The Most Important Baseball Statistic!

Like the Edwin Starr song brought back to life by Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour – What is WAR good for? Why do many baseball statisticians hold this number as the holy grail when comparing baseball players. It may not be a statistic that yields the best prediction for fantasy baseball purposes – but the question remains, What is WAR?


Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is a summarization of a baseball player’s total contribution to their team in one statistic. WAR translates replacement value and shows the importance of one player in terms of wins for a specific player. Basically, it answers how many wins that player contributed to his team’s win total above and beyond what they would have gotten from a “replacement” player or someone they could have picked up off the wire for pennies on the dollar. WAR basically accumulates specifics from other advanced stats: like FIP, UZR and wOBA – all of which basically expressing a player’s contributions to the team in terms of runs prevented or runs added. After calculating the run measures, a positional adjustment is added in to account for the relative importance of different positions and a league adjustment to account for the relative strength of the American League — which has a higher run expectancy thanks to the DH, higher salaries and currently a greater concentration of talent.

For a position player, you then add their wRAA, UZR, positional adjustment, and replacement adjustment to get their Runs Above Replacement. Then you scale all those contributions to be expressed in terms of total team wins. The usual scale is that 10 runs is equal to one team win. So WAR is equal to RAR divided by 10.

Pretty confusing stuff right?!? All in all – it’s vital in comparing a player who is all smoke and mirrors to a guy who grinds it out day after day, truly helping a team accumulate wins throughout the season. Below is a chart that will blow your mind, which was provided via baseball-reference.com – As a basis of comparison: 0 – Replacement Level, 1-2 – Bench Player, 3-4 – Starter, 5-6 – All-Star, 7-8 MVP Status, 9-Beyond – Legendary … And Yes – Mike Trout had a legendary type season in 2012.

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Years #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
2012 Trout (10.7) Cano (8.2) Posey (7.2) McCutchen (7.0) Cabrera (6.9)
2011 Zobrist (8.5) Ellsbury (8.0) Kemp (7.8)
Pedroia (7.8)
Bautista (7.7)
Braun (7.7)
2010 Hamilton (8.4) Cano (7.8)
Longoria (7.8)
Beltre (7.4) Pujols (7.3)
2009 Pujols (9.4) Zobrist (8.3) Utley (8.0) Mauer (7.6) Figgins (7.5)
2008 Pujols (9.0) Utley (8.8) Teixeira (7.5) Markakis (7.1)
Jones (7.1)
