NL West’s cold and warm gamers
4 min read
The Dodgers have constantly employed a majority of the excellent gamers within the Nationwide League’s Western Division.
That’s why Los Angeles has received the divisional title with such wonderful regularity — 9 instances up to now 10 years — and it’s additionally why I predicted on Tuesday that the Dodgers will take the crown once more in 2023.
I take advantage of OBV, general base worth, as my measure of excellence. A constructive quantity on the OBV scale signifies one in all two issues — a batter who reached extra bases than the standard hitter would have attained below the identical circumstances, or a pitcher who allowed fewer bases than his common counterpart would have surrendered below the identical circumstances.
Each of these outcomes, in fact, are extremely fascinating.
Solely 17 gamers within the division posted general base values of 40 or higher in 2022, stamping them because the Nationwide League West’s greatest performers. Ten of them have been on the Dodgers’ roster, together with the divisional chief, first baseman Freddie Freeman, who generated an impressive OBV of 139.
No different membership within the NL West got here shut. The San Francisco Giants landed three gamers among the many elite 17, the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres had two apiece, and the Colorado Rockies have been utterly unrepresented.
Scroll beneath for lists of the ten NL West gamers who completed 2022 with the most effective general base values (presumably giving them a head begin on the approaching season) and the ten who posted the worst OBVs (supposedly placing them a step or two behind everyone else).
You may get team-by-team breakdowns of OBV within the newly revealed Baseball’s Best (and Worst) 2023 Yearbook.
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Freeman made sure that his first season with the Dodgers can be one to recollect. He led the Nationwide League in runs scored (117), hits (199), doubles (47), and on-base share (.407).
Freeman additionally topped the NL West simply in OBV, reaching 139 bases greater than the standard hitter. The runner-up, San Diego third baseman Manny Machado, completed 35 bases behind, albeit with the comfort of being the one different competitor with a triple-digit rating (104).
Eight of the division’s high 10 gamers can be again in the identical uniforms this yr. The exception are a pair of free brokers who headed east. Pitcher Carlos Rodon switched from the Giants to the New York Yankees, and shortstop Trea Turner left the Dodgers for the Philadelphia Phillies.
One different level ought to be talked about. Proper fielder Juan Soto completed third within the Nationwide League final yr with an OBV of 111, trailing solely St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (159) and Freeman. However Soto break up his season between the Washington Nationals and the Padres, and solely the latter affiliation was eligible for this checklist.
Soto racked up an OBV of 24 with San Diego — not unhealthy for 2 months’ work, however inadequate to make the NL West’s high 10:
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1. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers, 139 OBV
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2. Manny Machado, Padres, 104
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3. Mookie Betts, Dodgers, 99
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4. Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks, 93
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5. Yu Darvish, Padres, 80
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6. Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers, 77
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6. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers, 77
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8. Julio Urias, Dodgers, 75
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8. Carlos Rodon, Giants, 75
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10. Trea Turner, Dodgers, 71
A whole rundown of 2022 stats — and a glance forward on the season to return
Keep in mind the shutout that Colorado suffered on the checklist of the NL West’s greatest gamers?
It confronted a distinct (although equally unlucky) destiny within the reverse rankings. Six of the division’s 10 worst general base values have been registered by members of the Rockies. (The opposite 4 tailenders all belonged to the Arizona Diamondbacks.)
The very worst rating was posted by beginning pitcher Chad Kuhl, who went 6-11 for Colorado with a mile-high ERA of 5.72. He yielded 78 extra bases than the standard pitcher would have surrendered in the identical whole of 137 innings. The Rockies consequently allowed Kuhl to depart to Washington as a free agent.
The unusual factor concerning the following checklist of the NL West’s 10 worst OBVs is that Kuhl is the one participant who’s switching golf equipment. Different divisions have generally seen three or 4 of their backside 10 gamers change employers (normally involuntarily) over the offseason. However the Nationwide League West apparently is the division with a coronary heart:
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1. Chad Kuhl, Rockies, -78 OBV
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2. Madison Bumgarner, Diamondbacks, -69
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3. Kyle Freeland, Rockies, -58
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4. German Marquez, Rockies, -52
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5. Geraldo Perdomo, Diamondbacks, -51
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6. Antonio Senzatela, Rockies, -47
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7. Alek Thomas, Diamondbacks, -38
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7. Ryan Feltner, Rockies, -38
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9. Austin Gomber, Rockies, -37
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10. Carson Kelly, Diamondbacks, -36
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