Comparing Offensive Output of Royals and the Rest of MLB
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 23, 2010 12:39 AM EDT
in Kansas City Royals News
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Fangraphs has a nice little stat hidden on their website called Weighted Runs Above Average ( or wRAA). It measures the how much offensive contribution in runs that a player contributes compared to the rest of the league. It takes into account both the number of at bats and the output from those at bats. It is used as the offensive component of WAR. This season, a 0.325 wOBA is needed to create a positive value.
I have gone ahead and plotted all the batters with over 200 at bats at a position so far in 2010. The Royal's players are the blue dots. I wanted to include their names, but the graph became jumbled, so I included a chart for clarification.
| Name | Pos | wRAA |
| Jason Kendall | C | -10.9 |
| Billy Butler | 1B | 14.5 |
| Mike Aviles | 2B | -4.0 |
| Yuniesky Betancourt | SS | -7.7 |
| Alberto Callaspo | 3B | -3.4 |
| Scott Podsednik | LF | -0.9 |
| Mitch Maier | CF | -3.8 |
| David DeJesus | RF | 12.9 |
| Jose Guillen | DH | 7.8 |
Notes:
1. Only 3 Royals are producing at league average. No real surprise there.
2. The low right fielder is future Royal, Jeff Francoeur.
3. The wRAA for Miguel Olivo and John Buck are 12.7 and 6.6.
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nice Olivo and Buck
we cut you because you cant block for shit, cant throw out any runners, and never draw a walk, and here you are actually doing good. I bet if they immediately put their old Royals jersey’s on they would suck again.
Are we the team to beat in 2010? I sure think so! Go Chiefs.
jrcnc
Maybe they got better because their coaching no longer sucks!!!! Check out other MLB rosters and count the number of players released/traded by Royals in last 5 years.Now count the players recieved by Royals via trade or free agency doing anything for them.This teams coaching philosophy for whatever reason (majors and minors) takes very good players and turns them into good players,good players and turns them into average players and servicible players and turns them into rubbish.There are only two or three teams in majors who would have done the hack job they did on Gordon.I also think Butler should be hiitting many more home runs except the Royals probably think they would ruin him. 100 losses not out of question. Are the Royals going to make any deals with someone besides Atlanta?
That is a great graph
What charting program do you use? I’m using a new one in lab that I love called Origin, but it’s aesthetically less than wonderful.
Do you know who the two low 3B are? They are ridiculously low compared to all other players.
I’ve tried to stay positive with Aviles because I’ve loved what he’s done in the past, but it’s just true that he hasn’t been that amazing this year. If the rest of the team were doing better, I might be able to deal with him as an 8-hitter or something, but it’s sad that this is where it’s fallen to. With him and Bert, selling high would’ve been a great idea. Hindsight is 20/20, though I know a lot of people called for at least Bert to be traded.
Surprised at how high Jose is sitting. Must be pulled up by early-season numbers.
"Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic."
Jose Lopez
Pedro Feliz
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 22, 2010 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions
This one was a pain. I had several people helping me figure it out last night.
I just use Open Office for the graphing part. But I have found that I need to usually bring it into a 2nd graphic program (Gimp or Paint.net) to clean it up and add some text.
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 22, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
agreed, sweet graph
Aviles has had a below-average WAR so far, but it’s a bit early to sour on him. His defense should recover even if his bat doesn’t make him an asset by itself
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by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 22, 2010 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Once he can make those throws to first, right?
"Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic."
by MinnesotaRoyal on Jul 22, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Regression to the mean heals all wounds ;)
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by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 22, 2010 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Correct
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 22, 2010 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
So clearly not only does Kendall sucks
He really sucks?
It's just offensive, though
It doesn’t take into account his amazing defensive, telepathic mentoring, tat-bearing, and grit-producing skills.
"Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic."
by MinnesotaRoyal on Jul 22, 2010 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
AND HE LOVES HIS KIDS
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jul 22, 2010 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
And, wow,
it’s not even close.
The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. -- Albert Einstein
by The Ol' Perfesser on Jul 22, 2010 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Honestly,
even after a decent night’s sleep, I’m still mindblown to know that Kendall comes up dead last among catchers on this chart. And plays Every. Damn. Game.
The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. -- Albert Einstein
by The Ol' Perfesser on Jul 23, 2010 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
And bats 2nd
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
by Sweep_the_Leg on Jul 24, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
So this isn't like golf
where you want a negative number? I thought Kendall being -12 under par was a good thing.
Putting on my Saber-Shades...
This fancy chart would seem to inidicate that Messirs. Kendell and Betencourt are our least productive batters.
Someone should do a fanpost on this!!!!
[Actually, somebody probably should do a chart explaining the Guillen numbers…before I decide to throw the baby out with the bathwater.]]
"Shot by my own men."
I think Guillen's season so far has two parts
One is that he has been OK with the bat. The other is that the other DHs have been pretty underwhelming, so it makes Guillen look better compared to the other red dots.
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by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 22, 2010 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
This chart clearly doesn't take into account "bat control"
That or the catcher portion of the chart is flip-flopped
I once had hope...now I have Moore.
i'd guess the chart weighs heavily for home runs,
rbis, extra base hits, and mostly ignores numerous other measures of offensive production.
as such, seems questionable in making a true evaluation. e.g. how many catchers bat #2? where does Kendall rank in terms of what #2 batters do? would Kendall be so far behind the next to the last horse with a measurement of these sorts of stats? DJ’s pssition is another e.g. how does the chart explain DJ?
