Maybe annual pay would make more sense if baseball changed its rules to provide more opportunities for the best hitters.
Random Batters: three Plate Appearances per 9 innings when any player may bat. Friday, September 6, 2024
$765 million over 15 years for Juan Soto is ridiculous. He's not THAT good and no batter can impact games enough to come close to earning that pay.
Goodbye, Soto. Goodbye, Soto. Goodbye, Soto, we "hate" to see you go (to the Mets). Monday, December 9, 2024
The Yanks can use their Juan Soto money in the next few years, but much fewer than 15 years, by signing free starting pitchers Corbin Burnes and/or Max Fried.
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Best hitters 2021-2024: Aaron Judge, ... Tuesday, December 10, 2024
This post looks at overall value, including fielding, etc. as represented in the total field WAR (Wins Above Replacement player).
https://stathead.com/tiny/moNc7
For single seasons, in 2024, in the regular season, requiring Wins Above Replacement (WAR) >= 7, sorted by descending Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
| Rk | Player | WAR | oWAR | dWAR | Season | Age | Team | Lg | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | TB | GIDP | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Judge | 10.8 | 11.7 | -0.9 | 2024 | 32 | NYY | AL | 158 | 704 | 559 | 122 | 180 | 36 | 1 | 58 | 144 | 10 | 0 | 133 | 171 | .322 | .458 | .701 | 1.159 | 223 | 392 | 22 | *8D/97 |
| 2 | Bobby Witt Jr. | 9.4 | 9.2 | 1.2 | 2024 | 24 | KCR | AL | 161 | 709 | 636 | 125 | 211 | 45 | 11 | 32 | 109 | 31 | 12 | 57 | 106 | .332 | .389 | .588 | .977 | 171 | 374 | 4 | *6/D |
| 3 | Shohei Ohtani | 9.2 | 9.2 | -1.7 | 2024 | 29 | LAD | NL | 159 | 731 | 636 | 134 | 197 | 38 | 7 | 54 | 130 | 59 | 4 | 81 | 162 | .310 | .390 | .646 | 1.036 | 190 | 411 | 7 | *D |
| 4 | Gunnar Henderson | 9.1 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 2024 | 23 | BAL | AL | 159 | 719 | 630 | 118 | 177 | 31 | 7 | 37 | 92 | 21 | 4 | 78 | 159 | .281 | .364 | .529 | .893 | 159 | 333 | 2 | *6/D |
| 5 | Jarren Duran | 8.7 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 2024 | 27 | BOS | AL | 160 | 735 | 671 | 111 | 191 | 48 | 14 | 21 | 75 | 34 | 7 | 54 | 160 | .285 | .342 | .492 | .834 | 129 | 330 | 6 | *87 |
| 6 | Juan Soto | 7.9 | 7.9 | -0.5 | 2024 | 25 | NYY | AL | 157 | 713 | 576 | 128 | 166 | 31 | 4 | 41 | 109 | 7 | 4 | 129 | 119 | .288 | .419 | .569 | .989 | 178 | 328 | 10 | *9/7DH |
| 7 | Matt Chapman | 7.1 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 2024 | 31 | SFG | NL | 154 | 647 | 575 | 98 | 142 | 39 | 2 | 27 | 78 | 15 | 2 | 64 | 158 | .247 | .328 | .463 | .790 | 125 | 266 | 13 | *5/H |
Now lets apply their 2024 and future maximum pay to current WAR.
Yeah, that introduces a whole new perspective. People droning on about how Juan Soto is worth what the Mets will pay him should take a break and get real. And how much will any player be worth when he's at the end of a long contract. Judge will be 39 and Soto 41.
I looked at this originally after the rookie season of Mike Trout, age 20: 2012 WAR 10.5, pay $492,500. Trout finished second in MVP voting to triple crown Miguel Cabrera.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2012.shtml#all_AL_MVP_voting
Cabrera pay maxed out at ages 39 & 40. WAR: -1.1 and -0.4. That's NEGATIVE.
But the same is happening to 32 year old Trout. He receives that high pay every season 2020-2030, age 39. It's inevitable. Trout became increasingly less valuable. Trout led the American League in WAR every year 2012-2016 with 10.5 his highs in 2012 and 2016. Trout could not improve much above a very high 10 WAR. No player could. Trout has not been dominant since 2019, age 27.
Juan Soto had his highest WAR in 2024: 7.9. And that was batting in front of Aaron Judge.
What the heck are the Mets paying for?
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