[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
[quote]scj119 wrote:
Bautista makes an out when comes to the plate less often than any other player in baseball - in the toughest division. That’s not valuable?[/quote]
Of course it is, hence his inclusion in a discussion where he is outmatched in 2 very important stat categories.
But it’s not nearly as important as being responsible for putting runs on the scoreboard. Scoring runs wins games. Not getting on base.
No one said Bautista isnt valuable. But he isnt the MOST valuable player when a few other guys are responsible for a whole lot more runs on the scoreboard. Again, wins are not handed out to the team that puts the most men on base.
This is what I wrote about WAR earlier in the thread.
WAR is a funny stat. It depends heavily on how strong a teams bench and minor league system is in addition to how the player performs. Obviously I’m a person that prefers to look at the most concrete stats when deciding an MVP. WAR doesnt say how much better a player is than other players in the league, it says how many more wins he accounts for than a bench player or a minor leaguer or someone on the waiver wire. Obviously WAR depends on how the player produces but we have all the other stats to figure that out, WAR just adds in the dynamic of how deep the bench/farm system is.
Good to show contribution to the TEAM but doesnt say who’s the best in the LEAGUE, IMO [/quote]
WAR is relative to the average replacement player, not to that team’s specific replacement if someone was injured.
The problem is RBI opportunities are not equal. Granderson has come to the plate 272 times with runners on, and 157 times with RISP (12 times bases loaded)
Bautista has come to the plate 253 times with runners on, 142 with RISP (4 times bases loaded).
I would bet dollars to donuts that there have been a lot fewer runners on when Bautista bats as well (i.e. “Runners On” means 1 runner instead of 2).
How is that his fault? I could have more RBI than Granderson if you gave me 600 at-bats with the bases loaded and gave him 600 at-bats with the bases empty (well probably not, but you get the point… a single-A player could). That wouldn’t make that single-A player more valuable than Granderson.
When you’re talking about two guys of near-equal talent level, small differences in those numbers can lead to big differences in RBI. Pitchers basically walk Bautista every time he comes to bat with RISP, is that his fault? He’s been walked 49 out of 142 plate appearances with RISP because he has no protection, Granderson’s been walked 16 out of 157 times in that situation because he has Teix behind him.
Consider how many more chances Granderson’s had to put the ball in play with runners in scoring position.