Tag: WAR162

MLB Team Rankings Countdown: 1900s 15 through 11

MLB Team Rankings Countdown: 1900s 15 through 11

Posted on by kc2519

Welcome to the next countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings by decade. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1900s (1901-1909), a total of 144 teams were eligible (16 teams x 9 seasons), so the top 20 teams are a fairly exclusive group. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of their team dashboard, and explain how they attained their ranking. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #15 through #11.

Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1900s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard

#15: 1909 Detroit Tigers, 51.2 WAR162

The 1909 Tigers became the first Detroit team to make the rankings, after fighting their way to the top of the AL standings behind stars like Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford.

The Tigers’ 98-54 record put them 3.5 games ahead of the Athletics, although the Philadelphia club had considerably worse luck in close games, while the Tigers had a strong record in one-run contests. The Tigers led the AL in runs scored in a generally low-scoring season and also topped the AL in doubles and stolen bases. Pitching was above average, though not at the top of the league; their 2.26 ERA was 3rd best in the AL.

Ty Cobb was by far the most productive player, batting .377 with 76 steals, 115 runs scored, and a .947 OPS, all topping the league. Donie Bush led the AL with 88 walks and 115 runs scored, and Sam Crawford batted .314. George Moriarty checks in with a .309 BA to round out the top offensive producers. On the pitching side, George Mullin led the AL with 29 wins, followed by Ed Willett (21) and Ed Summers (19). Ed Killian posted a sterling 1.71 ERA to lead the team in that category.

#14: 1905 Chicago White Sox, 51.5 WAR162

The 1905 White Sox team finished 2nd in the AL, just two games back of the Athletics. Their Pythagorean projection had them at 97 wins, so they were a bit unlucky, despite a strong record in one-run games.

The White Sox 614 runs ranked 2nd in the AL, while their .237 BA was below the league average. The team tended toward the middle on most offensive measures, although their 194 stolen bases ranked second. Pitching was a different story, where they posted a league-best 1.99 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

George Davis was easily the most productive player, posting above-average defense at shortstop while batting a solid .278 with 31 steals. Jiggs Donahue batted .287 with 32 stolen bases, and Fielder Jones scored 91 runs with 12 triples. The Sox had four pitchers with similar WAR figures, led by Doc White, who won 17 games and posted a 1.76 ERA. Nick Altrock won 23 with a fine 1.88 ERA, and Frank Smith posted a 19-13 record. Frank Owen led the team with 334 innings, picking up 21 wins.

#13: 1905 Chicago Cubs, 51.7 WAR162

The 1905 Cubs check in at #13, based on their 92-61 season, good for 3rd place in the National League. Based on their runs scored and allowed, the team should have exceeded 100 wins, but luck was not on their side. That would change in 1906, when they ran away with the NL pennant.

The Cubs were a rather ordinary offensive squad, placing fifth in runs, doubles, and triples (tied for fifth). They did have a lot of speed on the basepaths – their 267 steals ranked second in the NL. The team’s success was driven primarily by a strong pitching staff that led the NL in ERA and hits allowed, and by some solid defense.

The offense was led by Frank Chance, who sported an NL-best .450 OBP due to his propensity for drawing walks and being hit by pitches. Jimmy Slagle was also very effective at drawing walks (97), while Billy Maloney chipped in with 59 stolen bases and a .260 BA. The pitching staff featured a trio of 18-game winners in Ed Reulbach, Jake Weimer, and Mordecai Brown. Reulbach wound up with a standout 1.42 ERA and 0.96 WHIP to lead the trio.

#12: 1903 Boston Americans, 53.3 WAR

The 1903 Americans ran away with the AL pennant, finishing 14.5 games ahead of the Athletics. The batters and pitchers were both well above league average in most measures for the season

The Americans topped the AL in multiple offensive categories, including runs (708), BA (.272), home runs (48), and OPS (.705). Meanwhile, the pitching staff topped the league in ERA (2.57) and shutouts (20). This was a well-rounded team that received major contributions from several batters and a few pitchers.

