MLB Free Agents: I Welcome Our New Leader (Boards)

Earlier this week, boss of my job and heart, Dave Cameron, unveiled FanGraphs’ fancy new 2012 free agent leaderboards. And I, for one, am plum — nay! — banana excited about this no-doubt time-swallowing new feature.

I have already begun to tinker with the tool, and would like to share the following Tableau document, which not only features the members of the 2012 free agent class, but also some giggly-fun functions to make browsing their numbers all the more funxciting.

Join me on the other side of the jump. I promise more colors.

Oh, hello again. As I suggested, there is indeed a Tableau document on this side of the fold. But first let’s do the Nerd Thing and read the instruction manual first:

1) You may need to refresh the page if the javascript is not showing up.

2) Each green bar shows the player’s total WAR from 2009 through 2011.

3) Each orangeish line shows the player’s 2011 WAR — it’s on the same scale as the 3-year WAR, so we can actually see how much they added or subtracted in 2011.

4) The darkness of each green bar indicates how far their 2011 BABIP was from their 3-year BABIP. The scales are reversed in such a way that we can easily and conveniently assume: Darker green means better days coming; lighter green means 2011 may have been a touch lucky.

5) Note the positions boxe on the left and the IP slider on the bottom. These allow you to filter the players according to their positions (as played from 2009 through 2011) and innings totals from 2011. (Note: we have several free agents — Carlos Silva, Brandon Webb, et al. who pitched zero innings this year; I have included them as well.)

6) The color scales adjust with each new filter… uh… filterance?

7) I have thrown in a Bowser for good measure.

8) Enjoy!

NOTE: Yes, I know some of these guys have already signed deals and whatnot. But, frankly, it is — or at least I’m telling you it is — 2:36 in the morning and I’ve already spent upwards of eight hours toiling away at this — and I hate working for eight hours solid because eight is so damn hard to spell. Spoken: Ate. Spelled: E. I. That’s: eh, ih. G. H. T. Guh. Hhh. T. Eh-ihguhhhht. Eh-ihguhhhht hours. Sweet stun gravy, it’s time to go to bed.