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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Beyond the Box Score: Pindelski: A.L. MVP At-A-Glance

Whoosh…this is gonna come as a shock to the Shane Duncan Fan Club!

Probably to the surprise of nobody, Alex Rodriguez is currently tops in both VORP and WARP1. 

Rodriguez is hitting .311/.410/.658 on the season leading the league in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS.  He has also been one of baseball’s prime performers in big-game situations leading the league in WPA at 4.42.

Ordonez is right behind him in terms of VORP, but his WARP is currently topped by both Ichiro Suzuki and, interestingly enough, teammate Curtis Granderson.  Ordonez seems like a very strong candidate, but he might not even be the most valuable player on his own team right now.

Repoz Posted: July 24, 2007 at 03:54 PM | 239 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: awards

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   1. Paul The Paranoid Android Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:09 PM (#2452967)
If the Yanks sneak into the playoffs, or even hang around into late September, is there really any doubt A-Rod should (and will) win the MVP?

Hell, he could get hit by a bus today, and he'd still have a case.
   2. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:10 PM (#2452968)
If the Yankees make the playoffs, or miss by just a couple of games, A-Rod is probably unanimous MVP. If they miss by 4 or more games, Ordonez is -- unless someone else steps up in the last two months, which is likely.
   3. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:11 PM (#2452969)
Hell, he could get hit by a bus today, and he'd still have a case.

He's already got the 100 RBIs!
   4. Mister High Standards Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:21 PM (#2452987)
there really any doubt A-Rod should


I think Ichiro has a very strong case actually.
   5. ian Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:21 PM (#2452988)
Sheff might end up above Ordonez, too.


April: .200/.369/.306, 85 AB

May: .321/.385/.642 109 AB
June: .337/.450/.607 89 AB
July: .343/.418/.642 67 AB
   6. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:25 PM (#2452996)
Who's leading WPA?
   7. PJ Martinez Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:33 PM (#2453003)
From the intro: "Rodriguez... has also been one of baseball’s prime performers in big-game situations leading the league in WPA at 4.42."

It's a big lead, too.
   8. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:38 PM (#2453011)
Actually, J.J. Putz leads the league in WPA.
   9. Craig Calcaterra Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:40 PM (#2453018)
I was going to say that A-Rod was a lock to win it unless someone found a dead hooker in his trunk, but I didn't want to give anyone from the Daily News any ideas.
   10. Mister High Standards Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:42 PM (#2453020)
I'm surprised Ichiro is so low in WPA actually. While he still has a case, it isn't as strong as I thought. It's tough to argue against A-rod.
   11. PJ Martinez Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:43 PM (#2453021)
#8: Good point. Though it's close: 4.68 to 4.54 at the moment, according to fangraphs.com.
   12. Loren F. Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:50 PM (#2453030)
Sheffield is having a great year, but a full-time DH has so far never won the MVP; Don Baylor and Juan Gone both played a significant number of games at DH in their MVP seasons, but more time in OF. Meanwhile, Sheff has played 85% of his games as DH. The lack of MVPs for starting DHs suggests that voters feel a DH must meet a very high bar to offset the lack of fielding -- a combination of offensive dominance and clutchiness that nearly won it for Big Papi in 2005 and 2006. A DH as MVP will happen some day, but given that Maggs and Granderson are both having outstanding years, I think Sheff would have to carry the team for a month or two to have a real chance. I wouldn't be surprised if he finished in the Top 5 in voting, however.
   13. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 04:51 PM (#2453031)
From the intro: "Rodriguez... has also been one of baseball’s prime performers in big-game situations leading the league in WPA at 4.42."

It's a big lead, too.


Do you I think RTFI?
   14. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:26 PM (#2453081)
Why do I see so many people on this otherwise serious site talking about WPA? You've got to be kidding me. I thought it was just a fake stat that Ortiz fanboys trotted out on Sons of Sam Horn in 2005. As soon as anyone even mentions WPA, I stop listening.
   15. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:33 PM (#2453092)
Hey, the Works Progress Administration did some good things.
   16. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:36 PM (#2453097)
I thought it was just a fake stat that Ortiz fanboys trotted out on Sons of Sam Horn in 2005.


It's not.
   17. Mister High Standards Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:38 PM (#2453100)
. I thought it was just a fake stat that Ortiz fanboys trotted out on Sons of Sam Horn in 2005. As soon as anyone even mentions WPA, I stop listening.



Actually I thought that was the attitude that A-rods fan boys put down because it comepletely illustrated his inability to perform in clutch situations during previous seasons.
   18. Swedish Chef Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:47 PM (#2453105)
Hey, the Works Progress Administration did some good things.


The Hoover Dam should definitely be in the HoF!
   19. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:50 PM (#2453106)
I can't think of a better example of the flaws of WPA than JJ Putz being the AL leader.
   20. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:54 PM (#2453110)
I can't think of a better flaw in modern sabermetric thinking than the complete dismissal of the value of a relief ace.

I'm not saying that J.J. Putz is the MVP or that he can sustain this level of performance, but there's no real argument that he's not in the discussion.
   21. Jarrod HypnerotomachiaPoliphili(Teddy F. Ballgame) Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:58 PM (#2453114)
WPA: useless for evaluating hitters, who don't get to deploy their skills situationally, but interesting for pitchers, who do?
   22. ian Posted: July 24, 2007 at 05:59 PM (#2453115)
I'm not saying that J.J. Putz is the MVP or that he can sustain this level of performance, but there's no real argument that he's not in the discussion.

