After the season the Elias Sports Bureau will take all players over the 2009-10 period, divide them into five groups for each league, and rank them based on various statistics. Then each player will be labeled a Type A, B, or none. Those designations and the possible accompanying arbitration offers determine draft pick compensation (click here for a refresher).
Eddie Bajek has reverse-engineered the Elias rankings, and he's providing that information exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. Here's a look at how the players rank for the period beginning with the 2009 season running through August 9th, 2010. The Google spreadsheet below has separate tabs for each position group. You can also go directly to the Google spreadsheet here. Our last set of Elias projections is here, in case you want to see what changed.
Johnny Utah
a quick way to see if certain stats are meaningless: when pablo sandoval is ranked & aubrey huff is not
Guest
keep in mind that it takes into account last season as well.
markjsunz
Elias rankings, and Billy Beanes money ball. They try to come up with a new way of doing business by doing away with the old way of doing things.I guess the old way is still the best way.Moneyball is a great book to read as is Elias stats but has anyone won a world championship using this crietera in selecting players?
Zack23
The old way is the best way? Yes, lets judge how good a baseall player is based on how many RBIs he has, or a pitcher’s W/L record.Lets give guys like Jose Guillen 30m, then cut them because oh yeah, they’re not good players just because they have RBIs. Joe Saunders has a great W%, so he’s a great pitcher.
And Beane was winning 100+ games with his philosophy- I’d love to see Drayton Moore win 100 games in one season. (No offense Royal fans)
markjsunz
Those are stats that win and lose ballgames. If Jose Guillen is a cancer in the clubhouse you may not want him on your team. Every generation had bad actors on the team, and those guys were always traded regardless of there talent.
Zack23
That’s not what I said. I said you don’t judge an individual player based on stats that depend on his teammate’s production.
Yankees420
While you are correct in that the point of the game is to score runs, the best way to judge how well a player bats in a run is not to look at his RBI’s, it’s been quite obvious for a while now that RBI’s, W/L record, BA, ERA, and errors are inferior statistics, some to a greater degree than others.
markjsunz
I do not see any championships using these methods. Billy Beane may draft some unknown kids using these stats and get more value for his dollar, but I do not see this method leading to a championship. Beckett had an ERA of over 4 yet the red sox gave him a 87 million dollar contract give or take a few dollars. When a pitcher can earn that kind of money when his ERA is right in there faces you have to question what they are doing. The A`s gave Ben Sheets 10 million dollars after being off for a year. What are these front offices using to sign these guys?
Yankees420
So your saying that the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Cardinals, White Sox, Red Sox, Marlins, Angels, & Diamondbacks won their respective WS trophies by looking only/mainly at “old-school” stats such as RBI’s and W/L record? Then why would these teams have departments in the organization devoted to sabermetrics? (I’ll admit that I don’t know when exactly each team added that dept, but I’m 99% that they have them now).
“Beckett had an ERA of over 4 yet the red sox gave him a 87 million dollar contract give or take a few dollars. When a pitcher can earn that kind of money when his ERA is right in there faces you have to question what they are doing”
Not when they’ve won 2 WS rings in the last 6 years, and you are making my point for me. The Red Sox are a well run organization, and they paid Beckett ace money to stay in Beantown, why would they do that if they were only looking at his 4+ ERA? Probably because they look at more advanced stats such as ERA+, FIP, xFIP, BABIP, etc that were better indicators of how he was pitching/will pitch going forward.
markjsunz
I have no Idea. It would be a good question to ask a general manager. Most teams today would prefer a young player with major league talent whose contract can be controlled for a few years. While the Yankees will always be the Yankees and sign the highest price talent. Give some credit to Tampa Bay and San Diego. These should be prototypes for future teams. and other then stars and superstars journeyman free agents will have the same criteria for what they are paid.
Yankees420
“I have no Idea. It would be a good question to ask a general manager.”
I asked multiple questions (some rhetorical) in my comment(s), you’re going to have to be more specific on what you have no idea on.
“Most teams today would prefer a young player with major league talent whose contract can be controlled for a few years”
I never said anything that disagrees with this, and I have no idea why you’re bringing it up.
“other then stars and superstars journeyman free agents will have the same criteria for what they are paid.”
What are you even saying here? That superstar players salaries are based off of different criteria than lesser players? That makes zero sense.
markjsunz
I have no idea what you are talking about. Please explain yourself.
Yankees420
Ok, now I’m convinced you’re messing with me.
markjsunz
I am not messing with you, just not sure where you are trying to say. Anyway have a good evening.
Eddie Bajek
If any GM uses these rankings for anything more than predicting draft pick compensation, I would be surprised.
Obscurity
Scary that the Angels have 3 type A’s in their rotation right now. Sexy
JASONH
Good thing Jose Reyes has an option…yikes.
JASONH
Luis Castillo 2.0????
Fangaffes
Jusr curious. Why does Phil Hughes continue to be listed as a relief pitcher?
JASONH
CJ Wilson is in the same boat. I think they have to have a year at the position to qualify.
JASONH
Let me clarify:
*Full yearseason
Eddie Bajek
Most games combined between 2009 and 2010. He’ll be a reliever in the final rankings, more than likely.
Eddie Bajek
Most games combined between 2009 and 2010. He’ll be a reliever in the final rankings, more than likely.
adammyst
Where’s Jorge Cantu?
Zack23
In the AL 1B OF DH tab, scroll down to 58.181818 and you’ll’ find him
adammyst
Oh, duh, he’s in the AL now. Thanks.
moonraker45
Does john buck being on the dl affect his ranking?
Eddie Bajek
Yes, he will get time prorated up to 60 days on the DL.
ramiro magana
A.J. Pierzynski… Type A… PSSHH
bigpupp
Ortiz is borderline right now, how hot does he have to get to become a type A?
IHateJoeBuck
Is there a more convoluted process in all of sports than MLB’s arbitration/compensation process?
IHateJoeBuck
How is Arencibia, after 9 ABs, ahead of Carlos Santana?
Eddie Bajek
Rate stats. Neftali Feliz was Type B after three games last year.
JDortmunder
Brad Hawpe a Type-A?
Some adjustment needs to be made for released players that had been DFA.