SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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As I did last year, I’m going to make monthly posts giving the American and National League leaders in my two favorite baseball statistics: runs produced and bases produced. Runs produced are runs scored + runs batted in minus home runs so you don’t count them twice, (because a home run is the same run being batted in and also scored by the same person). Bases produced is total batting bases, (one for a single, two for a double, three for a triple and four for a home run) plus walks plus steals. I like these numbers because they are simple to compute and understand and produce a number the meaning of which can be easily comprehended. You can sit in the stands, watch a play and figure out how many runs or bases that player has now produced and know where he is in the standings. I prefer gross numbers because they are things that actually happened and you don’t know if rates of production would have been maintained. But if you want a rate I suggest per game, since the players we are comparing will all tend to be starters who will normally play the entire game. A superior offensive player will tend to produce an average of about 3 bases and 1 run per game. Again, easy to understand and comprehend. I’ll rank the players based on gross numbers and record their per-game averages as well.
FINAL
American League
Runs Produced
Mike Trout, Angels 190 in 157 games (1.21)
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers 185 in 159 games (1.16)
Ian Kinsler, Tigers 175 in 161 games (1.09)
Michael Brantley, Indians 171 in 159 games (1.08)
Jose Bautista, Blue Jays 169 in 155 games (1.09)
Yoenis Cespedes A’s/Red Sox 167 in 152 games (1.10)
Albert Pujols, Angels 166 in 159 games (1.04)
Josh Donaldson, Athletics 162 in 158 games (1.03)
Brian Dozier, Twins 160 in 156 games (1.03)
Victor Martinez, Tigers 158 in 151 games (1.05)
Bases Produced
Mike Trout, Angels 437 in 157 games (2.78)
Jose Bautista, Blue Jays 400 in 155 games (2.58)
Jose Altuve, Astros 391 in 158 games (2.47)
Victor Martinez, Tigers 390 in 151 games (2.58)
Michael Brantley, Indians 384 in 159 games (2.42)
Nelson Cruz, Orioles 381 in 159 games (2.40) 678 plate appearances
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers 381 in 159 games (2.40) 685 plate appearances
Jose Abreu, White Sox 377 in 145 games (2.60)
Josh Donaldson, Athletics 361 in 158 games (2.28)
Brian Dozier, Twins 359 in 156 games (2.30)
National League
Runs Produced
Anthony Rendon, Nationals 172 in 153 games (1.12)
Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers 172 in 159 games (1.08)
Hunter Pence, Giants 160 in 162 games (0.99)
Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins 157 in 145 games (1.08)
Matt Holiday, Cardinals 153 in 156 games (0.98)
Freddie Freeman, Braves 153 in 162 games (0.94)
Jayson Werth, Nationals 151 in 147 games (1.03)
Matt Carpenter, Cardinals 150 in 158 games (0.95)
Andrew McCutcheon, Pirates 147 in 146 games (1.01)
Yasiel Puig, Dodgers 145 in 148 games (0.98) 640 plate appearances
Carlos Gomez, Brewers 145 in 148 games (0.98) 644 plate appearances
Bases Produced
Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins 406 in 145 games (2.80)
Andrew McCutcheon, Pirates 399 in 146 games (2.73)
Freddie Freeman Braves 373 in 162 games (2.30)
Anthony Rendon, Nationals 365 in 153 games (2.39)
Carlos Gomez, Brewers 355 in 148 games (2.40)
Anthony Rizzo, Cubs 354 in 140 games (2.53)
Hunter Pence, Giants 354 in 162 games (2.19)
Jayson Werth, Redskins 346 in 147 games (2.35)
Yasiel Puig, Dodgers 346 in 148 games (2.34)
Justin Upton, Braves 346 in 154 games (2.25)
Comments: This was a year when baseball came back to normal, ‘normal’ being the stats you’d expect in what I call baseball’s “neutral” period, from 1970’s when the game was fully integrated, playing in mostly suburban ballparks with regular dimensions, Ford Frick’s fiddling with the mound and strike zone had been cancelled by Bowie Kuhn but use of PEDs was at least limited compared to now and the ball was not juiced, (which I’m convinced the owners did in 1994 to maintain interest through the strike they created). Nelson Cruz led the majors with a modest, non-historical 40 home runs. Adrian Gonzalez led with only 116 RBIs and Mike Trout led with 115 runs scored. Trout has assumed the thrown of the best player in baseball, with Miguel Cabrera fading a bit. He hit .287 with 36 home runs, 111 RBIs and 115 runs scored. That’s a good year but in the last two decades, that’s pedestrian year for a star player. In 2009 Jason Bay hit .267 with 36 home runs 199 RBIs and 103 runs scored for the Red Sox. When was Jason Bay ever the player Mike Trout is?