46.1 IP
   23. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: July 24, 2007 at 06:00 PM (#2453117)
I'm not saying that J.J. Putz is the MVP or that he can sustain this level of performance, but there's no real argument that he's not in the discussion.


If there were no really strong candidates, sure he'd be in the discussion. In a league with Alex Rodriguez hitting like he is, there's no chance whatsoever he could be in the discussion.
   24. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 06:06 PM (#2453121)
If there were no really strong candidates, sure he'd be in the discussion. In a league with Alex Rodriguez hitting like he is, there's no chance whatsoever he could be in the discussion.

J.J. Putz is something like 3 wins above the average closer right now. A-Rod is something like 2.5 to 3.5 wins above the average third baseman, depending on what you think about his defense.

It's just not the home run you guys think it is.
   25. Swedish Chef Posted: July 24, 2007 at 06:07 PM (#2453122)
46.1 IP


But you can choose which 46.1 innings he pitches, every inning is important, there's value in that.
   26. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 24, 2007 at 06:15 PM (#2453129)
J.J. Putz is something like 3 wins above the average closer right now. A-Rod is something like 2.5 to 3.5 wins above the average third baseman, depending on what you think about his defense.

Is the average closer worth as much as the average 3rd baseman?

Bpro has A-rod as 38.7 runs above the average 3rd baseman offensively.

And I realize that some metrics seem to think A-rod is not having a good defensive year. Those metrics are wrong. ZR has A-rod as the best defensve 3rd baseman in the AL this year.
   27. PJ Martinez Posted: July 24, 2007 at 06:17 PM (#2453131)
"ZR has A-rod as the best defensve 3rd baseman in the AL this year."

Isn't ZR a pretty mediocre metric? Don't get me wrong-- I wouldn't be at all surprised if A-Rod has learned to play the position well, but ZR alone doesn't seem to clinch anything.
   28. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 24, 2007 at 06:35 PM (#2453164)
Isn't ZR a pretty mediocre metric?

Depends on who you believe I guess. Dial has done a pretty good job of convincing me, and UZR tends to agree with it. I haven't seen anyone offer any conclusive evidence that anything more advanced has proved to be more accurate.

On top of that, A-rod looks phenomenal at 3rd this year. And he "learned" how to play third in 04, and lost his range in 05-06 when he added bulk, which hurt his D. This year that has not been an issue because he slimmed down.
   29. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 06:40 PM (#2453174)
There's no question A-Rod has looked a lot better at third this year than last. He's been fantastic.
   30. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:07 PM (#2453233)
J.J. Putz is something like 3 wins above the average closer right now.


Closer isn't a position.
   31. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:19 PM (#2453255)
Is it just me, or does the case against Putz' value seem to focus a bit too much on the "C'mon - be serious now" refrain?

Does anyone have an estimate of how properly taking into account chaining would impact Putz' value however? That would seem to be the strongest case against him for MVP. The case for him as MVP would seem to focus on the fact that the Mariners are 8 games above .500 in spite of having outscored the opposition by only three runs.

He makes my personal top five, along with A-Rod, Polanco, VMart, and Ordonez.
   32. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:27 PM (#2453267)
Closer isn't a position.

This is, of course, a ridiculous assertion. You can argue that there shouldn't be closers, that an ideal roster usage would be drastically different than the one currently employed by MLB teams, and that the save stat is a black mark on baseball's adoption of more intelligent evaluative metrics, and I'd agree with almost all of that.

You have to have your head buried pretty far in the sand to believe that closer isn't a position in the 2007 version of MLB, however.

Call it whatever you want - relief ace, high leverage bullpen guy, closer, whatever. J.J. Putz is having one of the great relief seasons of all time, and the value of having that kind of dominating pitcher at the end of games is dramatically underrated in these kinds of discussions.

I find it amusing that so many people can simultaneously dismiss the value of J.J. Putz's season so far, while also looking at the Mariners record and wondering aloud how the hell this team is contending for a playoff spot.
   33. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:29 PM (#2453270)
You have to have your head buried pretty far in the sand to believe that closer isn't a position in the 2007 version of MLB, however.


You have to head buried pretty far somewhere else to believe that it's more valid to only compare Putz to other closers than, say, Hideki Okajima and all other relievers.
   34. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:32 PM (#2453271)

You have to head buried pretty far somewhere else to believe that it's more valid to only compare Putz to other closers than, say, Hideki Okajima and all other relievers.


As noted above, closers are generally better leveraged than other relievers. Since closers (generally) tend to be better pitchers than other relievers, I'd bet Putz is pretty impressive when compared to all relievers as a whole, too.
   35. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:35 PM (#2453273)
If you want to compare Putz to the average reliever, feel free - he'll look even better by comparison. Because, despite the hatred of the closer role, the best pitcher in any given bullpen is almost always the closer, with only a couple of exceptions.

Putz >>> major league relievers. A-Rod >>> major league third baseman.

This isn't that hard.
   36. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:40 PM (#2453279)
This isn't that hard.

What's the replacement level for relievers? Honest question. Or do we use average? Is that average based on average inning thrown or average performer?

The other big question, which matters a lot when discussing this type of reliever, is whether we want to examine Putz in a context neutral setting or whether we should consider his leverage to be part of his value.

The fact that these are questions is nothing new but the equation

Putz >>> major league relievers. A-Rod >>> major league third baseman

is something I'm not exactly willing to take on faith. Aside from that, Larry's point is also relevant because nobody considers an average major league reliever to approximate the value of the average third baseman.
   37. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:41 PM (#2453280)
Putz >>> major league relievers. A-Rod >>> major league third baseman.

