We’ve hit the halfway point of the Baseball 100, my countdown of the best players during the most recent season.
Today’s installment of my 10-part series runs from 60th place down to 51st, as determined by statistical performances in 2024. Five more stories are coming, culminating in the list of the top 10 on February 14.
I’m repeating the next nine paragraphs in all 10 stories, simply to make sure that everybody knows what’s going on. If you’re up to speed, you can skip to the profiles below.
The rankings within the Baseball 100 are determined by 2024’s overall base values (OBV), which measure the relative effectiveness of batters and pitchers.
A positive OBV indicates one of two things:
A particular batter reached more bases than the average big leaguer would have attained under identical circumstances.
A given pitcher surrendered fewer bases than his typical counterpart would have yielded under the same conditions.
Click here if you want to know more about the formulas and calculations. (Be aware that OBV is slightly different from the BV described in the link. The initial sign for a pitcher’s BV is reversed for his OBV. A negative sign is better for a pitcher’s BV, but a positive sign is ideal for an OBV, which is what we’re using here.)
The player with the highest OBV — whether a hitter or pitcher — is deemed to be the best overall player. The rankings proceed downward in order.
If two or more players are tied with identical OBVs, I break the tie by matching their ratios of bases per out (BPO) against 2024’s big-league average of .675. BPO is exactly what it sounds like, a comparison of bases reached or yielded (through hits, walks, hit batters, stolen bases, and sacrifices) against outs made or induced.
Preference within a tie is given to the player who surpassed the BPO norm by the greatest amount, either above .675 for a batter or below the same mark for a pitcher.
Each player in the Baseball 100 is listed with his rank, club, primary position (the one he played more than any other in 2024), BPO or BPO allowed (BPOA), the numbers of bases and outs involved, and OBV.
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Club: Guardians
Primary position: P
BPOA: .442 (on 100 bases and 226 outs)
OBV: +53
Bottom line: Smith enjoyed a remarkable rookie season. He worked 74 games out of Cleveland’s bullpen, primarily in the sixth or seventh inning. Opponents hit just .190 against him.
Club: Cubs
Primary position: LF
BPO: .796 (on 352 bases and 442 outs)
OBV: +54
Bottom line: Happ won his third consecutive Gold Glove in 2024. His on-base percentage of .341 was the second-best for any everyday player on the Cubs’ roster.
Club: Red Sox
Primary position: LF
BPO: .844 (on 276 bases and 327 outs)
OBV: +55
Bottom line: O’Neill’s only season in Boston was productive. He launched 31 home runs, the 10th-highest total in the American League. He joined the Orioles as a free agent in December.
Club: Giants
Primary position: P
BPOA: .498 (on 156 bases and 313 outs)
OBV: +55
Bottom line: Snell’s short-term deal with San Francisco paid off. He posted a 5-0 record and 1.45 ERA after the All-Star break, which earned him a lucrative free-agent deal with the Dodgers.
Club: Marlins
Primary position: SS
BPO: .968 (on 181 bases and 187 outs)
OBV: +55
Bottom line: Edwards was a second-year man who burst into prominence during the final three months of the season. He hit .328 and stole 31 bases in 70 games with Miami.
Club: Orioles
Primary position: RF
BPO: .795 (on 373 bases and 469 outs)
OBV: +56
Bottom line: Santander reached triple digits in RBIs (102) for the first time in his eight-year career, while swatting a personal high of 44 homers. He then signed with Toronto as a free agent.
Club: Guardians
Primary position: P
BPOA: .421 (on 93 bases and 221 outs)
OBV: +56
Bottom line: Here’s another representative of Cleveland’s incredibly deep bullpen. Gaddis made 78 relief appearances — second-most in the AL — and posted a 1.57 ERA.
Club: Dodgers
Primary position: P
BPOA: .536 (on 218 bases and 407 outs)
OBV: +57
Bottom line: Glasnow went 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA during his first year in Los Angeles. He made 22 starts before elbow problems ended his season in mid-August.
Club: Twins
Primary position: SS
BPO: .926 (on 212 bases and 229 outs)
OBV: +57
Bottom line: Correa’s power numbers dipped last year — his 14 homers were his fewest in nine full seasons. But he batted a solid .310 and led Minnesota with a .388 on-base percentage.
Club: Nationals-Mariners
Primary position: CF
BPO: .979 (on 185 bases and 189 outs)
OBV: +57
Bottom line: Robles was two different players last year. He batted .120 in 14 games with Washington, which released him. He ignited to a .328 average after signing with Seattle.