Grosnick: Basic sabermetrics: Wins Above Replacement
From Bryan Grosnick at Beyond the Box Score on January 10, 2014:
Welcome back to our ongoing series on Basic Sabermetrics, where we do our best to introduce sometimes-complex sabermetric statistics and concepts in an understandable fashion. You can see plenty (well, not plenty yet, but a few) more articles in our All About Sabermetrics page, where we attempt to de-mystify and explain the core — and not-so-core — concepts of objective baseball analysis.
Today, we’re focusing on the one “sabermetric” statistic that probably gets more play, more positive attention, and more derision than any other: wins above replacement or WAR. WAR is an incredibly divisive metric, worthy of attention, but often misunderstood.
Talking effectively about WAR requires considerable time and effort, given how much work goes into computing this number, how many factors / metrics it takes into account, and the fact that there are several permutations of it available to the public. So grab yourself a seat and a sandwich, take a deep breath, and let’s get started.
Read the full article here: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2014/1/10/5291950/basic-sabermetrics-wins-above-replacement-war-fwar-bwar-warp
Related link: Click here to read SABR’s “Guide to Sabermetric Research” by Phil Birnbaum
Originally published: January 10, 2014. Last Updated: January 10, 2014.