Do better then that. How good is a closer compared to a third baseman. How much better is each. Your guess numbers on A-rod were low, he's at least 4 wins better then the average 3rd baseman. I want to see something to back up the equal number of greater then signs you just put up.
   38. Boots Day Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:42 PM (#2453283)
Putz has given up one run all year that wasn't on a home run. He's allowed three homers, all solo shots, and one meaingless run against the Angels on May 17. I can't figure out why that run wasn't unearned: A guy singled and went to second on an error by the right fielder, moved to third on a bunt, and scored on a passed ball. Vlad Guerrero followed with a single, but I don't see how you could assume the run would have scored on that hit absent the error and the PB.

Anyway, it seems obvious to me that Putz has been both very good and very lucky so far. You don't see many pitchers allow three homers in 46 innings but only four runs overall, and 19 hits allowed in 46 innings seems pretty fluky to me.

My point is not that he hasn't been very valuable so far, but that it's very tricky to rate a closer on a half-season's work. Brian Fuentes was arguably the best closer in the NL when the All-Star teams were selected, but by the time the game was actually played, he had become a joke. Putz is one bad outing away from seeing that pretty 0.78 ERA double.
   39. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:49 PM (#2453294)

Anyway, it seems obvious to me that Putz has been both very good and very lucky so far. You don't see many pitchers allow three homers in 46 innings but only four runs overall, and 19 hits allowed in 46 innings seems pretty fluky to me.

My point is not that he hasn't been very valuable so far, but that it's very tricky to rate a closer on a half-season's work.


All of this is true, but the discussion is about MVP candidates, so I think we should be looking expressly at value rather than ability. Since it's about value we should also include "clutch" factors regardless of how we feel about "clutchness" as an ability. And even if you don't like WPA, Putz has been incredibly good/lucky/clutch (303 OPS against in Close and Late situations).
   40. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:50 PM (#2453295)
What's the replacement level for relievers? Honest question. Or do we use average? Is that average based on average inning thrown or average performer?

Tango says its equivalent to a .420 Win%, IIRC.

The other big question, which matters a lot when discussing this type of reliever, is whether we want to examine Putz in a context neutral setting or whether we should consider his leverage to be part of his value.

The leverage has to be included in an MVP discussion. It matters to backwards-looking value questions such as this one. If we were doing a true talent level discussion, throw leverage out the window, and no one on earth would even put Putz and A-Rod in the same category. But MVP does not equal a true talent level discussion. Leverage absolutely matters, even if it's not predictive.

Aside from that, Larry's point is also relevant because nobody considers an average major league reliever to approximate the value of the average third baseman.

That's due to scarcity. The value of an average third baseman is a lot higher than the value of an average reliever because there are so many more average relievers floating around. The same scarcity argument does not apply here. Putz is having an historic relief season. His first four months aren't the kind of production you can find easily.

Anyway, it seems obvious to me that Putz has been both very good and very lucky so far. You don't see many pitchers allow three homers in 46 innings but only four runs overall, and 19 hits allowed in 46 innings seems pretty fluky to me.

I agree - there's no way this is sustainable long term. For MVP purposes, though, that's irrelevant. Fluke or not, he really has stranded every single important baserunner this season. That's remarkably valuable.
   41. DKDC Posted: July 24, 2007 at 07:58 PM (#2453302)
The case for [Putz] as MVP would seem to focus on the fact that the Mariners are 8 games above .500 in spite of having outscored the opposition by only three runs.

That is a staggering feat. If the Yanks had Putz instead of Rivera, they'd have 65 wins and be running away with the AL East.

Putz is having a good season, but he's pitched 65% of his innings in Safeco field, against mostly bad hitters, and he's probably been lucky on top of that.

I'm guessing the argument will be moot in a few months, but even right now, I wouldn't put Putz is in the top 10 for MVP. I see little separation between him and Betancourt, Okajima, Neshek, Nathan, K-Rod, etc.
   42. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:02 PM (#2453312)
It's not.

OK, it's an interesting tool for analyzing the ebb and flow of a game, but it is completely useless for evaluating the value of a position player.

For the thousandth time, I want someone to explain to me how a 3 run homer in the ninth is worth more than a 3 run homer in the 1st.

You can't.

Because it's not.

If the latter wins you the game, while the former is wasted in a 13-3 loss, how does that reflect at all on the contribution of the hitter? We are blaming the hitter because the pitching staff gave up 13 runs? In both instances, the hitter contributed exactly the same thing to his team: 3 runs.

And it's even worse than that. If a hitter hits a 3 run homer in the first and his team wins 3-2, his WPA added is far less than a 3-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the team down 2-0. How can any logical person think that that makes any sense whatsoever?

WPA is horsepoopy.
   43. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:05 PM (#2453315)
And it's even worse than that. If a hitter hits a 3 run homer in the first and his team wins 3-2, his WPA added is far less than a 3-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the team down 2-0. How can any logical person think that that makes any sense whatsoever?


I could be completely wrong, but I don't think that's how WPA works. I base this only on the fact that tango isn't idiot.
   44. Harveys Wallbangers Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:08 PM (#2453316)
I am on record as loathing the "concept" of closer. But given the manner in which the game is currently played Putz is certainly worthy of being in the MVP discussion for all the reasons previously mentioned. The strength of the M's team is the bullpen. The M's best reliever is Putz. The M's are one of the surprise teams of the 2007 season. Ergo, Putz as MVP candidate. It's not a difficult path to follow and one that has been used regularly for other players over the years.

