Simon: MLB All-Star voting vs. total runs leaders

From SABR member Mark Simon at ACTA Sports on July 11, 2018:

Who were the players most deserving of being All-Star starters in 2018?

Let’s use Total Runs to put together a pair of teams based on numbers.

Total Runs is a statistic created by Baseball Info Solutions that combines offense, defense, baserunning, and an adjustment that allows for comparison across positions into one number in order to evaluate the total contribution of each player.

The AL dominates the Total Runs leaderboard, with the top six players coming from that league. Mike Trout has 110 runs and stands as the clear MLB leader. Teammates Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, who patrol the left side of the infield for the Indians, are clearly ahead at their respective positions and rank tied for second overall with 101 Total Runs. Mookie Betts (93), Jose Altuve (92) and Aaron Judge (91) round out the top.

The most surprising selection may be Matt Olson of the Athletics, who leads at first base on the strength of his 19 home runs and AL-leading 6 Defensive Runs Saved at that position. The AL is somewhat lacking in standouts at that position, as Olson is tied for 66th overall in MLB with 62 Total Runs.

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Originally published: July 12, 2018. Last Updated: July 12, 2018.