MLB franchises have come to understand that Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, is the best and most comprehensive way to assess a player’s contribution to his team in comparison with a replacement-level ballplayer.
The stat combines offensive, defensive, and baserunning contributions for position players.
A player with a high WAR total is usually one who helps his team at the plate, on the field, and on the basepaths.
The Houston Astros, one of the modern franchises in MLB when it comes to analytics and player development, have had some of the leading WAR producers in the league in recent years.
One of those stars is Alex Bregman.
A Star Looking To Rebound In 2022
The third baseman may have had a modest 2021 for his standards, but he remains a highly talented player, and the numbers back that up.
The MLB Metrics Twitter account uploaded a post on Thursday afternoon with the best WAR performers in baseball in the last four years.
Bregman was in the thick of things.
“Players who have a higher WAR than Alex Bregman in the last 4 years (20.1) – Mike Trout – Mookie Betts – Marcus Semien. That’s it,” they tweeted.
Players who have a higher WAR than Alex Bregman in the last 4 years (20.1)
– Mike Trout
– Mookie Betts
– Marcus SemienThat’s it. pic.twitter.com/lbllScoOru
— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) March 24, 2022
When asked to name the top four WAR performers in the last four seasons, most MLB fans will likely hit Trout and Betts, but Semien and Bregman are trickier names: not everybody is aware that they are true stars.
Bregman slashed .270/.355/.422 in a 2021 season in which he had to deal with lots of injuries.
But let’s not forget this is a guy who posted a .296/.423/.592 line with 41 home runs, 122 runs, and 112 RBI two seasons ago.
Yes, it was with the “bouncy” ball, but everyone else in the league had it too.
Besides, he has hit .281/.377/.507 for his career, which is extremely solid if we consider he is a very good defensive third baseman.
All things considered, Bregman is a top player and will look to rebound in 2022.
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