So, is Putz the case where folks could vote a pitcher MVP but not Cy Young in the same season? Guys like Haren and Santana have been great for about 100 more innings so far this season. I am curious what others think as I think an argument could be made where Putz gets MVP votes before Cy Young votes.

Yes? No? Curious.....
   45. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:11 PM (#2453319)
That is how it works.

The first inning homer takes you from like 50/50 win probability to probably somewhere in the 70s, the 9th inning homer takes you from negative win probability to 100%.
   46. DKDC Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:11 PM (#2453320)
I could be completely wrong, but I don't think that's how WPA works. I base this only on the fact that tango isn't idiot.

That is how WPA works. The first situation is worth less than 0.5 WPA (since both teams start off with 50% win expectancy). The second situation is worth almost 1 WPA.
   47. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:13 PM (#2453325)
And it's even worse than that. If a hitter hits a 3 run homer in the first and his team wins 3-2, his WPA added is far less than a 3-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the team down 2-0. How can any logical person think that that makes any sense whatsoever?


The 3R HR in the first inning makes your team likely to win the game. The 3R HR in the bottom of the ninth makes your team certain to win the game. One action increases your team's chances of winning the game from about 50% to maybe 75%. The other increases your team's chances of winning the game from about 15% to 100%.

I don't see what's so complicated there.
   48. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:16 PM (#2453333)
I don't see what's so complicated there.

Yes, what you say is true. And it has zero to do with how much each player contributed to his team's victory.
   49. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:16 PM (#2453334)

The first inning homer takes you from like 50/50 win probability to probably somewhere in the 70s, the 9th inning homer takes you from negative win probability to 100%.


Isn't score differential the starting point for the leverage index?
   50. Harveys Wallbangers Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:16 PM (#2453335)
Reading some of the WPA remarks reminds me of Fred Lieb's story about how when they changed the rule about letting all the runs that could have scored from a game-winning homer to count in a player's stat line (meaning that when a guy hits a 3-run homer with his team down one run all three rbis count, it used to go down as a single or double or whatever was needed to get the winning run across the plate and only the necessary rbis counted) one guy on the Rules Committee kept shouting, "You can't score runs after the game has been decided!"

No comment on WPA itself. Just that I was reminded of that anecdote......
   51. DSG Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:20 PM (#2453342)
Well, what's wrong with that? The first inning homer means your pitching staff has to be perfect for 8 innings for you to win the game (or the offense has to do more); the ninth inning homer guarantees a win. Do you really fail to see the difference between the two situations?
   52. Andrew K Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:23 PM (#2453345)
Here's my problem with WPA: probability isn't additive.

Some sort of odds or log odds transform might make it smell less bad.
   53. Baldrick Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:23 PM (#2453346)
The reason I have a hard time believing that anybody with 50 innings could possibly be considered the MVP or best or anything like that is that one single bad game would make the whole conversation sound completely silly.

Say Putz comes on tonight with a 3-run lead, loads the bases, and gives up a grand slam. Suddenly, he's a closer with a 1.56 ERA and a K/9 slightly above 9. Whoop-ti-do.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that we should decide MVPs and things like that based on events that didn't occur or judgments about whether the work is repeatable. I totally get that we're judging simply what did occur, not what we would expect to occur in the future.

But still...I just find it almost impossible to believe that someone is truly that valuable if one poor inning could completely remove them from contention. And it's not like I'm talking about a 13-run inning or something.

I guess I'd be a lot more willing to listen if the season ends, he still hasn't blown a save, and his ERA is still well below 1.00. But until September rolls around, I simply am never going to be willing to seriously entertain the notion that a closer is a viable candidate for MVP unless we have a Gagne 2003 + Thigpen 1990 + Eckersley 1990 sort of season.
   54. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:23 PM (#2453347)
Yes, what you say is true. And it has zero to do with how much each player contributed to his team's victory.


Erroneous.

One made his team's victory likely. The other made it certain.
   55. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:25 PM (#2453351)
Vladimir Guerrero should be part of this discussion. He is leading the league in Win Shares according to the not-so-recently-updated page on THT after all. It seems like there are actually five decent candidates -- Vlad, A-Rod, Ichiro, Magglio, and V. Martinez. I guess I could be convinced that Ortiz, Sheffield and Putz are more valuable than their aforementioned teammates but I'm not there yet.
   56. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:26 PM (#2453352)
But still...I just find it almost impossible to believe that someone is truly that valuable if one poor inning could completely remove them from contention. And it's not like I'm talking about a 13-run inning or something.


Were Putz to have an inning like that, it would leave him still either second or third on the WPA leaderboard, and he'd remain far above any other reliever. That inning would completely remove him from contention, but only because A-Rod has been so absurdly good.
   57. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:27 PM (#2453354)
OK, a better example.

1)Player A hits a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning of a 0-0 game. Team leads 4-0.
2)Bullpen gives up 5 runs in the top of the 9th.
3)Player B hits a two run single with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th.

The big WPA winner on the day: Player B.

Who actually contributed more to the win (let's say the both went hitless in their remainin at bats)? Why, Player A of course.

In fact, if the bullpen gets three outs in the top of the 9th, player B doesn't even bat.

WPA is a stupid and silly when used as an evaluative tool. It is, however, a really fun toy for examining the ebb and flow of a baseball game.
   58. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:30 PM (#2453358)
If the latter wins you the game, while the former is wasted in a 13-3 loss, how does that reflect at all on the contribution of the hitter? We are blaming the hitter because the pitching staff gave up 13 runs? In both instances, the hitter contributed exactly the same thing to his team: 3 runs.

