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In the world of modern baseball, stats and numbers have seemingly as much interest as wins and losses. One of the more intriguing statistical readings that has gained interest recently is the WAR or Wins Above Replacement stat. In short, the stat determines the number of wins a player adds to a team beyond what the average joe would provide, based on total contribution of offense, defense, baserunning, and pitching. In other words, this is the perfect stat for both the all-around superstars, and the scrappy, athletic, but not necessarily stat heavy player.

A quick rundown of the rankings from 2009 should be a better indication of how this statistic bears relevance:

Ben Zobrist: 8.6

Albert Pujols: 8.5

Joe Mauer: 8.1

Chase Utley: 7.6

Derek Jeter: 7.4

As an all-around player, Zobrist is an absolute steal for the Tampa Bay Rays. His $438k contract this season puts him in a perfect spot to beef up his numbers, maintain his WAR supremacy, and cash in on a lengthy sophomore contract. Pujols should be of no surprise to anyone. His incomparable consistency at the plate has been matched annually with strong defensive first base skills, and the most valuable of clutch hitting. Joe Mauer's recent long term signature to stay in his hometown state ensures the Minnesota Twins not only the best catcher in the game, but one of the most overall important players as well. Utley and Jeter have been mainstay leaders of their respective teams, though both are finding age creeping up quickly.

Zack Greinke: 9.4

Justin Verlander: 8.2

Tim Lincecum: 8.2

Roy Halladay: 7.3

Felix Hernandez: 6.9

None of these names should come as a surprise to the moderate baseball fan. These five pitchers are young, proven aces for their respective clubs. They all have two things in common, Wins, and Strikeouts. Grienke, Verlander, Halladay, and King Felix manned rotations on teams that fell out of relevance by July in the 2009 season. For them to have All-Star numbers, and remain as valuable and stat-consistent as they did shows their resilience. Verlander, Grienke, and Hernandez have been rewarded this offseason by organizations putting forth the effort and dollars to build around them. Halladay was granted his long-awaited trade to a National League power Philadelphia, and Lincecum headlines a young rotation that has already learned to win, and may very well grow into a top contender this season.

 

WAR statistics courtesy of fangraphs.com