2007 Rodriguez (9.2) Pujols (8.5) Wright (8.1) Utley (7.7) Jones (7.4)
2006 Pujols (8.2) Beltran (8.0) Utley (7.1) Sizemore (6.5) Wells (6.0)
2005 Rodriguez (9.1) Pujols (8.2) Lee (7.5) Utley (7.0)
Roberts (7.0)
Teixeira (7.0)
2004 Bonds (10.4) Beltre (9.3) Suzuki (9.0) Rolen (8.9) Pujols (8.3)
2003 Bonds (8.9) Pujols (8.4) Rodriguez (8.1) Giles (7.7) Sheffield (6.6)
Lopez (6.6)
2002 Bonds (11.6) Rodriguez (8.6) Thome (7.1) Kent (6.9) Guerrero (6.8)
Giambi (6.8)
2001 Bonds (11.6) Sosa (10.1) Giambi (8.8) Boone (8.5) Rodriguez (8.1)
2000 Rodriguez (10.1) Helton (8.6) Erstad (8.2) Jones (8.0) Bonds (7.5)
Glaus (7.5)
1999 Jeter (7.8) Bagwell (7.2) Alomar (7.1) Ramirez (7.0) Jones (6.8)
1998 Rodriguez (8.3) Bonds (7.9) Olerud (7.3)
Jeter (7.3)
McGwire (7.2)
1997 Walker (9.6) Biggio (9.3) Griffey (8.9) Piazza (8.5) Bonds (8.0)
1996 Griffey (9.5) Bonds (9.4) Rodriguez (9.2) Knoblauch (8.4) Gilkey (7.8)
1995 Valentin (8.1) Bonds (7.3) Martinez (6.7) Belle (6.6) Sanders (6.4)
Knoblauch (6.4)
1994 Bagwell (7.9) Lofton (7.1) Griffey (6.7) Thomas (6.2) Bonds (6.0)
1993 Bonds (9.7) Griffey (8.5) Olerud (7.4) Lofton (7.3) Piazza (6.8)
1992 Bonds (8.9) Sandberg (7.6) Puckett (6.8) Daulton (6.7)
Thomas (6.7)
1991 Ripken (11.3) Bonds (7.6) Griffey (6.9) Sandberg (6.8)
Thomas (6.8)
1990 Henderson (9.8) Bonds (9.5) Dykstra (8.8) Ripken (7.3) Sandberg (6.9)
1989 Smith (8.7) Clark (8.5) Henderson (8.4) Boggs (8.3) Bonds (7.8)
1988 Boggs (8.2) Puckett (7.6) Greenwell (7.3) Canseco (7.1) Larkin (6.8)
1987 Gwynn (8.3) Boggs (8.2) Trammell (8.0) Davis (7.7) Murphy (7.4)
1986 Boggs (7.9) Barfield (7.3) Mattingly (7.1) Ripken (6.4)
Gwynn (6.4)
1985 Henderson (9.8) Boggs (9.0) Brett (8.1) McGee (7.9) Guerrero (7.6)
1984 Ripken (9.8) Sandberg (8.4) Carter (7.2) Moseby (7.0) Murray (6.8)
1983 Ripken (8.0) Boggs (7.6) Thon (7.2) Yount (7.0) Carter (6.8)
Murphy (6.8)
1982 Yount (10.4) Carter (8.3) Dawson (7.7) DeCinces (7.3) Schmidt (7.1)
1981 Schmidt (7.5) Dawson (7.3) Henderson (6.6)
Evans (6.6)
Bell (6.0)
1980 Brett (9.3) Henderson (8.7) Schmidt (8.6) Wilson (8.3) Yount (7.0)
1979 Lynn (8.6) Brett (8.4) Winfield (8.1) Schmidt (7.6) Hernandez (7.4)
Porter (7.4)
1978 Rice (7.4) Otis (7.1) Parker (6.9) DeCinces (6.5) Schmidt (6.0)
1977 Carew (9.5) Schmidt (8.7) Foster (8.2) Brett (7.4) Parker (7.2)
1976 Morgan (9.5) Schmidt (7.9) Nettles (7.6) Brett (7.2) Rose (7.0)
1975 Morgan (10.8) Carew (7.5) Schmidt (7.4) Lynn (7.1) Grich (7.0)
1974 Schmidt (9.5) Morgan (8.4) Bench (7.7) Wynn (7.6) Carew (7.2)
1973 Morgan (9.1) Evans (8.9) Rose (8.2) Grich (8.0) Bonds (7.7)
1972 Morgan (9.3) Bench (8.5) Allen (8.1) Cedeno (7.9) Murcer (7.8)
1971 Stargell (7.6) Nettles (7.4) Clemente (6.9)
Aaron (6.9)
White (6.5)
1970 Yastrzemski (9.3) Fregosi (7.5) Harper (7.2) Bench (7.1) Perez (6.8)