Okay, let's play a game. You and I, we're going to get 9 hitters of equal talent level - over 27 outs, they'll total 8 hits which will be distributed as 5 singles, 1 double, and 2 home runs. Since game state has no impact on value, you'll have no problem letting me choose what situations both teams get their hits and outs in. Deal?

Good. Now, your team gets to hit back to back home runs in the first inning, hit a two out double in the second, and then hit one single each in innings 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. You will, of course, score 2 runs.

My team is going to do nothing for innings 1-7, letting your pitcher enter the 8th with a perfect game. My team will then go single-single-single-home run-single-single-double-home run before the inning ends. My team, of course, will score 8 runs.

I'll beat you 162-0 over the course of a season. And our teams have the exact same talent level.

When it comes to wins and losses, distribution and game state matters heavily.
   59. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:30 PM (#2453359)
Can someone with The Book actually calculate the WPA for some of these situations, because in reading some of tango's explanations I still don't believe that the score differential isn't paramount.
   60. Baldrick Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:32 PM (#2453364)
Well, what's wrong with that? The first inning homer means your pitching staff has to be perfect for 8 innings for you to win the game (or the offense has to do more); the ninth inning homer guarantees a win. Do you really fail to see the difference between the two situations?

In both situations, the player hits a home run.

In both situations, the pitching/defense gives up 2 runs over 9 innings.

In both situations, if the player strikes out, the team loses.

As a tool which tells us *at the exact moment* how much difference a play makes WPA is perfectly fine. As a tool to assess afterwards the contributions of each player, I remain unconvinced it tells us anything more than we would get from asking a 6 year old.
   61. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:33 PM (#2453365)
Who actually contributed more to the win (let's say the both went hitless in their remainin at bats)? Why, Player A of course.


I don't actually think this is true - that's the problem. Player A's contribution, while more indicative of him being a good player, had less impact on his team's chances of winning the game.
   62. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:34 PM (#2453369)
Can someone with The Book actually calculate the WPA for some of these situations, because in reading some of tango's explanations I still don't believe that the score differential isn't paramount.


The score differential at the time is paramount. Once something has happened however, the WPA for that event is locked in. It doesn't get increased or decreased based on future events.
   63. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:35 PM (#2453370)
Erroneous.

One made his team's victory likely. The other made it certain.


That is not true. A grand slam in a 4-1 victory makes a victory certain once all 9 innings have been played as surely as a grand slam in the ninth inning does. WPA wants to penalize hitters for not seeing into the future. Each innning, each run, counts exactly the same in the context of an entire baseball game.

Think of it this way...imagine a baseball game where nobody keeps score as the game is going, and everyone is like that guy from Momento, so nobody really remembers who scored what, but every time you score a run, you throw a wood chip in a bucket or something. At the end of the 9 innings, you count up all the wood chips in the bucket to see who won. I think this ridiculous premise makes it clear that runs are runs are runs. If one team has four chips in the bucket, and the other team has 1, the the first team wins. Right/

To further point out the flaw in your argument, there are lots of things that make victory "certain," while a three run homer only makes it "likely." Inducing a pop up with two outs in the ninth makes victory "certain." It's still not more valuable than a three run homer.
   64. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:36 PM (#2453373)
I'm sorry, I just can't be part of a world where someone named "Putz" is the Most Valuable Player in baseball. Now maybe that's silly and bias and everything else, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I mean, Putz?

That being said, I think it's A-Rod in a walk. Leading in VORP and WPA? Come on.
   65. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:36 PM (#2453376)
It seems like there are actually five decent candidates -- Vlad, A-Rod, Ichiro, Magglio, and V. Martinez.

What gets V-Mart on the list while Posada is left off it?
   66. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:37 PM (#2453377)

I don't actually think this is true - that's the problem. Player A's contribution, while more indicative of him being a good player, had less impact on his team's chances of winning the game.


Patently false! A grand slam has less impact on a team's chances of winning a game than a two run single?!?! When both hits are occurring in the same game?! How can you believe that that is true?
   67. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:38 PM (#2453382)
In both situations, the player hits a home run.

In both situations, the pitching/defense gives up 2 runs over 9 innings.

In both situations, if the player strikes out, the team loses.

As a tool which tells us *at the exact moment* how much difference a play makes WPA is perfectly fine. As a tool to assess afterwards the contributions of each


Well said.
   68. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:41 PM (#2453386)
Good. Now, your team gets to hit back to back home runs in the first inning, hit a two out double in the second, and then hit one single each in innings 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. You will, of course, score 2 runs.

My team is going to do nothing for innings 1-7, letting your pitcher enter the 8th with a perfect game. My team will then go single-single-single-home run-single-single-double-home run before the inning ends. My team, of course, will score 8 runs.


But you are arranging the hits in such a way as to produce more runs. Obviously, scoring more runs matters. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the same amout or less runs being assigned more value than a greater amount of runs based on the situation in the game in which they occur. You would win your hypothetical situation no matter what inning you decided to string your hits together, whether it was in the first or the ninth.
   69. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:41 PM (#2453387)
That is not true. A grand slam in a 4-1 victory makes a victory certain once all 9 innings have been played as surely as a grand slam in the ninth inning does.


At the time of the grand slam in the first inning, we don't know the results of innings 2-8. The situations are different, so their impacts on your chances of winning are different.

WPA wants to penalize hitters for not seeing into the future. Each innning, each run, counts exactly the same in the context of an entire baseball game.


Assuming you hold all other actions stable in the course of the game, sure, but that's not how it works.

I think this ridiculous premise makes it clear that runs are runs are runs.


