Leaderboards of Pleasure – 9/12/11
Let the Leaderboards of Pleasure get all up in your nucleus accumbens.
Much like a perfectly orange and barely clothed Jim Palmer circa 1981, this edition of the Leaderboards of Pleasure wants nothing more than to hold you tight, tell you everything will be okay, and flood your brain with the neurotransmitter dopamine.
In our totally scientific and always rigorous search for pleasure, today we find a number of familiar faces, but also some new ones, too.
New ones like:
• Alejandro De Aza, who, after just 39 games and 116 plate appearances, already finds himself fourth among White Sock position players in WAR (and still fifth, if we discount his defensive contributions).
• Mike Trout, whose inclusion, so far as surprises go, isn’t one (i.e. a surprise).
• Jerome Williams, who, at 14.9%, has the highest swinging-strike rate (by a large-ish margin) of any pitcher with 20-plus innings as a starter.
Soak in the pleasure, ladies and gentlemen. (But mostly gentlemen, I’m guessing.)
1. Team NERD Leaderboard
2. Underrated Player Leaderboard
3. Player NERD Leaderboard
4. Pitcher NERD Leaderboard
Team NERD Leaderboard
Like the NERD scores you’ll find below, this one represents an attempt to anticipate the “watchability” of each team. The first iteration appears in a heartfelt love letter to America, which anyone is free to read here.
Please note that the “POFF” numbers (playoff-odds adjustments) are not included in the Team NERD scores you see below, but are instead the bonuses/penalties applied to the Game Scores for each respective team — a thing about which you can learn more by reading here.
| Teams | NERD | Age | BAT | HR/FB | Spd | BULL | UZR | Pay | Luck | POFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | 10 | 2.55 | 0.09 | -0.45 | 1.06 | -0.01 | 0.07 | 1.40 | 1.23 | 0 |
| Red Sox | 10 | 0.00 | 2.16 | 1.51 | 0.21 | 0.40 | 1.65 | 0.00 | 0.87 | 1 |
| Yankees | 10 | 0.00 | 2.08 | 1.65 | 1.40 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Diamondbacks | 9 | 0.47 | -0.11 | 0.71 | 0.89 | -0.01 | 2.18 | 0.97 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Rangers | 8 | 0.00 | 1.67 | 1.44 | 0.89 | -0.12 | 0.84 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 1 |
| Brewers | 8 | 0.00 | 0.59 | 0.81 | 0.05 | 1.48 | 0.41 | 0.18 | 1.07 | 0 |
| Marlins | 8 | 1.20 | -0.31 | 0.07 | -0.46 | 0.30 | -0.38 | 0.89 | 2.00 | 0 |
| Rays | 7 | 0.47 | 0.38 | 0.13 | 0.89 | -1.68 | 1.50 | 1.25 | 0.09 | 3 |
| Padres | 6 | 0.65 | -0.71 | -1.09 | 1.90 | -0.29 | 0.53 | 1.16 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Nationals | 6 | 0.20 | -0.58 | 0.96 | -0.12 | -0.19 | -0.39 | 0.72 | 2.00 | 0 |
| Blue Jays | 6 | 0.38 | 0.50 | 0.40 | 1.06 | -0.12 | -0.74 | 0.75 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Rockies | 6 | 0.11 | -0.16 | 0.45 | 0.55 | 1.17 | -0.19 | 0.12 | 0.30 | 0 |
| Angels | 5 | 0.00 | -0.09 | -0.02 | 0.38 | -0.43 | 1.22 | 0.00 | 0.60 | 4 |
| Pirates | 5 | 1.47 | -1.32 | -0.88 | 0.21 | -0.29 | -0.35 | 1.15 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Reds | 5 | 0.02 | 0.11 | 0.74 | -0.80 | -0.57 | 1.48 | 0.41 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Dodgers | 4 | 0.00 | -0.52 | -0.90 | 0.38 | 0.37 | 0.22 | 0.00 | 1.42 | 0 |
| Astros | 4 | 0.47 | -0.61 | -1.75 | 0.21 | 0.16 | -0.63 | 0.55 | 2.00 | 0 |
| Indians | 4 | 0.83 | -0.22 | 0.47 | -0.29 | -0.74 | -1.09 | 1.08 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Braves | 4 | 0.00 | -0.54 | 1.18 | -1.98 | 2.21 | -0.87 | 0.15 | 0.71 | 0 |
| Mets | 4 | 0.65 | 0.64 | -1.54 | 1.06 | -0.19 | -2.07 | 0.00 | 1.52 | 0 |
| Cubs | 4 | 0.00 | -0.58 | -0.03 | -0.12 | -0.40 | -0.50 | 0.00 | 1.90 | 0 |
| Phillies | 3 | 0.00 | 0.13 | 0.25 | 0.72 | -0.54 | -0.37 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 0.00 | 1.23 | 1.27 | -1.81 | 0.19 | -1.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2 |
| Giants | 3 | 0.00 | -1.93 | -1.38 | -1.31 | 1.41 | 0.54 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0 |
| Tigers | 2 | 0.11 | 1.06 | -0.04 | -0.97 | -1.20 | -0.22 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 |
| White Sox | 2 | 0.00 | -0.71 | -0.61 | -1.81 | 1.97 | -0.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Orioles | 2 | 0.38 | -0.16 | 0.42 | -1.31 | -0.01 | -1.70 | 0.19 | 0.45 | 0 |
| Athletics | 1 | 0.00 | -0.51 | -1.43 | 0.05 | -0.26 | -1.07 | 0.65 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Mariners | 0 | 0.00 | -1.68 | -1.19 | -0.12 | -0.78 | -0.11 | 0.16 | 0.85 | 0 |
| Twins | 0 | 1.01 | -1.46 | -1.13 | -0.80 | -2.62 | 0.30 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 |
Underrated Player Leaderboard
To determine the most underrated player, we look at each qualified player’s WAR relative to a very fake version of WAR (called FANT, in this case) constructed only by the five most common fantasy categories. (Read more here.)
