Aug

Food For Thought: World Series WPA Leaders

Beyond The Box Score ran a great post today looking at the career leaders in Win Probability Added (WPA) in World Series play. The graphic up top (which you can click for a larger view) is the pitcher leaderboard, and you can click through the link to see the position players. At 2.40 WPA, Mariano Rivera has helped improved his team’s chances of winning in the Fall Classic more than any other player in the modern era (pitcher or hitter), dating back to Red Ruffing in the 30′s and 40′s. That 2.40 WPA came in only 36.1 career World Series innings too. For some perspective, Rivera had a 2.24 WPA in 60 IP last season. That’s how big he’s been in the postseason.

Mike Stanton (the lefty reliever, not the Marlins’ masher) is the only other recent pitcher to crack the top 12 leaderboard (1.59 WPA), Yankees or otherwise. He just barely made it too. Hideki Matsui (1.18 WPA) is the only recent player in the position players top 12, tied with Tim McCarver of all people. Godzilla only has 41 career plate appearances in the World Series, so he sure did a good job of making his contributions count. That list features the greatest Yankees of all-time basically, guys like Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson … all those guys make an appearance. Check out the post for more info, it’s pretty neat stuff.

Categories : Playoffs

15 Comments»

IRF says:

August 12, 2011 at 3:22 pm

No. Sorry. This is all wrong. Mariano Rivera really isn’t good. He’s blown saves in the post season, and he the Yankees haven’t won the WS every year since he became closer.

Artie DeVanzo says:

August 12, 2011 at 3:31 pm

yeah i would take Armando Benitez any day over this Rivera character

Reply
Joe says:

August 12, 2011 at 3:53 pm

What the he’ll are you talking about! Foolish! I could go on and explain why you’re brain dead, but I’ll let MR”s stats do the talking.

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- Sayid J. says:
  
  August 12, 2011 at 4:23 pm
  
  Sarcasm meter adjustments?
  
  Reply

Justin says:

August 12, 2011 at 3:37 pm

I would be insulted to be tied with Tim McCarver for anything.

Mike Axisa says:

August 12, 2011 at 3:40 pm

Bank account size?

Reply

UncleArgyle says:

August 12, 2011 at 3:52 pm

At 2.40 WPA, Mariano Rivera has helped improved his team’s chances of winning in the Fall Classic more than any other player in the modern era (pitcher or hitter), dating back to Red Ruffing in the 30?s and 40?s. That 2.40 WPA came in only 36.1 career World Series innings too. For some perspective, Rivera had a 2.24 WPA in 60 IP last season. That’s how big he’s been in the postseason.

You sure about that? ESPN’s David Schoenfield had this to say yesterday on Twitter:

dschoenfield David Schoenfield
Of course Mo’s postseason numbers are great. Yankees won most of the series in sweeps or 4-1 though. Wasn’t a difference-maker, except ’96.

So who’s right? The research company, or the ESPN talking head who’s too lazy at this point in his career to do research?

Donna L says:

August 12, 2011 at 4:16 pm

I guess Schoenfield didn’t watch the 2003 ALCS.

And didn’t Mo win the World Series MVP in 1999 against the Braves? Yes, it was a sweep, but maybe he had something to do with that?

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- Owen Two says:
  
  August 12, 2011 at 4:35 pm
  
  Yes, it was a sweep, but maybe he had something to do with that?
  
  Good point. Just because a Series is lop-sided doesn’t mean all the games were blowouts.
  
  Reply
bexarama says:

August 12, 2011 at 4:45 pm

Schoenfield was blatantly obviously trolling about Mariano yesterday. Like, laughably obviously.

Do the Yankees probably win in like 1998 without Mariano? There’s no way to tell for sure, but it’s likely. But he’s been tremendous in the postseason/World Series, even as “just” a relief pitcher.

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- UncleArgyle says:
  
  August 12, 2011 at 4:58 pm
  
  Yeah, I thought Schoenfield was really out of line yesterday. He gets paid to talk intelligently about baseball, not to say stupid shit to piss people off.
  
  Reply
  - CP says:
    
    August 12, 2011 at 5:17 pm
    
    Technically, he gets paid to generate page-views or readers or viewers (depending on the medium).
    
    Reply