It's based on wOBA
As was explained.
by kcbottom9th on Jul 22, 2010 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
woba is explained
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jul 22, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I love it when you show up to comment.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
As a #2 batter I think Kendall would be even further behind.
Competing against other catchers is one thing, competing against people who actually know how to hit a double is another.
Surprised at how low low the DH numbers are
Since this measures purely offensive ability, there isn’t a positional penalty dragging down the DHs, right? Because I would think DH numbers would be among the best hitters, since that’s there entire job. Instead, the DH numbers are mostly comparable to catcher, with only CF really not producing an “elite” hitter better than a DH.
So am I missing something, or are there really just no elite designated hitters this year? Or is this common to see their numbers so low?
Follow me on twitter.com/SteveCusumano
The DH's are just kinda sad this year
Here is a link to them:
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=dh&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=200&type=1&season=2010&month=0
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 22, 2010 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
When Jose Guillen is one of the best DHs
And was the best for a while, then it’s a rough year for DHs.
"Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic."
by MinnesotaRoyal on Jul 22, 2010 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
best graph ever
The depressing part to me is not Kendall & Betancourt…we all know they suck. The depressing part is that the three plus hitters are pretty average for their position.
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Exactly........which underlines an oft repeated theme round these parts.....
NO ONE IS UNEXPENDABLE . . . I cringe when I hear angst over a possible DeJesus move….think of all the talent the A’s have dealt over the years? And some of Royals nation reflexively clinches buttocks at the thought of losing top of the middle dot during a career year David Dejesus? Why couldn’t GMDM have written Moneyball? Why o why o why………
by Nighthawk at the Diner on Jul 22, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
for the record:
DDJ has never once made my buttocks clinch. Reflexively or otherwise.
"Shot by my own men."
by StonewallPDS on Jul 22, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Things just got weird.
Just another day at RR.
"Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic."
by MinnesotaRoyal on Jul 22, 2010 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Weird? Hell no.....how about this:
He got me with a feather, and another time with a bat handle….
by Nighthawk at the Diner on Jul 22, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Unless he is running the bases
he just seems clueless on the base paths.
- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …
by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 22, 2010 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Where on the graph does it say that the Royals lead the league in Batting Average?
I’ll forgive the typographical error this time.
Would you like to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or my blog...well you can't.
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jul 22, 2010 3:34 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
oddly enough, if you turned the graph upside down,
you would have an almost exact approximation of true grit.
"Shot by my own men."
And Dayton's future trade targets.
"Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic."
by MinnesotaRoyal on Jul 22, 2010 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Buck homered again today
Clearly Kendall is better
BUT HOW DOES BUCK'S HOMER RELATE TO KENDALL HITTING #2???
Also, why the heck won’t Dayton go on the phone re: Brandon Belt?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jul 22, 2010 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Is This Like
Van Allen Belt?
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Jul 22, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Good thing Podsednik is leading the team in plate appearances.
And Kendall having the 3rd most plate appearances in the last 30 days. How awesome is that?
Plate Appearances last 30 days:
1. Podsednik
2. Butler
3. Kendall
4. Dejesus
5. Betancourt
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
Buck may have
13 more homeruns than Kendall, but Kendall has -2 fewer passed balls and 4 less wild pitches. Not only that but his 28 cs% clearly trumps Buck’s 24 cs%. Kendall also has a catcher ERA of 4.78, while Buck has an outrageous 4.58. Oh, and that pussy Buck has never started more than 112 games at Catcher, old Kendall is on pace for 153 starts.
Please post your telephone number
Dayton would like to call you about a position available in the Royals’ front office.
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
by Sweep_the_Leg on Jul 22, 2010 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't understand
Can you please do the same chart for batting average??
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
by Royal Kingdom on Jul 22, 2010 4:33 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Who's the DH that's worse than Kendall?
Ken Griffey Jr?
by swing and a miss on Jul 22, 2010 4:50 PM EDT reply actions
man, that is a really cool graph
Very, very informative. The amount of information contained in that single picture is……well I guess it ends up being sad, really. I tells a long, frustrating tale. This picture is worth a million words.
facebook link forthcoming.
This is like Minard's graphic of Napoleon's Russian campaign
Every time you examine it you come away smarter than you were before.
"Most all good Americans hate the Yankees. It is a value we cherish and pass on to our children like decency and democracy and the importance of a good breakfast." - William B. Mead
by Steve Nelson on Jul 28, 2010 3:54 AM EDT up reply actions
A bit of explanation of the chart
The tan line depicts Napoleon’s advance; the black is the retreat. The plot area is map of eastern Europe. The thickness of the line is scaled to the size of the army. So you can see the army being depleted during the course of the campaign. The graph at the bottom is the air temperature (below freezing) during the retreat in the middle of winter.
"Most all good Americans hate the Yankees. It is a value we cherish and pass on to our children like decency and democracy and the importance of a good breakfast." - William B. Mead
by Steve Nelson on Jul 28, 2010 4:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Everyone, thanks for the complements.
I started just wanting to compare Billy Butler and it expanded from there. I worked with Justin Bopp and Tommy Bennett last night to get it at its current state.
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Yeah, great graph
Also, Francoeur is most assuredly a future Royal. No doubt in my mind.
he's available
although I"m not ready to say whether that would be good or bad, since he hasn’t donned Royal blue yet
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.
Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.
by Matt Klaassen on Jul 22, 2010 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Francoeur just needs a change of scenery... again
How about Frenchy for Farnsy
by James Kannengieser on Jul 22, 2010 10:26 PM EDT reply actions
Can he play 3B?
"Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic."
by MinnesotaRoyal on Jul 23, 2010 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions
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