Leaderboards of Pleasure – 9/19/11

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September 19, 2011


Red is the color both of passion and arrows.

Epicurus didn’t start an entire ethical philosophy based on maximizing pleasure while minimizing pain not to have somebody, at some point in the future, develop a similar thing specifically for watching baseball. Accordingly, the aim of this edition of the Leaderboards of Pleasure is to aid the reader in liberating himself from the shackles of anxiety.

In so doing, the reader will learn that:

• Cleveland’s second baseman Jason Kipnis, besides mildly resembling teammate Travis Hafner, has been good at “hitting” so far in his brief major-league career, slashing .287/.345/.554 (.348 BABIP) with 151 RC+ in his first 110 plate appearances.

• Toronto’s Brett Lawrie continues to out-Jose Bautista the actual Jose Bautista.

• Milwaukee right-hander Zack Greinke, despite his absence from all Cy Young consideration, leads all qualified starters in strikeout rate (28.8%), strikeout/walk differential (22.9%), xFIP (2.46), and SIERA (2.40) — which is to say, he’s likely the best starter on a per-inning basis.

1. Team NERD Leaderboard
2. Underrated Player Leaderboard
3. Player NERD Leaderboard
4. Pitcher NERD Leaderboard

Team NERD Leaderboard
Like the NERD scores you’ll find below, this one represents an attempt to anticipate the “watchability” of each team. The first iteration appears in a heartfelt love letter to America, which anyone is free to read here.

Please note that the “POFF” numbers (playoff-odds adjustments) are not included in the Team NERD scores you see below, but are instead the bonuses/penalties applied to the Game Scores for each respective team — a thing about which you can learn more by reading here.

Teams NERD Age BAT HR/FB Spd BULL UZR Pay Luck POFF
Royals 10 2.62 0.40 -0.37 1.20 -0.17 0.10 1.40 1.81 0
Yankees 10 0.00 1.95 1.64 1.56 0.84 0.82 0.00 0.00 0
Red Sox 9 0.00 2.14 1.44 0.30 0.28 1.66 0.00 0.08 1
Rangers 9 0.00 1.83 1.58 1.02 0.11 0.80 0.02 0.00 0
Diamondbacks 9 0.45 -0.21 0.63 0.84 -0.06 2.19 0.97 0.00 0
Brewers 8 0.00 0.66 0.99 -0.06 1.50 0.45 0.18 0.91 0
Marlins 8 1.17 -0.52 0.04 -0.60 0.49 -0.34 0.89 2.00 0
Rays 7 0.45 0.32 0.10 1.20 -1.52 1.47 1.25 0.00 4
Rockies 6 0.18 -0.20 0.42 0.66 1.05 -0.16 0.12 0.63 0
Blue Jays 6 0.36 0.52 0.38 1.20 -0.17 -0.71 0.75 0.00 0
Padres 5 0.63 -0.83 -1.19 1.56 -0.38 0.54 1.16 0.00 0
Angels 5 0.00 -0.02 0.12 0.48 -0.38 1.22 0.00 0.58 2
Braves 5 0.00 -0.52 1.11 -1.50 2.19 -0.87 0.15 1.10 1
Nationals 5 0.27 -0.79 0.72 -0.60 -0.17 -0.39 0.72 1.56 0
Reds 5 0.08 0.05 0.81 -0.78 -0.69 1.48 0.41 0.00 0
Dodgers 4 0.00 -0.39 -0.88 0.30 0.66 0.18 0.00 1.21 0
Indians 4 0.81 -0.15 0.50 -0.24 -0.79 -1.10 1.08 0.00 0
Astros 4 0.45 -0.67 -1.80 0.30 0.25 -0.63 0.55 2.00 0
Pirates 4 1.44 -1.33 -0.91 -0.24 -0.41 -0.28 1.15 0.00 0
Mets 4 0.63 0.57 -1.63 1.02 -0.24 -2.12 0.00 1.63 0
Cubs 4 0.00 -0.61 -0.01 -0.06 -0.27 -0.47 0.00 1.89 0
Giants 3 0.00 -1.62 -1.04 -1.32 1.57 0.54 0.00 2.00 1
Cardinals 3 0.00 1.21 1.25 -1.86 0.14 -1.11 0.00 0.00 2
Phillies 3 0.00 -0.06 0.12 0.66 -0.69 -0.41 0.00 0.00 0
Tigers 2 0.08 1.14 -0.01 -0.96 -1.21 -0.22 0.00 0.06 0
White Sox 2 0.00 -0.67 -0.64 -1.86 1.85 -0.02 0.00 0.00 0
Orioles 2 0.36 -0.11 0.49 -1.32 -0.13 -1.67 0.19 0.18 0
Athletics 1 0.00 -0.53 -1.42 0.12 -0.34 -1.08 0.65 0.00 0
Mariners 0 0.00 -1.74 -1.17 -0.24 -0.69 -0.11 0.16 0.88 0
Twins 0 1.08 -1.49 -1.28 -0.78 -2.60 0.34 0.00 0.00 0