Shortstop Freddy Parent had a fine season with a .304 BA, 17 triples, and 80 RBI. His veteran 3rd base teammate Jimmy Collins posted a .296 BA with 17 triples of his own, and Patsy Dougherty led the AL in runs (107) and hits (195). Outfielder Buck Freeman led the AL in both home runs (13) and RBI (104) while posting an .823 OPS. The ageless Cy Young won 28 games in his age 36 season, leading the AL in wins, complete games (34), and shutouts (7), while tossing 341 innings. Bill Dinneen provided ample support with 21 wins, and Tom Hughes added 20 as the third pitcher in a formidable trio.

#11: 1907 Chicago Cubs, 54.2 WAR

The 1907 Cubs were part of a remarkable run for the North Side Chicago team, coming in two spots ahead of the 1905 edition, and well behind the 1906 squad. This team overachieved a bit, as their Pythagorean win projection was 102 wins. In any case, they dominated the NL, finishing 17 games ahead of the runner-up Pirates.

The Cubs’ offense was at or near the top in several categories – doubles, BA, and sacrifices. They also ranked second in stolen bases, but it was their pitching staff that set them apart in the NL. They easily led the NL with a 1.73 ERA, 32 shutouts, and 6.9 hits per 9 innings. This combination of a solid offense and an outstanding pitching staff was a winning formula for each of their top-20 teams.

The Cubs never had a dominant hitter like some of their competitors in this period, but they had multiple contributors who provided 3-5 WAR162 each season. For 1907, those players were second baseman Johnny Evers (46 steals and strong defense), Frank Chance (.395 OBP, 35 SB), Harry Steinfeldt (.266 BA), and catcher Johnny Kling (.284 BA). The pitching staff was first-rate, with five hurlers winning 14 or more games. Orval Overall posted 23 wins (with 8 shutouts), followed by Mordecai Brown with 20, Carl Lundgren with 18, Ed Reulbach with 17, and Jack Pfiester with 14. Pfiester led the NL with a 1.15 ERA, just ahead of Lundgren at 1.17.

Summary

That’s it for this entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1900s decade! Stay tuned for the countdown from #10 to #6, arriving in a few days. As always, thanks for reading!

MLB Team Rankings Countdown: 1900s 20 through 16

MLB Team Rankings Countdown: 1900s 20 through 16

Posted on by kc2519

Welcome to the first countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings by decade. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1900s (1901-1909), a total of 144 teams were eligible (16 teams x 9 seasons), so the top 20 teams are a fairly exclusive group. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of their team dashboard, and explain how they attained their ranking. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #20 through #16.

Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1900s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard

#20: 1904 Cleveland Napoleons, 48.1 WAR162

The Napoleons would eventually become the Naps, then the Indians, and most recently, the Guardians. In 1904, they were named after their star player, Napoleon Lajoie, a Hall of Fame second baseman. Here’s a glance at some of their team numbers:

With a record of 86-65, the Naps managed just a 4th place finish in the American League. The team had an unusually unlucky season – their Pythagorean expected record (based on runs scored vs. allowed) was 95-56, a whopping nine-game difference. Cleveland led the AL in batting average and OPS, and finished 2nd in ERA.

Nap Lajoie led the AL in multiple categories, with a .376 BA, .959 OPS, 102 RBI, and 49 doubles. He received strong support from Elmer Flick (.306 BA, 38 SB) and Bill Bradley (.300 BA). Bill Bernhard won 23 games, and Addie Joss led the AL with a 1.59 ERA within a balanced pitching rotation.

#19: 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates, 49.9 WAR162

The 1903 edition of the Pirates is one of multiple seasons in the top 20 MLB Team Rankings for the 1900s decade. This version of the team finished first in the NL, but was not quite as good as their record based on runs scored and allowed.

The Pirates’ .286 average was good for 2nd in the NL, as was their .734 OPS, both just behind the Reds. They also placed 2nd in ERA while leading the NL with 16 shutouts.