1969 Petrocelli (9.5) Jackson (8.8) Aaron (8.0) Bando (7.9)
McCovey (7.9)
1968 Yastrzemski (10.0) Clemente (8.0) Robinson (7.9) McCovey (6.9) Aaron (6.7)
1967 Yastrzemski (12.0) Santo (9.6) Clemente (8.7) Aaron (8.4) Robinson (7.3)
1966 Mays (8.8) Santo (8.7) Clemente (8.1) Aaron (7.6) Robinson (7.3)
Allen (7.3)
1965 Mays (10.9) Aaron (7.5) Williams (7.4) Santo (7.3) Versalles (7.1)
1964 Mays (10.7) Santo (8.6) Allen (8.5) Davis (7.9) Robinson (7.8)
1963 Mays (10.2) Aaron (8.8) Callison (7.7) Mathews (7.6) Allison (7.2)
1962 Mays (10.2) Robinson (8.4) Aaron (8.1) Robinson (5.8)
Wills (5.8)
1961 Mantle (10.2) Aaron (9.1) Cash (8.9) Mays (8.4) Kaline (8.2)
1960 Mays (9.2) Aaron (7.7) Banks (7.5) Maris (7.3) Mathews (7.0)
1959 Banks (9.9) Aaron (8.4) Mathews (8.0) Mays (7.4) Boyer (7.1)
1958 Mays (10.0) Banks (9.2) Mantle (8.4) Aaron (7.0)
Ashburn (7.0)
1957 Mantle (11.1) Williams (9.5) Mays (8.0) Aaron (7.7)
Fox (7.7)
1956 Mantle (11.0) Snider (7.3) Mays (7.2) Aaron (6.8) Kaline (6.4)
1955 Mantle (9.2) Mays (8.8) Snider (8.4) Kaline (8.0) Banks (7.8)
1954 Mays (10.3) Snider (8.2) Minoso (8.0) Kluszewski (7.7) Mathews (7.6)
1953 Rosen (9.8) Snider (9.1) Mathews (8.0) Musial (7.5) Campanella (6.8)
1952 Robinson (8.1) Musial (7.8) Doby (6.8) Hemus (6.6) Mantle (6.3)
1951 Robinson (9.3) Musial (8.7) Kiner (7.7) Williams (7.1) Irvin (6.6)
1950 Stanky (7.8) Robinson (7.1) Musial (6.9) Rizzuto (6.6) Doby (6.5)
1949 Robinson (9.3) Williams (9.1) Musial (8.9) Kiner (7.7) Reese (6.8)
Joost (6.8)
1948 Musial (10.8) Boudreau (10.2) Williams (8.4) DiMaggio (6.8) Gordon (6.4)
1947 Williams (9.6) Kiner (8.1) Boudreau (7.2) Mize (6.8) Gordon (6.7)
1946 Williams (10.7) Musial (8.4) Pesky (6.4) Greenberg (6.3) Mize (6.2)
1945 Stirnweiss (8.2) Holmes (8.0) Lake (6.3) Hack (6.1) Cavarretta (5.9)
1944 Musial (8.8) Stirnweiss (8.1) Boudreau (7.5) McCormick (6.0) Galan (5.9)
Nicholson (5.9)
1943 Musial (9.3) Boudreau (7.4) Appling (7.0) Nicholson (6.8) Gordon (6.2)
Keller (6.2)
1942 Williams (10.2) Gordon (7.8) Keller (6.2) Ott (6.1)
Slaughter (6.1)
1941 Williams (10.1) DiMaggio (8.6) Reiser (7.4) Camilli (6.7) Keller (6.2)
1940 Mize (7.3) DiMaggio (6.8) Greenberg (6.7) Vaughan (6.3) Williams (6.0)
1939 DiMaggio (7.9) Mize (7.6) Foxx (6.8) Williams (6.6) Johnson (6.3)
1938 Ott (8.5) Vaughan (8.2) Foxx (7.5) Greenberg (6.9) Mize (6.5)
1937 Medwick (8.1) DiMaggio (8.0) Greenberg (7.5)
Gehrig (7.5)
Gehringer (7.3)
1936 Gehrig (9.0) Ott (7.4) Gehringer (7.3) Vaughan (7.2) Appling (6.8)
1935 Vaughan (9.1) Gehrig (8.3) Foxx (8.0) Gehringer (7.6) Greenberg (7.4)
1934 Gehrig (10.1) Foxx (8.6) Gehringer (8.1) Ott (7.1) Averill (6.5)
Vaughan (6.5)
1933 Foxx (9.0) Klein (7.3) Cronin (7.1) Gehringer (7.0) Gehrig (6.7)
Vaughan (6.7)
