Welcome to the sixth installment of my ongoing countdown of 2024’s finest gamers within the main leagues.
In the present day’s story — the continuation of a 10-part collection — ushers us into the higher half of the Baseball 100, my listing of the sport’s high 100 batters and pitchers. It runs from fiftieth to forty first place.
4 extra installments stay, taking us to the very high of the pyramid on February 14.
For those who’ve learn earlier entries on this collection, you possibly can skip the following 9 boilerplate paragraphs, which clarify the scoring system. If not, push onward.
The rankings inside the Baseball 100 are decided by 2024’s general base values (OBV), which measure the relative effectiveness of batters and pitchers.
A optimistic OBV signifies one in every of two issues:
A selected batter reached extra bases than the common massive leaguer would have attained below similar circumstances.
A given pitcher surrendered fewer bases than his typical counterpart would have yielded below the identical situations.
Click on right here if you wish to know extra in regards to the formulation and calculations. (Remember that OBV is barely totally different from the BV described within the hyperlink. The preliminary signal for a pitcher’s BV is reversed for his OBV. A destructive signal is best for a pitcher’s BV, however a optimistic signal is good for an OBV, which is what we’re utilizing right here.)
The participant with the best OBV — whether or not a hitter or pitcher — is deemed to be the very best general participant. The rankings proceed downward so as.
If two or extra gamers are tied with similar OBVs, I break the tie by matching their ratios of bases per out (BPO) in opposition to 2024’s big-league common of .675. BPO is strictly what it feels like, a comparability of bases reached or yielded (by way of hits, walks, hit batters, stolen bases, and sacrifices) in opposition to outs made or induced.
Desire inside a tie is given to the participant who surpassed the BPO norm by the best quantity, both above .675 for a batter or beneath the identical mark for a pitcher.
Every participant within the Baseball 100 is listed along with his rank, membership, main place (the one he performed greater than every other in 2024), BPO or BPO allowed (BPOA), the numbers of bases and outs concerned, and OBV.
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Membership: Phillies
Main place: P
BPOA: .571 (on 315 bases and 552 outs)
OBV: +58
Backside line: Sanchez enhanced Philadelphia’s deep rotation. He made 31 begins and labored 181.2 innings. His 3.32 earned run common was the Nationwide League’s seventh-best.
Membership: Padres
Main place: CF
BPO: .818 (on 332 bases and 406 outs)
OBV: +58
Backside line: Merrill batted .292 and drove dwelling 90 runs for the Padres. He completed second to Paul Skenes within the race for the NL’s Rookie of the Yr Award.
Membership: Braves
Main place: P
BPOA: .392 (on 82 bases and 209 outs)
OBV: +59
Backside line: Iglesias ranked fourth within the NL with 34 saves. He posted a 1.95 ERA in 66 aid appearances, holding opponents to a .160 batting common.
Membership: Giants
Main place: P
BPOA: .579 (on 357 bases and 617 outs)
OBV: +60
Backside line: Webb was a workhorse for San Francisco. He began 33 video games and pitched 204.2 innings, topping the NL in each classes. He completed sixth in Cy Younger Award balloting.
Membership: Brewers
Main place: SS
BPO: .800 (on 381 bases and 476 outs)
OBV: +60
Backside line: Adames flashed an uncommon quantity of energy for a shortstop, launching 32 homers and driving in 112 runs for Milwaukee. He signed with the Giants as a free agent in December.
Membership: Diamondbacks
Main place: CF
BPO: .803 (on 382 bases and 476 outs)
OBV: +61
Backside line: The NL’s 2023 Rookie of the Yr wasn’t fairly as efficient in his sophomore season. But he nonetheless led the league with 14 triples and ranked fourth with 35 stolen bases.
Membership: Tigers
Main place: LF
BPO: .833 (on 320 bases and 384 outs)
OBV: +61
Backside line: Greene emerged with an unexpectedly sturdy 2024 season, his third with Detroit. He completed with 24 homers, 74 RBIs, and a .262 batting common.
Membership: Royals
Main place: P
BPOA: .564 (on 314 bases and 557 outs)
OBV: +62
Backside line: Ragans performed a key function in Kansas Metropolis’s dramatic enchancment. He posted an 11-9 report, whereas topping the American League with a ratio of 10.77 strikeouts per 9 innings.
Membership: Cubs
Main place: P
BPOA: .554 (on 290 bases and 523 outs)
OBV: +63
Backside line: Imanaga stepped up because the ace of Chicago’s rotation in his preliminary big-league season. He went 15-3 and rang up the NL’s third-best earned run common (2.91).
Membership: Rangers
Main place: SS
BPO: .853 (on 302 bases and 354 outs)
OBV: +63
Backside line: Seager was the runner-up for the AL’s Most Helpful Participant Award in 2023. He slipped to fifteenth place in 2024’s balloting, but he nonetheless generated 30 dwelling runs and 74 RBIs.