| Name | Diff | WAR | FANT | Avg | HR | R | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brendan Ryan | 2.4 | 2.3 | -0.1 | -1.01 | -1.51 | -1.23 | -1.37 | 0.10 |
| Howie Kendrick | 2.4 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 0.65 | -0.06 | 0.55 | -0.58 | 0.19 |
| Alex Avila | 2.3 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 1.01 | 0.17 | -0.55 | 0.31 | -0.71 |
| Placido Polanco | 2.3 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.22 | -1.29 | -1.60 | -1.03 | -0.71 |
| Peter Bourjos | 2.2 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 0.11 | -0.62 | -0.19 | -1.37 | 0.74 |
| Yunel Escobar | 2.1 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 0.65 | -0.62 | 0.55 | -0.88 | -0.71 |
| Jamey Carroll | 2.1 | 1.8 | -0.3 | 0.54 | -1.85 | -1.35 | -2.61 | -0.08 |
| Kurt Suzuki | 2.0 | 2.1 | 0.1 | -1.12 | -0.39 | -1.11 | -1.27 | -0.80 |
| Evan Longoria | 2.0 | 4.7 | 2.7 | -1.12 | 0.95 | -0.12 | 0.85 | -0.80 |
| Omar Infante | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.15 | -1.29 | -1.23 | -1.17 | -0.62 |
| Shane Victorino | 1.9 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 0.83 | -0.06 | 1.23 | -0.43 | 0.74 |
| Alberto Callaspo | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.33 | -1.29 | -1.23 | -1.12 | -0.35 |
| John Buck | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 | -1.59 | -0.06 | -1.66 | -0.48 | -0.98 |
| Jhonny Peralta | 1.8 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 1.19 | 0.17 | -0.43 | 0.56 | -0.98 |
| Dustin Pedroia | 1.7 | 7.0 | 5.3 | 0.87 | 0.17 | 1.23 | 0.56 | 1.28 |
| Brett Gardner | 1.7 | 4.9 | 3.2 | -0.40 | -1.07 | 0.61 | -1.52 | 2.91 |
| Matt Wieters | 1.7 | 3.3 | 1.6 | -0.43 | 0.05 | -0.49 | -0.38 | -0.89 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 1.7 | 4.2 | 2.5 | -0.25 | -0.28 | 0.49 | -0.19 | -0.35 |
| Ben Zobrist | 1.6 | 5.7 | 4.1 | -0.04 | -0.17 | 1.17 | 0.65 | 0.46 |
| Dexter Fowler | 1.5 | 3.2 | 1.7 | -0.04 | -1.29 | 0.61 | -1.22 | -0.08 |
Player NERD Leaderboard
Very similar to Pitcher NERD (below), except for position players. This version of NERD considers all batters with at least 100 plate apperances. (Read more here.)
