AL West’s hottest/coldest players for 2024
The divisional leader in 2023 will be out of the picture in the season ahead
We can say two things about last season’s best player in the American League West:
He was twice as good as his closest divisional competitor.
He won’t play in the AL West this year — or, for that matter, anywhere else in the league.
Shohei Ohtani, the superhuman designated hitter/pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, was unanimously honored as the American League’s Most Valuable Player in 2023. He topped the league in home runs (44), on-base percentage (.412), and slugging average (.654), while also going 10-5 on the mound with a 3.14 earned run average.
My formula for overall base value (OBV) assigns Ohtani a score of plus-240. He reached 186 more bases than the typical batter would have attained in the same number of plate appearances, and he also allowed 54 fewer bases than the average pitcher would have surrendered in the same number of innings. (Click here to learn more about OBV.)
How good is an OBV of plus-240? It ranks as the very best for any major leaguer in 2023. The only other player listed above 200 — or, for that matter, 170 — is Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves at 226.
Ohtani’s score is almost exactly twice the OBV for the runner-up in the AL West, Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers at 121. Two members of the Houston Astros, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, come next with respective values of 113 and 112.
The bad news for the Angels, of course, is that Ohtani severed their relationship over the winter. He signed a long-term deal as a free agent with the crosstown Dodgers of the National League.
If you look below, you’ll find a pair of lists. The first contains the AL West players who posted the best OBV scores in 2023, theoretically embuing them with substantial momentum for the 2024 season. The second is a reverse compilation of the players who recorded the lowest values, undoubtedly shaking their confidence as they prepare for the year ahead.
The worst OBV in the division belongs to Kyle Muller, a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He went 1-5 with a 7.60 ERA in 77 innings, giving him a miserable 2023 OBV of minus-82.
Keep in mind that a few players on both lists will join Ohtani in having new employers in the coming year. And check back on Friday for my 2024 predictions for the AL West.
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Best OBV in AL West (2023)
1. Shohei Ohtani, Angels, OBV 240
2. Corey Seager, Rangers, OBV 121
3. Yordan Alvarez, Astros, OBV 113
4. Kyle Tucker, Astros, OBV 112
5. George Kirby, Mariners, OBV 71
6. Jose Altuve, Astros, OBV 69
7. Marcus Semien, Rangers, OBV 66
8. Julio Rodriguez, Mariners, OBV 62
9. Adolis Garcia, Rangers, OBV 60
10. Framber Valdez, Astros, OBV 56
10. J.P. Crawford, Mariners, OBV 56
Worst OBV in AL West (2023)
1. Kyle Muller, Athletics, OBV -82
2. Martin Maldonado, Astros, OBV -62
3. Nick Allen, Athletics, OBV -60
4. Ken Waldichuk, Athletics, OBV -58
5. Kolten Wong, Mariners, OBV -49
6. Aledmys Diaz, Athletics, OBV -48
7. Jose Abreu, Astros, OBV -45
8. Tyler Anderson, Angels, OBV -41
9. Jordan Diaz, Athletics, OBV -38
10. Jose Suarez, Angels, OBV -36
10. Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics, OBV -36