Short and simple. Using slash 12’s batted-ball-based xBABIP, updated by Jeff Zimmerman, I pulled together the 2012 xBABIPs for all players with more than 300 PAs. I’ve posted them below, sorted from ‘luckiest’ to ‘least lucky,’ and the full document is also here on a google spreadsheet for your use.
Enjoy!
Brian McCann was as consistent as they come until last season. At a generally weak position, McCann’s solid batting average and above-average power numbers led him to finish at the top of catcher rankings for six straight seasons. Owners expected more of the same in 2012. That streak of success came to a screeching halt last year. McCann still managed to hit 20 home runs, but his .230/.300/.399 batting line was easily the worst of his career. Near the midpoint of the season, it was revealed McCann had been dealing with an injured shoulder. The injury would linger the remainder of the season, causing McCann do receive cortisone shots just to stay in the lineup. At season’s end, he revealed that he would have surgery, possibly causing him to miss time early on next season. For the first time in his career, McCann carries a lot of risk.
For the regulars of RotoGraphs, you know that I covered the catchers all season and somewhere in the early goings of the second half, I finally put Buster Posey in the top tier, all by himself. Every other catcher to me was flawed in some way and for at least one way or another paled in comparison to the Giants backstop. Well, after looking at Zach Sanders’ Catcher End of Season Rankings and looking at Posey’s return value of $23, I would say that I was not wrong in my thinking. Posey is, indeed, a cut above the rest and is well-deserving of his number one ranking. Read the rest of this entry »
So as you all no doubt know by now, Josh Johnson was part of the trade of fantasy baseball proportions that is expected to be finalized at some point today. It’s time for JJ to start trading in his dollars for loonies and toonies and switch sides when debating whether to blame Canada. Let’s figure out how the move to the American League and now calling the Rogers Centre home will affect Johnson’s performance.
Torii Hunter is now back in the AL Central after spending the last 5 seasons with the Angels. The 38-year-old will provide needed support to a punch-less Tigers’lineup with the exceptions of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera. Mid-2012 season swing adjustments elevates his value higher than his projections.
While the rest of the baseball community tries to make heads or tails out of yesterday’s Marlins/Blue Jays trade, a deal that only furthers the belief that Jeffrey Loria is one of the worst in the business, I’ll stick with Zach Sanders’ Catcher End of Season Rankings and scroll on down to a personal favorite of mine, at number seven, Miguel Montero. If you’ve owned him at any point over the last four seasons, then you know how valuable he can be in fantasy and if you haven’t, then you’re about to be let in on one of the best kept secrets at the catcher position. Read the rest of this entry »
Despite apparent mutual interest in a return engagement at Target Field, Scott Baker has parted company with the Twins and will head six hours southeast on I-90/94 through the vast, untrodden wilds of Wisconsin to Wrigley Field after signing a one-year deal with the Cubs. The one-year part of the deal makes complete sense as Baker missed his last chance at a huge free agent deal because of Tommy John surgery in March of last year, but is Wrigley really the best place for him to recover his value? Additionally, is one year enough for Baker to get back to the pay scale he’s looking for?
In 2012, Ryan Doumit played in the most games in a season in his eight year professional career. That, right there, could be the beginning and the end to this post — because almost every snippet, write-up, and crystal ball-ism for Ryan Doumit headed into 2012 revolved around his inability to stay on the field. If he could find the at-bats, chances are he would be pretty useful. Surprisingly, he managed to stay (mostly) on the field, and he was unsurprisingly useful.
According to Zach Sanders’ mathematical genius, Doumit was the 10th ranked (qualified) catcher, with a value of $7, or to the Facebook generation, the price of promoting your post. For the Minnesota Twins, they got a 1.6 WAR performance which amounts to a tidy little bargain on what became a 3-year $10 million dollar deal after his June extension. And chances are, savvy owner, if you picked up Doumit for $3 bucks or around the 20th round where he projected, you found yourself an equally nice bargain at a notoriously fickle position.
Perhaps no player will benefit more from the Toronto-Miami mega-trade than Henderson Alvarez. Opinions are definitely mixed on the 22-year-old starter. Alvarez has shown impressive stuff, and an ability to pound the strike zone, but his lack of strikeouts have become a major issue. His 9.8 K% was the worst among qualified starters. But things got a bit rosier Tuesday night. With the move to Miami, Alvarez not only benefits by going to the National League, but also gets to leave the notoriously tough AL East. Is it enough to make him a fantasy sleeper next season?
Remember the excitement over Matt Wieters‘ debut only several years ago? The hype was so over the top, an entire website was created to list all of his “accomplishments” and “facts”. Now having logged 2,031 plate appearances with just a .327 career wOBA, it’s fair to say that Wieters has been a disappointment to many so far. He was also one for fantasy owners this season who hoped for that big breakout finally, but he earned just $10, ranking him 8th among catchers. Is this it or is the big breakout finally coming next season?