Underrated Player Leaderboard
To determine the most underrated player, we look at each qualified player’s WAR relative to a very fake version of WAR (called FANT, in this case) constructed only by the five most common fantasy categories. (Read more here.)

Name Diff WAR FANT Avg HR R RBI SB
Placido Polanco 2.4 2.8 0.4 0.33 -1.35 -1.53 -1.03 -0.72
Alex Avila 2.4 5.5 3.1 0.92 0.18 -0.52 0.40 -0.72
Brendan Ryan 2.3 2.4 0.1 -0.87 -1.56 -1.17 -1.42 0.15
Yunel Escobar 2.2 4.4 2.2 0.66 -0.69 0.37 -0.99 -0.72
Howie Kendrick 2.2 5.9 3.7 0.70 0.07 0.67 -0.37 0.15
Kurt Suzuki 2.2 2.4 0.2 -1.13 -0.37 -1.06 -1.27 -0.81
Peter Bourjos 2.2 4.1 1.9 -0.21 -0.69 -0.22 -1.46 0.84
John Buck 2.1 2.2 0.1 -1.38 -0.15 -1.77 -0.56 -0.98
Jamey Carroll 2.1 1.8 -0.3 0.52 -1.89 -1.35 -2.61 -0.12
Shane Victorino 2.0 6.2 4.2 0.62 -0.04 1.20 -0.41 0.67
Alberto Callaspo 2.0 2.7 0.7 0.41 -1.35 -1.29 -1.23 -0.38
Omar Infante 1.8 2.3 0.5 0.15 -1.35 -1.17 -1.18 -0.64
Evan Longoria 1.8 5.1 3.3 -1.02 1.16 0.01 1.11 -0.72
Matt Wieters 1.7 3.8 2.1 -0.40 0.29 -0.28 -0.27 -0.90
Brett Gardner 1.7 4.9 3.2 -0.47 -1.13 0.55 -1.56 2.93
Alexei Ramirez 1.7 4.4 2.7 -0.03 -0.37 0.43 -0.13 -0.38
Rickie Weeks 1.7 4.0 2.3 0.00 0.18 0.07 -1.13 -0.20
Jhonny Peralta 1.6 4.9 3.3 1.10 0.18 -0.40 0.59 -0.98
Yadier Molina 1.6 3.4 1.8 0.84 -0.47 -1.29 -0.37 -0.64
Dustin Pedroia 1.5 7.3 5.8 0.92 0.29 1.50 0.68 1.27

Player NERD Leaderboard
Very similar to Pitcher NERD (below), except for position players. This version of NERD considers all batters with at least 100 plate apperances. (Read more here.)

Name NERD Age WAR xBABIP HR/FB Spd K%
Brett Lawrie 10 1.84 2.98 -0.33 1.53 1.85 -0.06
Ryan Braun 10 0.43 2.13 -0.17 1.61 1.39 0.60
Jacoby Ellsbury 10 0.43 2.26 -0.11 1.12 1.23 0.87
Jason Kipnis 10 1.13 1.88 -0.20 2.54 1.54 -1.26
Alejandro De Aza 10 0.43 3.04 -0.62 0.90 2.01 -0.22
Desmond Jennings 10 1.13 1.34 -0.36 1.41 2.06 -0.26
Ian Kinsler 10 0.00 1.56 0.45 0.47 1.44 1.40
Jose Constanza 10 0.43 1.14 0.60 0.47 1.59 1.07
Mike Trout 10 2.31 0.68 0.89 1.05 0.77 -0.47
Shane Victorino 10 0.00 2.00 -0.29 0.13 1.95 1.28
Curtis Granderson 10 0.00 1.83 0.03 2.14 1.95 -0.95
Matt Kemp 9 0.66 2.08 -0.29 1.95 1.23 -0.70
Jose Reyes 9 0.19 1.56 0.00 -1.04 2.26 1.92
Carlos Gonzalez 9 0.90 1.10 -0.29 2.00 1.18 -0.11
Justin Upton 9 1.37 1.77 -0.47 1.03 1.03 0.04
Jose Bautista 9 0.00 2.49 -0.31 2.41 -0.16 0.32
Albert Pujols 9 0.00 1.31 0.20 1.75 -0.21 1.64
Howie Kendrick 9 0.43 1.84 0.13 1.56 0.98 -0.24
Troy Tulowitzki 9 0.66 1.90 -0.17 1.36 -0.05 0.95
Robinson Cano 9 0.19 1.30 0.04 1.34 0.77 0.75

Pitcher NERD Leaderboard
The idea with Pitcher NERD — as with the other NERDs — is to express with one number the likelihood that the learned fan might have interest in a certain player. This version of NERD considers all pitchers with at least 20 innings as a starter. (To read more about Pitcher NERD, click here.)

Name NERD xFIP SwStrk Strk Velo Luck Age KN
Zack Greinke 10 2.70 1.67 0.23 0.75 1.29 0.14 0.00
Clayton Kershaw 10 2.17 1.84 0.85 1.10 0.00 1.14 0.00
Roy Halladay 10 2.44 1.61 2.22 0.56 0.00 0.00 0.00
Michael Pineda 10 1.02 2.28 1.41 1.63 0.25 1.39 0.00
CC Sabathia 10 1.84 1.89 1.36 1.25 0.03 0.00 0.00
Cliff Lee 10 2.27 0.88 2.45 0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00
Madison Bumgarner 10 1.64 0.66 1.52 0.45 0.11 1.64 0.00
Brandon Morrow 10 0.98 1.95 0.50 1.25 1.49 0.39 0.00
Brandon Beachy 10 1.52 2.12 0.52 0.56 0.41 0.89 0.00
Justin Verlander 10 1.65 1.28 1.06 1.71 0.00 0.00 0.00
Cory Luebke 10 1.84 1.72 1.12 0.37 0.29 0.39 0.00
Cole Hamels 9 1.84 1.84 1.05 0.45 0.00 0.14 0.00
Matt Garza 9 1.38 1.72 0.88 1.21 0.26 0.14 0.00
Felix Hernandez 9 1.60 0.49 0.50 1.06 0.20 0.64 0.00
Jonathon Niese 9 1.37 0.16 1.25 0.03 1.14 0.89 0.00
David Price 9 1.38 0.38 0.29 1.63 0.11 0.64 0.00
Juan Nicasio 9 1.12 0.33 -0.12 1.36 0.73 0.89 0.00
Anibal Sanchez 9 1.50 1.61 0.68 0.48 0.44 0.14 0.00
R.A. Dickey 9 0.21 -0.07 1.52 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.75
Rubby De La Rosa 9 0.90 0.27 -1.38 2.09 0.17 1.39 0.00





 

Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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MauerPower
12 years ago

Am I the only one that doesn’t get NERD?

2
adohaj
12 years ago
Reply to  MauerPower

no

0