Mets wOBA By Position

by James Kannengieser on May 13, 2011 12:00 PM EDT

Weighted on-base average ("wOBA") is the statistic I talk about at parties. Simultaneously useful and accessible, an advanced math degree is not required to understand and appreciate probably the best* publicly available offensive statistic. It correlates with run scoring better than batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. Everything a batter does at the plate is factored in its calculation, as are stolen bases and caught stealings. The various outcomes are weighed based on run-scoring value. This is a great stat for saber-skeptics. wOBA recognizes that a walk isn't as good as a hit and efficient base stealers are credited for their achievements. The minor weaknesses of the triple slasher (BA/OBP/SLG) are assuaged.

Any aspiring True SABR in the audience should click here and here for the guts behind wOBA. For those who just want to know how fast the car can go and not how the engine works, understand that a wOBA at .300 or below is poor, .330 is around average, .380 is excellent and .400+ is elite. Just like on-base percentage.

*Baseball Prospectus's statistic True Average ("TAv") is similar to wOBA but is scaled to batting average. It is another leading statistic. I prefer wOBA, specifically the FanGraphs version, for various reasons. One of which is FanGraphs stats are easier to navigate. Note that FanGraphs wOBA is not park-adjusted. For an absolutely epic The Book Blog thread on wOBA vs. TAv, click here.

Here is the Mets' wOBA by position, with approximate NL average wOBA and the Mets' league rank also listed (through yesterday's games because I wanted to include Carlos Beltran's home run orgy):

Some notes:

Stop me if you've heard this before -- the Mets have received strong production from positions manned by Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright. It's been a subpar season for Wright by his standards but he has still been above average.
Is Jason Bay broken?
Josh Thole is sub-Barajas right now. He should remain with the big club and receive at least half the playing time going forward. But expectations of Thole as everyday catcher for years to come need to be tempered. His complete lack of power becomes a larger problem when his plate discipline is down, as it is this season.
Ronny Paulino has a .458 wOBA in 25 plate appearances. He reminds me of Ramon Castro. Physically, at least.
According to rest-of-season ZiPS projections, the Mets should improve at catcher, second base, third base left field and center field (upon Angel Pagan's return). They should decline at first base, shortstop and right field.
This isn't worthy of its own post so I'll mention it here. The Mets should do a better job giving their regulars days off. Reyes has started every game. Wright's first day off was yesterday. Beltran has started 33 of 37 games. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

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Comments

So this article tells us

The position players we thought were playing well…are.
The position players we thought were struggling…are.

Two thing I did learn from this article is that Wright is playing much better than I perceived and that if some team wants Reyes they need to bend over and give us everything…everything or we keep the best SS in the NL…MLB.

_______________________________________________
$100 to CARE per No-No and $1 per David Wright Homer.

by ScottfromPeekskill on May 13, 2011 12:17 PM EDT reply actions

As much as Wright is struggling, he is still a superior player

If people would compare him to other 2011 third baseman, and not to the 2007-2008 David Wright, Mets fans would realize that we’re fortunate to have him.

__________________________________________________
"He who gets the best players usually wins" - Bobby Bowden

by Russ on May 13, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions

his wOBA is 340ish

That’s not good. He’s just better than everyone else at his position because they’ve all been sucking. NL average at 300 is pretty pathetic for supposedly an offensive position.

by Mike Clemente on May 13, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

ding ding

winner

http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/

by Cory Braiterman on May 13, 2011 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes

He’s sucked less than others. He’s also doing most of his “damage” getting on base as opposed to getting honest-to-goodness XBH. Not making outs is job one, but we do actually have to drive in some runs, too, which means slugging and getting hits.

BUT that hasn’t been an enormo problem. We’re sixth in the league in runs, which is decent, and Wright’s OBP has played a big part — he’s scored 22, which is tied with Reyes and one north of Beltran. We’ve played one more game than the Phillies, and scored one more run. For all intents and purposes, a tie. Would we like to score a few more? Sure. But it’s the pitching and defense that have dropped deuces all over the standings. (11th in RA.)

I still think, though, that unless the back thing drags on (and they tend to), we’ll see something similar to 2010 overall numbers, maybe with a couple fewer HR. If the back keeps acting up and is responsible for slowing or tweaking his swing, however, we could be looking more at 2009. Or worse.

by tmu on May 13, 2011 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

You are not one dude I want to party with

Weighted on-base average (“wOBA”) is the statistic I talk about at parties.

One day, this team is going to kill me.

by fxcarden on May 13, 2011 12:20 PM EDT reply actions

I wish there was more baseball stat talk at my parties

just so people would quit looking at me weird when I do it

Thus Spoke Keith Hernandez

Twitter: ThomasTSKH

"Everything's gonna be awesome." -Ken Oberkfell
"ARSHAVIN IS MAGIC" -Brooks Peck

by Thomas Wachtel on May 13, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

You’d be surprised

I’m a blast. Especially when the AA Amex card is at my disposal.

by James Kannengieser on May 13, 2011 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

yes

They need to issue more of those.