I also can’t get over the number of new names we’ve had to get used to. How many of the above players had you heard of at the beginning of the decade? Usually the turning of pages in baseball is a slow, steady process with new guys coming up and gold guys fading as a predicable rate. But this decade has been kind of an etch-a-sketch. It will be year before we come to appreciate most of these guys the way we have the stars of the past. Right now, we just don’t know what we’re looking at.
FINAL
American League
Runs Produced
Mike Trout, Angels 190 in 157 games (1.21)
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers 185 in 159 games (1.16)
Ian Kinsler, Tigers 175 in 161 games (1.09)
Michael Brantley, Indians 171 in 159 games (1.08)
Jose Bautista, Blue Jays 169 in 155 games (1.09)
Yoenis Cespedes A’s/Red Sox 167 in 152 games (1.10)
Albert Pujols, Angels 166 in 159 games (1.04)
Josh Donaldson, Athletics 162 in 158 games (1.03)
Brian Dozier, Twins 160 in 156 games (1.03)
Victor Martinez, Tigers 158 in 151 games (1.05)
Bases Produced
Mike Trout, Angels 437 in 157 games (2.78)
Jose Bautista, Blue Jays 400 in 155 games (2.58)
Jose Altuve, Astros 391 in 158 games (2.47)
Victor Martinez, Tigers 390 in 151 games (2.58)
Michael Brantley, Indians 384 in 159 games (2.42)
Nelson Cruz, Orioles 381 in 159 games (2.40) 678 plate appearances
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers 381 in 159 games (2.40) 685 plate appearances
Jose Abreu, White Sox 377 in 145 games (2.60)
Josh Donaldson, Athletics 361 in 158 games (2.28)
Brian Dozier, Twins 359 in 156 games (2.30)
National League
Runs Produced
Anthony Rendon, Nationals 172 in 153 games (1.12)
Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers 172 in 159 games (1.08)
Hunter Pence, Giants 160 in 162 games (0.99)
Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins 157 in 145 games (1.08)
Matt Holiday, Cardinals 153 in 156 games (0.98)
Freddie Freeman, Braves 153 in 162 games (0.94)
Jayson Werth, Nationals 151 in 147 games (1.03)
Matt Carpenter, Cardinals 150 in 158 games (0.95)
Andrew McCutcheon, Pirates 147 in 146 games (1.01)
Yasiel Puig, Dodgers 145 in 148 games (0.98) 640 plate appearances
Carlos Gomez, Brewers 145 in 148 games (0.98) 644 plate appearances
Bases Produced
Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins 406 in 145 games (2.80)
Andrew McCutcheon, Pirates 399 in 146 games (2.73)
Freddie Freeman Braves 373 in 162 games (2.30)
Anthony Rendon, Nationals 365 in 153 games (2.39)
Carlos Gomez, Brewers 355 in 148 games (2.40)
Anthony Rizzo, Cubs 354 in 140 games (2.53)
Hunter Pence, Giants 354 in 162 games (2.19)
Jayson Werth, Redskins 346 in 147 games (2.35)
Yasiel Puig, Dodgers 346 in 148 games (2.34)
Justin Upton, Braves 346 in 154 games (2.25)
Comments: This was a year when baseball came back to normal, ‘normal’ being the stats you’d expect in what I call baseball’s “neutral” period, from 1970’s when the game was fully integrated, playing in mostly suburban ballparks with regular dimensions, Ford Frick’s fiddling with the mound and strike zone had been cancelled by Bowie Kuhn but use of PEDs was at least limited compared to now and the ball was not juiced, (which I’m convinced the owners did in 1994 to maintain interest through the strike they created). Nelson Cruz led the majors with a modest, non-historical 40 home runs. Adrian Gonzalez led with only 116 RBIs and Mike Trout led with 115 runs scored. Trout has assumed the thrown of the best player in baseball, with Miguel Cabrera fading a bit. He hit .287 with 36 home runs, 111 RBIs and 115 runs scored. That’s a good year but in the last two decades, that’s pedestrian year for a star player. In 2009 Jason Bay hit .267 with 36 home runs 199 RBIs and 103 runs scored for the Red Sox. When was Jason Bay ever the player Mike Trout is?
I also can’t get over the number of new names we’ve had to get used to. How many of the above players had you heard of at the beginning of the decade? Usually the turning of pages in baseball is a slow, steady process with new guys coming up and gold guys fading as a predicable rate. But this decade has been kind of an etch-a-sketch. It will be year before we come to appreciate most of these guys the way we have the stars of the past. Right now, we just don’t know what we’re looking at.