That the people watching don't realize the difference between game states doesn't make the difference any less real.

To further point out the flaw in your argument, there are lots of things that make victory "certain," while a three run homer only makes it "likely." Inducing a pop up with two outs in the ninth makes victory "certain." It's still not more valuable than a three run homer.


This is a fair point, albeit an empty one. It's true, the difference isn't the certainty, but the impact on the team's chances of winning. Certainty in and of itself cannot be used as a litmus test however - you are correct.
   70. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:44 PM (#2453389)
Patently false! A grand slam has less impact on a team's chances of winning a game than a two run single?!?! When both hits are occurring in the same game?! How can you believe that that is true?


A grand slam in the situation you described has less impact on a team's chances of winning a game than a two run single in the situation you described.

You are giving a situation with context, describing events, and then trying to strip away the context. You can't do that without running into problems.
   71. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:46 PM (#2453390)
What gets V-Mart on the list while Posada is left off it?


A clutch rating of +0.35 rather than a clutch rating of -0.22 I'd guess.
   72. AJM Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:47 PM (#2453391)
I remember someone using this example (or a similar one) in another thread.

A: 5th inning down 1, guy hits a homer; 9th inning tie game, same guy hits another homer.

B: 5th inning down 1, guy strikes out; 9th inning down 1, same guy hits two run homer.

Apparently the second situation has a better WPA, someone want to explain how the hell that makes sense?
   73. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:49 PM (#2453396)
someone want to explain how the hell that makes sense?


The game states are different.
   74. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:51 PM (#2453399)
At the time of the grand slam in the first inning, we don't know the results of innings 2-8. The situations are different, so their impacts on your chances of winning are different.

Yeah, again, so what? Once all nine innings have been played, why does WPA have any value whatsoever? Probability is no longer even a question?!?!?! We know exactly how many runs were needed to win the game, we know who drove the runs in, who scored the runs, etc. We are completely capable of saying what player contributed more to the victory without employing silly probability tools that no longer have any meaning. Don't tell me after I've lost $10,000 at the roulette wheel that my sping gave me a 48% chance of doubling my money. I already lost it; it's over.

Moreoever, while at a certain point in time a hit may have a certain impact on the probability of a team winning, once the game is over why do we care? That information no longer has any value beacuse we know who won, we know what the final score was. We know that the grand slam in the fisrt inning was the margin of victory in a 4-3 game, just as surely as we know that to be the case after seeing a walkoff grand slam in the ninth inning.

anyway, the real problem with WPA is not that it assigns greater value to one grand slam over another, it's that it assigns greater value to a two run walkoff single than a first innning grand slam. If you design a stat that gives a two run single more value than a grand slam, it's time to start over. Sort of like if you design an evaluative tool that tells you Nappy Lajoie is better than Babe Ruth...that doesn't mean you're a genius that has made a revoultionary discovery. It means you should burn your research and go back to the drawnig board.
   75. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:53 PM (#2453402)
A grand slam in the situation you described has less impact on a team's chances of winning a game than a two run single in the situation you described.

You are giving a situation with context, describing events, and then trying to strip away the context. You can't do that without running into problems.


Jesus, Bibigon. I gave you the context. In a game in which ONE TEAM SCORED SIX RUNS, and the OTHER TEAM SCORED FIVE RUNS, one player on the winning team was responsible for four of those runs, the other player was responsible for two. WPA is trying to tell me that the second player was more valuable or contributed more to his team winning the game. Anyone with half a brain
can see that that is total crap. Again, I'll repeat, ONE THE GAME IS OVER, probability has NO VALUE WHATSOEVER because YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

ONCE THE GAME IS OVER, IT DONT MAKE A HAM HOCKS DIFFERENE who did what when. Each team player nine innings, one team scored more runs. End of story, PERIOD.
   76. AJM Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:55 PM (#2453405)
The game states are different.

Yeah, I get that. What I want to know is why it's supposed to make sense. I'm supposed to believe that a strikeout and a homer is better than two homers when the game ends the same way?
   77. bibigon Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:56 PM (#2453406)
anyway, the real problem with WPA is not that it assigns greater value to one grand slam over another, it's that it assigns greater value to a two run walkoff single than a first innning grand slam. If you design a stat that gives a two run single more value than a grand slam, it's time to start over. Sort of like if you design an evaluative tool that tells you Nappy Lajoie is better than Babe Ruth...that doesn't mean you're a genius that has made a revoultionary discovery. It means you should burn your research and go back to the drawnig board.


See, that's the real problem with your argument. You have a conclusion in mind, if something doesn't pass your smell test, you want to burn it. I'm not saying the smell test has no value, but something not passing the smell test isn't a reason to conclude it's wrong. Sometimes surprising things turn out to be true.
   78. JPWF13 Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:56 PM (#2453407)
As a tool which tells us *at the exact moment* how much difference a play makes WPA is perfectly fine. As a tool to assess afterwards the contributions of each player, I remain unconvinced it tells us anything more than we would get from asking a 6 year old.


Old saying- want to know a foolproof way to judge who won a fight- ask a 6 year old.

Anyway, WPA is a fun thing to look at to watch thw ebb and flow of a game- but to use as a serious stat (it's always trotted out when potential MVP voting is discussed) is completely nuts.

A grand slam in the situation you described has less impact on a team's chances of winning a game than a two run single in the situation you described.


Yes but after the fact the grandslam IS MORE VALUABLE. Someone could come up in the right spot a few times, bottom 9, winning or tying run on base- come through, and rack up more WPA than a far better player who produced more runs who produced more three run homers without which his team would have lost.

