Seattle Mariners infielder Ty France has been one of MLB’s best hitters in 2022 so far.
In fact, in one particular stat, he has been even better than New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge, as hard to believe as it may sound.
To evaluate a player, we often use Wins Above Replacement, OPS, wRC+ (weighted Runs Created Plus), and the more traditional stats like average, OBP, slugging percentage, home runs, and stolen bases.
But Win Probability Added, or WPA, paints a pretty accurate picture about how much a player contributes to his team.
Only one man, Manny Machado, has been more impactful than France, according to MLB Stats.
Ty France has been one of the best hitters in baseball. pic.twitter.com/jfxkkfWsC8
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) June 7, 2022
France Has Been Extremely Influential For The Mariners
According to the league’s official site, “WPA quantifies the percent change in a team’s chances of winning from one event to the next. It does so by measuring the importance of a given plate appearance in the context of the game. For instance: a homer in a one-run game is worth more than a homer in a blowout.”
As the text explains, WPA not only considers the actual play, but also the circumstances surrounding the play.
It’s not surprising to see France near the top of the league, since he has been an incredibly productive hitter, a passable defender, and a clutch performer.
France is hitting .326/.401/.482 with eight home runs, 26 runs, and 37 RBI.
He seems to be poised to improve his career-high in home runs, established last year, with 18.
Without him, the Mariners would probably have at least a couple of extra losses.
If they are going to come back from their early-season struggles and fight for a place in the postseason, they will need France to keep up his extraordinary play.
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