Now, kids, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep; in giant blender.

by meigs1414 on May 13, 2011 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions

so basically

ss and 3rd , respectively, have the 2nd and 3rd lowest wOBA on average. And we have two of the most elite players manning these weak positions… and we’re trying to (possibly) trade them?!

by eric10 on May 13, 2011 12:49 PM EDT reply actions

Just curious

How did you approximate NL average wOBA for each position?

Nice work, here.

Columnist at Beyond the Box Score. Occasional contributor at Amazin' Avenue.

by Bill Petti on May 13, 2011 12:57 PM EDT reply actions

I calculated the average of all the NL teams at each position

It’s crude for sure. Usually when I do this I’ll weigh plate appearances to determine a more precise figure, but I was pressed for time early this morning. I can’t imagine the difference between the two methods is terribly material though.

by James Kannengieser on May 13, 2011 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Gotcha, that's what I figured

And, yeah, the difference is likely minimal as most teams have played the same number of games.

Columnist at Beyond the Box Score. Occasional contributor at Amazin' Avenue.

by Bill Petti on May 13, 2011 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions

So, yeah, Sandy.

Sign Reyes.

"You can spend minutes, hours, days weeks or even months overanalyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what would’ve, could’ve happened – or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the **** on."
-Tupac Amaru Shakur

by NetsMets4Life on May 13, 2011 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

why is 3b so a bad hitting position this year?

by Mike Clemente on May 13, 2011 1:01 PM EDT reply actions

such*

by Mike Clemente on May 13, 2011 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Small sample size?

In other words, I have no idea.

Thus Spoke Keith Hernandez

Twitter: ThomasTSKH

"Everything's gonna be awesome." -Ken Oberkfell
"ARSHAVIN IS MAGIC" -Brooks Peck

by Thomas Wachtel on May 13, 2011 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

There have been a ton of injuries at 3B

Ignoring Longoria in the AL, you have Zimmerman, Sandoval, and David Freese all on the DL for lengthy periods of time. Then you have guys like Pedro Alvarez and Ian Stewart who have gotten at bats, but performed terribly. It’s just been an ugly situation so far, but will probably even up once Zimm and Sandoval get off the DL

"I only wanted a few things out of life -- a wife, children, to play baseball and to hunt deer." - Turk Wendell

by Rey-O on May 13, 2011 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions

SSS + thin this year it seems

Juan Uribe, Pedro Alvarez, Chris Johnson… Also batting in general is down this year. A lot of teams seem more willing to have a light-hitting player with a good glove in the field.

http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/

by Cory Braiterman on May 13, 2011 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

lack of teh 'roidz

One day, this team is going to kill me.

by fxcarden on May 13, 2011 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

MLB clearly lacking

in the zit faced, popping out of the uni, douchenozzle, heavy hitters.

by NetsMets4Life on May 13, 2011 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

You laugh

but it’s a pretty nice correlation. We’re at 0.88 HR/game. In 2000 it was 1.17. In 1986 it was 0.91.

by tmu on May 13, 2011 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I would say wRC+ is the best offensive statistic

by EtSuKe on May 13, 2011 1:17 PM EDT reply actions

ya that is probably a little bit more indicitive than just wOBA

being as it accounts for park and league. I tend to look at both to be honest.

by Balagast on May 13, 2011 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Sure

I wanted to make this a little more accessible to anyone who is unfamiliar with the stats though. wOBA kinda sounds like OBA or OBP, while wRC+ is scary-looking. My language could have been a little less definitive though, maybe "wOBA is one of the best stats" is better.

by James Kannengieser on May 13, 2011 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't know

Maybe they have finally cleaned out all the roiders and the HGHers. Maybe guys can’t buy their own amphetamines. I cannot see how the pitching is so much better.

by jdon on May 13, 2011 2:20 PM EDT reply actions

bring back the Roids!

not

"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"

by feslenraster on May 13, 2011 3:42 PM EDT reply actions

Catcher

I would say so far this season, the most unexpected dissappointment is the performance of Thole. I am hoping this is based on the small sample size with only 205 of the season over. If this doesen’t work out by year end, we will have to find a new Barojas

by Seaver73 on May 13, 2011 6:23 PM EDT reply actions

Thole could still have a chance to reach .250-.270 still a long season but

I never understood the love for Thole, I like the kid, despite his lack of catching experience I think he’s done a fine job overall. to me he’s still a future backup, and passable regular….which isn’t so bad these days in the MLB.

there’s really only a handful of solid catchers both offensively and defensively out there.

"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"

by feslenraster on May 13, 2011 7:48 PM EDT reply actions