1932 Foxx (10.2) Ruth (8.1) Gehrig (7.6)
Ott (7.6)
Terry (6.9)
1931 Ruth (10.0) Gehrig (8.6) Simmons (7.2) Cronin (6.4) Terry (5.9)
1930 Ruth (10.0) Gehrig (9.2) Cronin (8.0) Terry (7.5) Simmons (7.4)
1929 Hornsby (10.3) Ruth (7.6) Simmons (7.5) Foxx (7.4)
O’Doul (7.4)
1928 Ruth (9.8) Gehrig (9.0) Hornsby (8.7) Goslin (7.2) Manush (6.9)
1927 Ruth (12.1) Gehrig (11.5) Hornsby (9.9) Frisch (9.1) Heilmann (6.8)
Waner (6.8)
1926 Ruth (11.1) Gehrig (6.4)
Goslin (6.4)
Mostil (6.0) Sewell (5.5)
1925 Hornsby (10.1) Cuyler (6.6) Heilmann (6.5) Simmons (6.2)
Speaker (6.2)
1924 Hornsby (12.0) Ruth (11.4) Frisch (7.4) Wheat (6.6) Fournier (6.2)
1923 Ruth (13.7) Heilmann (8.9) Speaker (8.7) Williams (7.2) Sewell (7.1)
1922 Hornsby (10.0) Sisler (8.3) Williams (7.5) Speaker (6.5) Cobb (6.3)
1921 Ruth (12.6) Hornsby (10.6) Bancroft (7.2) Frisch (6.8) Heilmann (6.5)
1920 Ruth (11.6) Sisler (9.6) Hornsby (9.4) Speaker (8.2) Collins (7.7)
1919 Ruth (9.7) Hornsby (6.4)
Veach (6.4)
Peckinpaugh (6.1) Sisler (5.9)
1918 Sisler (6.6) Cobb (6.4) Burns (5.6) Ruth (5.5) Hornsby (5.2)
Speaker (5.2)
1917 Cobb (11.1) Hornsby (9.7) Chapman (7.5) Speaker (7.4) Fletcher (7.2)
1916 Speaker (8.4) Cobb (7.8) Collins (6.8) Jackson (6.7) Fletcher (6.1)
1915 Cobb (9.3) Collins (9.1) Speaker (6.8) Kauff (6.7) Cravath (6.6)
1914 Speaker (9.5) Collins (8.6) Kauff (7.8) Baker (6.8) Burns (6.3)
1913 Collins (8.8) Speaker (8.1) Baker (7.7) Jackson (7.4) Cobb (7.1)
1912 Speaker (9.8) Jackson (9.3) Baker (9.0) Cobb (8.9) Collins (8.5)
1911 Cobb (10.6) Jackson (9.0) Collins (6.4) Baker (6.3)
Wagner (6.3)
1910 Collins (10.1)
Cobb (10.1)
Lajoie (9.4) Speaker (7.3) Magee (6.5)
1909 Cobb (9.5) Collins (9.4) Wagner (9.0) Bush (6.2) Lajoie (6.1)
1908 Wagner (11.3) Lajoie (7.6) Tinker (7.5) Wallace (6.0) Donlin (5.8)
McIntyre (5.8)
Cobb (5.8)
1907 Wagner (8.7) Lajoie (7.3) Magee (6.7) Cobb (6.6) Crawford (5.8)
1906 Lajoie (9.8) Turner (9.2) Wagner (9.1) Stone (8.5) Devlin (7.7)
1905 Wagner (10.0) Seymour (7.8) Davis (6.9) Donlin (6.5) Davis (5.6)
1904 Lajoie (8.3) Wagner (8.1) Davis (6.7) Bradley (6.2) Flick (6.1)
1903 Lajoie (7.6) Wagner (7.4) Sheckard (6.9) Bradley (6.8) Parent (6.1)
1902 Wagner (6.9) Bradley (6.6)
Delahanty (6.6)
Davis (5.6) Leach (5.5)
1901 Lajoie (8.3) Wallace (7.3) Burkett (6.8) Wagner (6.7) Collins (6.6)
1900 Wagner (6.2) Flick (5.6) McGraw (5.0) Burkett (4.9) Selbach (4.7)
1899 McGraw (7.9) Delahanty (7.8) Williams (6.7) Burkett (5.6) Wagner (5.5)
Stahl (5.5)
1898 Jennings (7.3) McGraw (6.9) Collins (6.7) Delahanty (5.9) Dahlen (5.4)
1897 Jennings (7.1) Keeler (6.9) Davis (6.6) Clarke (6.3) Delahanty (5.4)
1896 Jennings (8.1) Delahanty (7.1) Dahlen (6.9) Kelley (6.8) Childs (6.0)
Joyce (6.0)
1895 Jennings (7.3) Delahanty (6.7) Hamilton (6.0) Thompson (5.8) Kelley (5.7)
