We will say two issues about final season’s greatest participant within the American League West:
He was twice pretty much as good as his closest divisional competitor.
He gained’t play within the AL West this yr — or, for that matter, wherever else within the league.
Shohei Ohtani, the superhuman designated hitter/pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, was unanimously honored because the American League’s Most Useful Participant in 2023. He topped the league in house runs (44), on-base proportion (.412), and slugging common (.654), whereas additionally going 10-5 on the mound with a 3.14 earned run common.
My method for total base worth (OBV) assigns Ohtani a rating of plus-240. He reached 186 extra bases than the everyday batter would have attained in the identical variety of plate appearances, and he additionally allowed 54 fewer bases than the typical pitcher would have surrendered in the identical variety of innings. (Click here to learn more about OBV.)
How good is an OBV of plus-240? It ranks as the perfect for any main leaguer in 2023. The one different participant listed above 200 — or, for that matter, 170 — is Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves at 226.
Ohtani’s rating is nearly precisely twice the OBV for the runner-up within the AL West, Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers at 121. Two members of the Houston Astros, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, come subsequent with respective values of 113 and 112.
The unhealthy information for the Angels, in fact, is that Ohtani severed their relationship over the winter. He signed a long-term deal as a free agent with the crosstown Dodgers of the Nationwide League.
For those who look beneath, you’ll discover a pair of lists. The primary accommodates the AL West gamers who posted the most effective OBV scores in 2023, theoretically embuing them with substantial momentum for the 2024 season. The second is a reverse compilation of the gamers who recorded the bottom values, undoubtedly shaking their confidence as they put together for the yr forward.
The worst OBV within the division belongs to Kyle Muller, a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He went 1-5 with a 7.60 ERA in 77 innings, giving him a depressing 2023 OBV of minus-82.
Remember that a couple of gamers on each lists will be a part of Ohtani in having new employers within the coming yr. And verify again on Friday for my 2024 predictions for the AL West.
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1. Shohei Ohtani, Angels, OBV 240
2. Corey Seager, Rangers, OBV 121
3. Yordan Alvarez, Astros, OBV 113
4. Kyle Tucker, Astros, OBV 112
5. George Kirby, Mariners, OBV 71
6. Jose Altuve, Astros, OBV 69
7. Marcus Semien, Rangers, OBV 66
8. Julio Rodriguez, Mariners, OBV 62
9. Adolis Garcia, Rangers, OBV 60
10. Framber Valdez, Astros, OBV 56
10. J.P. Crawford, Mariners, OBV 56
1. Kyle Muller, Athletics, OBV -82
2. Martin Maldonado, Astros, OBV -62
3. Nick Allen, Athletics, OBV -60
4. Ken Waldichuk, Athletics, OBV -58
5. Kolten Wong, Mariners, OBV -49
6. Aledmys Diaz, Athletics, OBV -48
7. Jose Abreu, Astros, OBV -45
8. Tyler Anderson, Angels, OBV -41
9. Jordan Diaz, Athletics, OBV -38
10. Jose Suarez, Angels, OBV -36
10. Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics, OBV -36
