Weighted Runs Above Average (wRAA)
Description:
Weighted Runs Above Average (wRAA) is similar to wRC in that both statistics summarize a player’s total offensive output into one stat and express their value in runs. How much offensive value did Evan Longoria contribute to their team in 2009? With wRAA it’s easy to answer that question: 28.3 runs. These runs can be easily calculated using a player’s wOBA.
The key difference between wRC and wRAA is that while wRC measures total offensive contributions, wRAA provides more context. wRAA specifically calculates the number of runs a player contributes to their team above what an average player would contribute. This makes it easy to see how above or below average a player is, which can be tough to visualize with wRC.
Context:
2009 wRAA Numbers
| wRAA | |
| Albert Pujols | 69.7 |
| Chase Utley | 41.5 |
| J.D. Drew | 26.7 |
| Dustin Pedroia | 18.3 |
| Mike Cameron | 8.8 |
| Melky Cabrera | 1.0 |
| Elvis Andrus | -3.1 |
| B.J. Upton | -9.8 |
| Yuniesky Betancourt | -24.2 |
Things to Remember:
- To calculate wRAA follow this simple formula (per Dave Cameron): “Simply take a player’s wOBA difference from the league average, divide by 1.15, and multiply that by how many plate appearances he got, and you have a run value above or below average for that player.”
- wRAA is league adjusted, meaning you can compare players from different leagues and years using it.
- When calculating WAR, wRAA is used to represent offensive ability. Ten wRAA is equal to one WAR, although that’s without accounting for defense and adjustments.
- This is a counting statistic just like RBIs and HRs. The more time you play, the more chances you have to accumulate more wRAA.
Links for Further Reading:
