NL Team Hitting and Pitching Statistical Ranks

It has been said that there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.  Yes, statistics can be manipulated to achieve the requested end results.  But the statistics I am chronicling are objective rather than subjective.  There are no WAR, FIP, SIERA, OPS+, ERA+, or xOBA type statistics that are not based on raw numbers, but have a subjective qualifier and quantifier.  I am not reviewing defensive metrics as those are probably the most subjective of metrics.  I might have some time over the winter to look at some of the Statcast revelations, but that is for another time.

The 162 game season is complete.  The 2022 stats are in the books.  The Dodgers dominated the team and individual leaders in multiple hitting and pitching categories.  In this post, we will look at the team results.  In a later post, we can look at individual leaders.

No team scored more runs than did the Dodgers.  Their 847 runs were 40 more than the #2 team, NYY.

Runs

• LAD – 847 – ML Rank #1
• ATL – 789 – ML Rank #3
• NYM – 772 – ML Rank #5
• STL – 772 – ML Rank #5
• PHI – 747 – ML Rank #7
• SD – 705 – ML Rank #13

I understand there has been some questions as to how valuable Run Differential truly is.  But when 2022 came to an end, it was interesting to note the 12 playoff teams were the top 12 teams in Run Differential.  I find it hard for anyone to discount Run Differential as a telling metric.  Major League ranking of Run Differential for the NL Playoff participating teams:

• LAD – 334 – #1
• ATL – 180 – #4
• NYM – 166 – #5
• STL – 135 – #6
• PHI – 62 – #10
• SD – 45 – #12

For Runs Against, once again the Dodgers were #1 overall at the ML level with 513.  Houston was #2 with 518.  Only the NYY (567) joined LAD and Houston with Runs Against less than 600.  In the NL, NYM (606) and Atlanta (609) were a distant 2^nd and 3^rd to LAD.  The Dodgers scored more runs than any other MLB team, and prevented more runs from scoring than any other MLB team resulting in winning an historic 111 games.  That is the definition of domination.  They may not win the WS (although I do believe they will), but there is no denying that they are the best baseball team in 2022…injuries and all.

In the more traditional metrics (BA, OBP, SLG, OPS), the Dodgers were ranked in the top 4 in all 4.  NYM, Atlanta, and St. Louis each had 2 categories where they were top 5.

Batting Average (ML Rank)

• NYM – .264 – #2
• LAD – .257 – #4
• PHI – .253 – #8
• ATL – .253 – #9
• STL – .252 – #10
• SD – .247 – #16

On Base Percentage (ML Rank)

• LAD – .333 – #1
• NYM – .332 – #2
• STL – .325 – #4
• SD – .318 – #8
• ATL – .317 – #9
• PHI – .317 – #11

Slugging (ML Rank)

• ATL – .443 – #1
• LAD – .442 – #2
• PHI – .422 – #6
• STL – .420 – #7
• NYM – .412 – #8
• SD – .382 – #22

OPS (ML Rank)

• LAD – .775 – #1
• ATL – .760 – #2
• STL – .745 – #5
• NYM – .744 – #6
• PHI – .739 – #8
• SD – .700 – #15

FWIW, if you assign 1 point for each ranking, the Dodgers are the clear offensive leaders:

• LAD – 8
• NYM – 18
• ATL – 21
• STL – 26
• PHI – 33
• SD – 61

Over a 162 game season, I still think that ERA and WHIP are the kings of the standard metrics.  There are countless pitching metrics, but I am going to ignore FIP, SIERA, BABIP, ERA+, WPA…for this comparison.

Overall ERA – ML Rank

• LAD – 2.80 – #1
• ATL – 3.46 – #5
• NYM – 3.57 – #7
• STL – 3.79 – #10
• SD – 3.81 – #11
• PHI – 3.97 – #18

Starter ERA – ML Rank

• LAD – 2.75 – #1
• NYM – 3.61 – #5
• ATL – 3.72 – #9
• SD – 3.80 – #13
• PHI – 3.80 – #14
• STL – 3.92 – #16

Reliever ERA – ML Rank

• LAD – 2.87 – #2
• ATL – 3.03 – #4
• NYM – 3.55 – #10
• STL – 3.61 – #11
• SD – 3.83 – #14
• PHI – 4.27 – #23

Overall WHIP – ML Rank 

• LAD – 1.05 – #1
• NYM – 1.18 – #6
• ATL – 1.19 – #7
• SD – 1.20 – #9
• PHI – 1.26 – #14
• STL – 1.27 – #16

Starter WHIP – ML Rank 

• LAD – 1.04 – #1
• NYM – 1.16 – #5
• PHI – 1.17 – #6
• SD – 1.19 – #9
• ATL – 1.22 – #13
• STL – 1.29 – #19

Reliever WHIP – ML Rank

• LAD – 1.05 – #1
• ATL – 1.14 – #4
• SD – 1.21 – #8
• NYM – 1.22 – #9
• STL – 1.25 – #14
• PHI – 1.39 – #25

It is clear that the Dodgers far and away have the best overall pitching staff in the NL if not all of MLB.

Over a 162 game schedule, the Dodgers were the best team in 2022.  But that means squat in a 5 or 7 game series.  Each series is usually led by a hot bat and/or a hot arm.  Often those bats and arms are not the usual suspects, i.e. Eddie Rosario or Jorge Soler.  That being said, it is hard for me to believe that the NL Pennant winner will not be one of LAD, ATL, or NYM.  I am going with LAD and Atlanta to meet in the NLCS with the Dodgers winning the NLCS rubber match and going to the 2022 World Series.

I have not followed the AL very closely, but I would be shocked if it does not come down to Houston and NYY fighting it out in the ALCS.  I am going with Houston because of their superior pitching.

The Dodgers do not play a game against an ML opponent for 6 days subsequent to their final game.