Maybe, just maybe, it might be useful to add WPA (or some fraction) to a player's winshares or WARP3 or some other "uberstat" when comparing players - but to use as a be all and end all as I've seen on many threads- it's worse than useless.
   79. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 08:57 PM (#2453411)
Don't tell me after I've lost $10,000 at the roulette wheel that my sping gave me a 48% chance of doubling my money. I already lost it; it's over.

What if I told you that, by replacing the wheel with this super-awesome-roulette-wheel on your next spin, you would up your odds of doubling your money to 99%? I'm guessing you'd then replace the wheel. And then you'd win a lot of money, and you'd rightfully credit super-awesome-roulette-wheel for bringing you that great spin when you needed it most.

This is leverage. Managers do not live in a vacuum where they throw rocks in a bucket and no one is keeping score. They do not randomly use J.J. Putz to retire weak hitters in the second inning of a 10 run game.

Because managers mostly understand leverage, they employ players in a way that will maximize their chances of winning (not perfectly, but more than random, for sure) that game.
   80. AJM Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:04 PM (#2453421)
they employ players in a way that will maximize their chances of winning

They employ closers in a way that will get them saves.
   81. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:04 PM (#2453423)
David Cameron,
Yes, relievers can be used to maximize their leverage. Starting position players can't, however.
   82. JPWF13 Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:07 PM (#2453430)
Because [good] managers mostly understand leverage, they employ players in a way that will maximize their chances of winning (not perfectly, but more than random, for sure) that game.


fixed.
There are some managers who almost certainly employ their players in a "pattern" that is worse than random
   83. Famous Original Joe C Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:15 PM (#2453442)
Interesting thread. But geez, it's July 23rd.
   84. baudib Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:19 PM (#2453451)

fixed.
There are some managers who almost certainly employ their players in a "pattern" that is worse than random


Actually, that's not true. As has been noted before, closers still end up pitching the most high-leverage situations, which is a better pattern than "random."
   85. JPWF13 Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:26 PM (#2453462)
The average Al team YTD has had 35 save opps and 11 blown saves
The Mariners have had 38 save opps and 9 blown saves.

Putz has 29 save opps and no blown saves
The top 16 players in save opps are as follows (only KC and Oakland are listed twice):

PLAYER    TEAM    BS    SVO
Todd Jones    DET    5    32
Bobby Jenks    CHW    5    32
Joe Borowski    CLE    3    31
J
.JPutz    SEA    0    29
Francisco Rodriguez    LAA    2    27
Jonathan Papelbon    BOS    1    23
Joe Nathan    MIN    2    22
Chris Ray    BAL    4    20
Jeremy Accardo    TOR    3    19
Al Reyes    TAM    1    18
Mariano Rivera    NYY    2    17
Eric Gagne    TEX    1    15
Octavio Dotel    KAN    3    13
Joakim Soria    KAN    3    13
Alan Embree    OAK    2    12
Huston Street    OAK    2    11 


No "closer" has more than 5 Blown saves
The "average" closer has a save % of 88.3
Putz is at 100%
but since the average closer would have just 3.4 blown saves in 29 save opps- then Putz likely is not worth much moe than 3.4 wins over the average closer
the "worst" closer above has a save % of 76.9 (KC)
Putz is 6.7 saves better than that.
(by way of comparison BPRo has Putz at 5.5 expected wins above a replacement pitcher)

Arod has a warp1 of 7.6
Arod had (as of 7/8) 12 winshares above bench (or 4 wins above bench)

same ballpark?
   86. David Cameron Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:31 PM (#2453468)
You did just fine (just confirming what I stated 60 posts ago about Putz) until you got to WARP and Win Shares. The problems with WARP's replacement level have been well documented, and the stat as a whole is essentially useless. A-Rod has been worth 7.6 wins more than the 1899 Cleveland Spider's third baseman, which is essentially Clay's accepted definition for his version of replacement level. Woo-fricking-hoo.

If A-Rod's defense is as good as everyone in this thread has said, and UZR thinks, then he's a 4 win player so far. That gives him a clear, though not massive, 1 win advantage over Putz. If it's not been as good as fans/UZR thinks, it's basically a dead heat.

So, yes, same ballpark. Putz is clearly in the discussion - that's all I'm saying.
   87. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:42 PM (#2453478)
Like the man said, the problem with WPA is that probabilities aren't additive. Also, just as win shares suffers from the absence of loss shares, one wonders why we hear no talk of WPS.
   88. John Lynch Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:43 PM (#2453480)
Great thread. If I may piggyback on what WJ said in post #74, I think the key point here is that probability is only useful in situations with incomplete information. Once the game is over, we no longer have incomplete information, so we shouldn't proceed as if we did.
   89. JPWF13 Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:54 PM (#2453494)
Actually, that's not true. As has been noted before, closers still end up pitching the most high-leverage situations, which is a better pattern than "random."


well the quote referred to players, closers are a small subset of players
also I think many teams do not employ their closers in the highest leverage situations- tehy emply them in save situations, driven by the definition of saves, and their set up men, or worse their loogys and roogys see the highest leverage spots

anyway- using BPRo's "lev" stat here are the teams whose "closers" are not their highest leveraged relief pitchers:
Texas
Tampa Bay
Oakland
HoustonCubs

then there are those teams whose most highly leveraged RP is their closer- but whose closers are not the best RP on the team...
Washington, Toronto, etc...
   90. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: July 24, 2007 at 09:56 PM (#2453497)
Well, what's wrong with that? The first inning homer means your pitching staff has to be perfect for 8 innings for you to win the game (or the offense has to do more); the ninth inning homer guarantees a win. Do you really fail to see the difference between the two situations?
The difference, as you say, is in the situations, not the player.

