FanPost

The brutality of Uggla (using wRC+)

The brutality of Uggla and his $13 million annual contract is best shown with my favorite new stat: Weight Runs Created Plus (wRC+).

Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) measures how a player’s wRC compares with league average. League average is 100, and every point above 100 is a percentage point above league average. For example, a 125 wRC+ means a player created 25% more runs than league average. Similarly, every point below 100 is a percentage point below league average, so a 80 wRC+ means a player created 20% fewer runs than league average. wRC+ is also park and league-adjusted, allowing one to to compare players who played in different years, parks, and leagues.

Chipper Jones, for example, is exactly what you would expect for $15 million a year. His wRC+ right now is 144. He is creating 44% MORE RUNS for our team than the AVERAGE player. And since by definition 50% of the National League is "below average"... that means that Chipper is dominating.

For comparison, the Top 5 in the National league are McCutchen (184), Votto (181), Braun (169), Holliday (164) and Wright (162). Chipper is 8th highest in the league, and he is 40 years old, for God's sake!

Uggla is the next highest paid position player for the Braves... so he should have a wRC+ of about 140 or so, right? 130 maybe? Uh... not even close.

Uggla's wRC+ right now is a measly 96. BELOW average. The big brute is creating 4% less runs for our Bravos than the AVERAGE national leaguer. Remember, the AVERAGE player probably only earns about $3.2 million a year. SO WHY ARE WE GIVING HIM THE OTHER $10 MILLION? For his fielding prowess? Ugh (literally).

Heywards wRC+ is 126, Freeman's is 122, and Prado's is 115. These guys are ALL creating about 20% more runs for our squad than the average national leaguer. Their COMBINED salaries? That's right: LESS THAN HALF of what we are stuck paying Uggla.

How about Andrelton Simmons? Here's a guy who we really DO pay for his glove. Even his wRC+ is 112. That's just about the same as Michael Bourn (114). Our only other position player is McCann, and despite his struggles this season, even his wRC+ is 103.

So every single one of our starting position players is ABOVE the league average... except one: Uggla.

We gave Uggla a break in 2011 when his wRC+ was a paltry 109... but 2012 has proven that we are throwing money down the drain.

We don't need starting pitching this offseason. If we want to compete, we need to find a way to DUMP THIS SALARY and move Prado back to 2B.

We found a way to get rid of KK and Lowe when they were killing us. There HAS to be a way to cut ties with Popeye the Failure Man.

This FanPost does not express the views or opinions of Battery Power.