	99	0.314	3.64	141	398	110	77	0.277	0.333	0.328	0.302	3.4
Proctor	8	0	13	1.38	3.04	1.65	346	0.222	4.20	122	inf	52	113	0.174	0.309	0.227	0.261	3.4
Myers	10	0	6.3	0.00	1.77	1.77	inf	0.200	2.76	185	inf	188	170	0.143	0.182	0.143	0.155	3.4
Villone	8	0	7.7	2.35	2.67	0.32	204	0.250	3.03	169	inf	132	101	0.207	0.258	0.286	0.243	2.4
Smith	2	0	1.3	0.00	3.19	3.19	inf	0.000	2.36	218	inf	inf	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	1.2
Rivera	7	0	8.3	4.32	2.23	-2.09	111	0.370	2.98	172	inf	158	118	0.278	0.351	0.333	0.312	0.7
Farns	10	0	7.7	3.52	2.67	-0.85	136	0.318	3.72	138	inf	73	147	0.233	0.324	0.367	0.310	0.7
Chacon	6	4	25.7	4.56	4.56	0	105	0.286	4.77	108	118	98	92	0.255	0.330	0.431	0.331	0.1
Sturtze	9	0	5.7	4.76	7.07	2.31	100	0.267	6.87	75	37	102	130	0.273	0.333	0.591	0.387	-1.1
Wright	2	1	7.2	7.2	3.39	3.81	66	0.500	3.40	151	inf	124	86	0.393	0.483	0.539	0.452	-3.0

CERA is also known as component ERA. CERA+ is calculated the same way as ERA+ but compared to the league average CERA. HR+, BB+, and K+, are park-adjusted comparisons to league average for BB, HR, and K per batters faced. wOBA is wOBA against, and is used to calculate the runs saved by the pitcher(RAA).

POS	NAME	INN	Runs	Innings	On Pace
1B	Miguel Cairo	20	0.36	165	3
1B	Andy Phillips	51	1.37	420	11
1B	Jason Giambi	104	-1.45	856	-12
2B	Miguel Cairo	18	-0.02	148	0
2B	Robinson Cano	157	2.32	1292	19
3B	Alex Rodriguez	175	0.26	1440	2
SS	Derek Jeter	172	-4.71	1415	-39
SS	Miguel Cairo	3	0.00	25	0
LF	Bernie Williams	8	0.29	66	2
LF	Bubba Crosby	6	0.09	49	1
LF	Hideki Matsui	161	0.10	1325	1
CF	Johnny Damon	143	0.29	1177	2
CF	Bernie Williams	16	0.11	132	1
CF	Bubba Crosby	16	0.40	132	3
RF	Bernie Williams	25	0.58	206	5
RF	Bubba Crosby	9	0.05	74	0
RF	Gary Sheffield	141	-0.01	1160	0
C	Jorge Posada	139	0.76	1144	6
C	Kelly Stinnett	36	0.56	296	5
	Total	175	1.37	1440	11.26

I'm using the Zone Rating system that Chone Smith (aka Anaheim Rallymonkey of Maryland) first introduced in his Tweaking Zone Rating article on this very site. Standard caveats about sample size and defensive metrics apply, of course. I thought these numbers are way off, but the Yankees are fifth in the AL in defensive efficiency, so maybe they're not as off as I thought. Strength of schedule has to be considered when looking at these numbers. I can't see the Yankees preventing runs at this pace all year. The best thing I see for the Yankees' chances so far has been the resurgence of Mike Mussina. If that continues, they'll be in pretty good shape.