| Name | NERD | Age | WAR | xBABIP | HR/FB | Spd | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Lawrie | 10 | 1.84 | 3.66 | -0.60 | 1.75 | 1.89 | 0.15 |
| Alejandro De Aza | 10 | 0.43 | 3.16 | -0.48 | 1.15 | 2.09 | 0.09 |
| Mike Trout | 10 | 2.31 | 1.26 | 0.90 | 1.18 | 0.35 | 0.12 |
| Jacoby Ellsbury | 10 | 0.43 | 2.23 | -0.08 | 1.25 | 1.22 | 0.80 |
| Desmond Jennings | 10 | 1.14 | 1.36 | -0.27 | 1.68 | 1.83 | -0.18 |
| Ryan Braun | 10 | 0.43 | 1.94 | -0.20 | 1.39 | 1.37 | 0.53 |
| Ian Kinsler | 10 | 0.00 | 1.66 | 0.45 | 0.55 | 1.37 | 1.43 |
| Jose Constanza | 10 | 0.43 | 1.15 | 0.58 | 0.51 | 1.58 | 1.02 |
| Justin Upton | 10 | 1.37 | 1.92 | -0.46 | 1.20 | 1.06 | 0.07 |
| Shane Victorino | 10 | 0.00 | 2.07 | -0.32 | 0.13 | 1.99 | 1.28 |
| Curtis Granderson | 10 | 0.00 | 1.76 | 0.09 | 2.29 | 1.99 | -1.04 |
| Jose Reyes | 9 | 0.19 | 1.55 | 0.00 | -1.03 | 2.30 | 1.93 |
| Matt Kemp | 9 | 0.67 | 1.98 | -0.26 | 2.01 | 1.22 | -0.69 |
| Carlos Gonzalez | 9 | 0.90 | 1.17 | -0.35 | 2.04 | 1.17 | -0.11 |
| Jose Bautista | 9 | 0.00 | 2.40 | -0.31 | 2.52 | -0.17 | 0.30 |
| Albert Pujols | 9 | 0.00 | 1.26 | 0.23 | 1.82 | -0.17 | 1.60 |
| Troy Tulowitzki | 9 | 0.67 | 1.88 | -0.17 | 1.43 | -0.07 | 0.97 |
| Robinson Cano | 9 | 0.19 | 1.21 | 0.06 | 1.43 | 0.96 | 0.72 |
| Howie Kendrick | 9 | 0.43 | 1.84 | 0.13 | 1.43 | 1.01 | -0.28 |
| Mike Stanton | 9 | 1.84 | 1.12 | -0.18 | 2.87 | 0.19 | -1.41 |
Pitcher NERD Leaderboard
The idea with Pitcher NERD — as with the other NERDs — is to express with one number the likelihood that the learned fan might have interest in a certain player. This version of NERD considers all pitchers with at least 20 innings as a starter. (To read more about Pitcher NERD, click here.)
| Name | NERD | xFIP | SwStrk | Strk | Velo | Luck | Age | KN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Greinke | 10 | 2.58 | 1.68 | 0.38 | 0.74 | 1.42 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 10 | 2.09 | 1.79 | 0.82 | 1.08 | 0.00 | 1.15 | 0.00 |
| Roy Halladay | 10 | 2.42 | 1.57 | 2.08 | 0.55 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Michael Pineda | 10 | 1.00 | 2.23 | 1.38 | 1.62 | 0.25 | 1.40 | 0.00 |
| Madison Bumgarner | 10 | 1.66 | 0.63 | 1.45 | 0.47 | 0.26 | 1.65 | 0.00 |
| Brandon Morrow | 10 | 0.99 | 2.01 | 0.39 | 1.24 | 1.64 | 0.40 | 0.00 |
| CC Sabathia | 10 | 1.81 | 1.73 | 1.42 | 1.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Cliff Lee | 10 | 2.15 | 0.91 | 2.31 | 0.36 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Justin Verlander | 10 | 1.69 | 1.18 | 1.13 | 1.70 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Matt Garza | 9 | 1.41 | 1.62 | 0.76 | 1.20 | 0.32 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| David Price | 9 | 1.45 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 1.62 | 0.20 | 0.65 | 0.00 |
| Cory Luebke | 9 | 1.68 | 1.57 | 1.03 | 0.36 | 0.22 | 0.40 | 0.00 |
| Jonathon Niese | 9 | 1.35 | 0.14 | 1.22 | 0.02 | 1.14 | 0.90 | 0.00 |
| Cole Hamels | 9 | 1.74 | 1.62 | 1.05 | 0.44 | 0.00 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| Brandon Beachy | 9 | 1.36 | 1.95 | 0.41 | 0.51 | 0.04 | 0.90 | 0.00 |
| Felix Hernandez | 9 | 1.58 | 0.52 | 0.40 | 1.05 | 0.03 | 0.65 | 0.00 |
| Juan Nicasio | 9 | 1.10 | 0.30 | -0.12 | 1.35 | 0.73 | 0.90 | 0.00 |
| Anibal Sanchez | 9 | 1.45 | 1.57 | 0.68 | 0.47 | 0.44 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| Jerome Williams | 9 | 0.90 | 3.93 | 1.73 | 0.36 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Rubby De La Rosa | 9 | 0.89 | 0.25 | -1.37 | 2.08 | 0.17 | 1.40 | 0.00 |
This is not so much an endorsement of Alejandro De Aza as an indictment of the White Sox offense. Mark Buehrle ranks 13th in hitters WAR for the White Sox. Boston and NY each have 8 players with 2+ WAR offensively. The White Sox have 3.
There appear to be a number of ways to indict the White Sox offense.
The most insulting way to indict them? They have only 4.6 WAR more than the Twins.
My dopamine is coming from Wieters’ 8th homer in his last 90 PA. WOOHOO!
I saw De Aza play in AAA Charlotte earlier this summer. He is a fun player to watch. I bring no substantive, qualitative support, but he is an exciting player and its nice to see that recognized.
White Sox receive: Alex Rios
Blue Jays receive: Nothing
Verdict: The Blue Jays win.
Carson, it would be nice to see you somehow try to incorporate the watchability of a broadcast at a certain stadium (camera angles, announcers, capacity, etc.) and winning/losing streaks into the team nerd scores.