Honus Wagner was the clear leader in WAR162 on the basis of his league-best .355 BA and 19 triples. His .931 OPS was also near the top of the NL. Wagner received ample support from Fred Clarke (NL-best .946 OPS, .351 BA), Claude Ritchey, Ginger Beaumont (.341 BA), and Tommy Leach. Sam Leever (25-7, NL-best 2.06 ERA) and Deacon Phillippe (25-9, 2.43 ERA, NL-best 1.03 WHIP) dominated on the mound for the NL champs.

#18: 1901 Boston Americans, 50.7 WAR162

The Americans were the predecessor to the Red Sox, finishing 2nd in the AL with a 79-57 record, 3 games worse than their predicted Pythagorean mark of 82-54. This earns them the #18 slot in our 1900s MLB Team Rankings.

The team was just slightly better than league average in most offensive categories, although they did have higher rankings in triples (2nd) and home runs (1st). Pitching carried the team, as they placed 2nd in ERA and 1st in strikeouts, largely thanks to the legendary Cy Young.

Four offensive players carried the load for the Americans, with WAR162 values > 5; no other batters topped 2 WAR for the season. Third baseman Jimmy Collins led the way in WAR (7.9) with a .332 BA, Freddy Parent batted .306 from his shortstop position, Buck Freeman batted .339 with a .920 OPS, and Chick Stahl hit for a .303 average. On the mound, it was Cy Young with some help from Ted Lewis (16 wins) and George Winter (16 wins, 2.80 ERA). Young posted a 33-10 mark with a league-best 1.62 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 371 innings.

#17: 1901 Chicago White Sox, 50.8 WAR

The White Sox claimed first place in the 1901 AL pennant race, 4 games ahead of the Americans, although their WAR totals were nearly identical.

The Chicago squad led the AL in runs scored, stolen bases, and ERA, while ranking in the middle of the pack in BA, HR, and OPS. They also drew a high number of walks; between the walks and stolen bases, the team was able to generate 6 runs per game.

The White Sox had no single offensive standout, but enjoyed productive seasons from several batters, including Billy Hoy, who drew a league-best 86 walks at age 39. Hoy also led the team with an .807 OPS figure. Fielder Jones batted .311 with 38 steals and 84 walks, Fred Hartman hit .309 with 31 steals and 13 triples, and Sam Mertes had 17 triples and 46 stolen bases. Herm McFarland contributed with 75 walks and 33 steals and a .767 OPS. Three pitchers stood out for the Chicagoans, led by Clark Griffith, who compiled a 24-7 record and 2.67 ERA. Jimmy Callahan posted a 15-8 mark, with a 2.42 ERA, and Roy Patterson won 20 games and led the team with 30 complete games and 312 innings on the mound.

#16: 1905 Philadelphia Athletics, 51.0 WAR

The Athletics placed multiple squads in the top 20 for the 1900s decade, with the 1905 edition placing 16th. The A’s bested the White Sox by 2 games for the AL pennant, although the Chicago team had the better Pythagorean win expectation of the two teams.

In a season where pitching dominated, the Athletics’ .255 BA (2nd) and .648 OPS (1st) were at the top, as was their 256 doubles, 45 more than any other competitor. The team’s 2.19 ERA was second-best for the season, and their 895 strikeouts were far ahead of the 652 posted by the Boston Americans.

The Athletics boasted a balanced lineup, with 7 batters earning WAR162 values of 2 or better, including 3 batters who topped 5 WAR apiece. Harry Davis topped the AL with 8 homers, 47 doubles, and 83 RBI to lead the way. Danny Murphy batted .277 from his second base position, and Topsy Hartsel earned a league-best 121 walks and .409 OBP. The pitchers were led by a pair of left-handers; Rube Waddell posted a 27-10 record with an AL-best 1.48 ERA and 287 strikeouts. Eddie Plank earned 24 wins with a 2.26 ERA and 210 strikeouts of his own. Beyond the big two, Andy Coakley picked up 18 wins with a fine 1.84 ERA.

Summary

That’s it for the first entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1900s decade! Stay tuned for the countdown from #15 to #11, arriving in a few days. As always, thanks for reading!