1894 Hamilton (8.2) Duffy (6.7) Kelley (6.4) Delahanty (5.9) Davis (5.2)
Cross (5.2)
1893 Delahanty (6.7) Davis (5.5) Smith (5.1) Hamilton (4.9) Lyons (4.8)
1892 Brouthers (8.6) Childs (6.9) Connor (6.0)
Hamilton (6.0)
Dahlen (5.9)
1891 Hamilton (6.4) Connor (5.5) Latham (5.4) Brouthers (5.3) Tiernan (4.9)
1890 Glasscock (6.8) Childs (6.0) Connor (5.7) Collins (5.4) Pinkney (5.2)
1889 Glasscock (6.5) Anson (6.2) Brouthers (6.0) Tucker (5.6) Connor (5.3)
1888 Connor (7.1) Anson (6.5) Brouthers (6.4) Ryan (5.7) Stovey (5.1)
1887 O’Neill (6.6) Ward (6.5) Connor (6.1) Browning (5.7) Glasscock (5.2)
Thompson (5.2)
1886 Brouthers (8.0) Kelly (7.1) Connor (6.9)
Glasscock (6.9)
Richardson (6.9)
1885 Connor (8.0) Brouthers (5.1) Glasscock (4.9)
Browning (4.9)
Gore (4.8) Orr (4.7)
1884 Dunlap (7.7) Williamson (6.2) Sutton (6.1) Orr (5.6) Pfeffer (5.5)
1883 Brouthers (5.7) Farrell (5.1) Connor (4.7)
Bennett (4.7)
Ewing (4.6)
1882 Brouthers (5.8) Glasscock (4.7) Connor (4.3)
Anson (4.3)
Browning (4.3)
1881 Anson (5.7) Bennett (4.1) Dunlap (3.8) Williamson (3.1) Kelly (2.7)
Rowe (2.7)
1880 Anson (4.9) Gore (4.5) Hines (4.1) Dunlap (3.7) Irwin (3.4)
Clapp (3.4)
1879 Jones (4.4)
Hines (4.4)
Wright (4.3) Williamson (4.1)
Kelly (4.1)
1878 Shafer (3.4) Ferguson (3.0) Jones (2.6)
Hines (2.6)
Gerhardt (2.4)
1877 White (3.2) Start (2.5)
O’Rourke (2.5)
McVey (2.5)
Jones (2.4)
1876 Barnes (6.1) Anson (3.7) White (3.5) Battin (3.4) Peters (3.2)
1875 Barnes (5.8) McVey (5.2) White (4.9)
Wright (4.9)
Pike (4.5)
1874 McVey (3.1) Wright (2.9) Barnes (2.5)
Pearce (2.5)
Pike (2.4)
1873 Barnes (5.2) Wright (3.6) White (2.9) Force (2.4) Anson (2.1)
O’Rourke (2.1)
1872 Barnes (4.7) Wright (3.4) Eggler (3.2)
Force (3.2)
Hatfield (2.9)
1871 Barnes (2.1) Wood (1.8) McVey (1.7)
Meyerle (1.7)
Force (1.5)
142 Seasons 66 Players 96 Players 111 Players 110 Players 127 Players 127 Players 138 Players 130 Players 132 Players 135 Players
Most-Seasons as WAR Leader Babe Ruth-9
Willie Mays-8
Barry Bonds-6
Honus Wagner-5
Ty Cobb-5
Lou Gehrig-6
Hank Aaron-5
Barry Bonds-5
Ed Delahanty-4
Stan Musial-3
Roger Connor-6
Hank Aaron-3
Roberto Clemente-3
Deacon White-3
Rogers Hornsby-3
Hank Aaron-5
Tris Speaker-5
Frank Thomas-3
Mel Ott-2
Ted Williams-2
Barry Bonds-4
Joe Gordon-3
Ty Cobb-3
Lip Pike-2
Brooks Robinson-2
Frank Chance-4
Cap Anson-3
Eddie Mathews-3
Ken Boyer-2
Reggie Jackson-2
Frank Robinson-3
David Wright-2
Pee Wee Reese-2
Paul Waner-2
Charlie Bennett-2
Nomar Garciaparra-4
Nap Lajoie-2
Ross Youngs-2
Johnny Evers-2
Richie Ashburn-2
Hack Wilson-3
John McGraw-2
Dixie Walker-2
Mike Tiernan-2
Billy Williams-2
Mel Ott-3
Bobby Wallace-3
Willie Keeler-3
Harry Heilmann-2
Home Run Baker-2

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