The first inning homer, combined with the 8 innings of good pitching, gets you the win. The ninth inning homer, combined with the 8 innings of good pitching, gets you the win. It's the exact same -- just in a different order. (What's different is our knowledge at the time of the hit -- but after the game, we have the same knowledge about both.)
   91. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: July 24, 2007 at 10:06 PM (#2453508)
A grand slam in the situation you described has less impact on a team's chances of winning a game than a two run single in the situation you described.
But that's wrong. What you mean is something like this: a grand slam in the first of an average 0-0 game has less impact than a 2-run single in the ninth of a game where you trail by 1. But it's not a grand slam in an average 0-0 game; it's a grand slam in a game where you otherwise would lose by 3 runs.

You don't know that at the time you hit it, but so what? Your knowledge doesn't change the value. It's still 4 runs vs. 2 runs, in a game where the other team has scored 5.
You are giving a situation with context, describing events, and then trying to strip away the context. You can't do that without running into problems.
On the contrary. WPA tries to add some context (game state) but strip away other context (what happens in the rest of the game).
   92. JPWF13 Posted: July 24, 2007 at 10:08 PM (#2453511)
The problems with WARP's replacement level have been well documented, and the stat as a whole is essentially useless.


Yes the replacement level is too low, but that doesn't render the stat useless, just flawed.

The worst regular 3B by OPS is Nick Punto .218/.309/.285
(the worst team performance at 3b is Minnesota's at .234/.306/.328 hmmm I sense a pattern here)

AROD has 98 RC in 437 PA (269 outs) (Q & D here just taking BBREF's #s
Punto has 28 RC in 361 PA (258 outs)

AROD has about 64-68 more RC than Punto would have given ARODs PAs or Outs
at a rough estimate of 10 runs per win- that gives AROD about 6-7 wins above the worst Al 3B
Putz is about 6-7 wins better than the "worst" closer.

Same ball park, but Putz is hitting a wall- he CAN'T do any better
AROD can (highly highly highly unlikely)- he's at .313/.414/.662
he could go to .335/.435/.700 and blow Putz away- even if Putz pitched even better he wouldn't really add more value at this point.
   93. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 10:10 PM (#2453516)
God, I made some hellacious typos in this thread. Something about WPA gets me all worked up.
   94. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: July 24, 2007 at 10:15 PM (#2453525)
David Cameron,
Yes, relievers can be used to maximize their leverage. Starting position players can't, however.
I agree with this, although I remain unconvinced that the reliever ought to get credit for this. As a purely mathematical question, I can agree that a closer -- or, rather, a high-leverage pitcher; they aren't exactly the same -- can be "more valuable" than a pitcher who performs equally well in lower-leverage situations.

But unless the high-leverage pitcher has a unique ability to perform at that level in those high-leverage situations than the lower-leverage pitcher would, I don't know that this information captures something about the reliever that we ought to be rewarding. At that point, the only thing we're rewarding the high-leverage guy for is the situations he happened to find himself in, not for how he personally performed.
   95. studes Posted: July 24, 2007 at 10:42 PM (#2453558)
Like the man said, the problem with WPA is that probabilities aren't additive. Also, just as win shares suffers from the absence of loss shares, one wonders why we hear no talk of WPS.

WPA is win advancements minus loss advancements. Both are listed at Fangraphs.
   96. Srul Itza Posted: July 24, 2007 at 11:00 PM (#2453574)
Thus far, A-Rod has appeared in 98 games, has 437 plate appearances, has made 171 assists, 71 put outs and been involved in 19 double plays.

Putz has appeared in 43 games, pitched 46.3 innings, faced 161 batters, and has 5 put outs and 3 assists.

A-Rod is obviously having an incredible season, providing massive value on offense, together with good defense per UZR and other measures. Forgive me if I have some difficulty assigning equal MVP status to a guy who has appeared in less than half of his team's games, only affects one side of the win-loss equation, is in most cases only called upon when his team already has the lead, and has played less innings all told than A-Rod does in a week.

The fact that WPA equates the contributions of these players should be all you need to know that it does not pass the smell test.
   97. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 11:16 PM (#2453602)
Some day quite soon WPA will be consigned to the dustbin with productive outs and Wilton projections.
   98. studes Posted: July 24, 2007 at 11:17 PM (#2453603)
The fact that WPA equates the contributions of these players should be all you need to know that it does not pass the smell test.

I don't get the extreme positions people are taking about WPA. It's a fascinating stat, worth the time to include in these sorts of discussions. In this case, you can decide to divide by the leverage index and/or you can set a baseline below average. Fangraphs lists both win advancements and loss advancements to help you do both -- there are a myriad of statistical things you can do with that info.

I agree it's not the ultimate stat, but I personally like having a stat that doesn't distill a game into sterile bits and bytes, but keeps the emotional ins and outs of a game intact. It is precisely that sort of stat that will highly value closers who are deployed effectively. Why is that a "wrong" perspective?

BTW, Win Shares does include an aspect of WPA, giving recognition to closers for highly leveraged situations.
   99. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 11:20 PM (#2453613)
It's a fascinating stat,

Yes.

worth the time to include in these sorts of discussions.

No.
   100. Weekly Journalist_ Posted: July 24, 2007 at 11:22 PM (#2453620)
Sorry. What I mean by the above is that, yes, it's an interesting stat to use in charting the progression of a game, but it escapes me utterly how it has any value in evaluating the performance of individual players.
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