Is it too soon to be boosting Brent Rooker as a contender for the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award?
If you’re like most fans, your response is simple and direct: Brent who?
The Oakland Athletics selected Rooker off waivers from the Kansas City Royals over the winner, following a miserable 2022 season in which he played only 16 big-league games and batted just .125. There was no reason to expect anything significant in 2023.
Yet Rooker has been shockingly effective for the A’s as a designated hitter and outfielder. He led the American League in three statistical categories as the season reached the quarter pole on May 15 — home runs (11), slugging average (.650), and base value (plus-43).
That last stat, base value (BV), is a great measure of offensive production, certainly better than runs batted in, batting average, or the hallowed (and highly overrated) OPS.
BV is a comparison of the number of bases reached by a specific batter against the average for all big-league hitters. (Click here to learn more about the formula.)
Rooker, for example, rapped 18 singles, seven doubles, and 11 homers through the middle of May, while also drawing 21 walks, getting hit by three pitches, lofting two sacrifice flies, and stealing one base. That added up to a total of 103 bases.
The typical batter reached .694 bases per out (BPO) during the first quarter of 2023. Rooker made 86 outs in that period, so he needed to attain 60 bases to match the big-league norm. (The quick math: 86 x .694 = 60.) His actual total of 103 bases was 43 above average, translating to a BV of plus-43, the best figure in the AL.
Base value is an excellent predictor of the eventual winners of Most Valuable Player Awards. Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt led their respective leagues in BV last year, and they also took home the MVP trophies.
But there are three reasons to be skeptical of Rooker’s chances, despite his amazing stats:
His team is horrible, probably the worst in the majors. Is it possible to be an MVP if your club loses most of its games?
Rooker is playing in virtual anonymity in Oakland. Few fans go to the park, and national TV audiences never see the A’s.
I tabulated base values as of the end of the first quarter. There’s an awful lot of baseball still to be played, and the BV standings are likely to change significantly.
Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Braves has taken a wide lead in the National League, posting a base value of plus-59 at the quarter pole. He, unlike Rooker, is a legitimate candidate to win an MVP Award, given the strength of Atlanta’s roster and his status as one of baseball’s stars. (Acuna was named Rookie of the Year in 2018 and has finished among the top 12 vote-getters in MVP balloting three separate times.)
Scroll down to see the BV leaders in each league at the one-quarter mark, as well as the player with the best value on each team.
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American League top 10
1. Brent Rooker, Athletics, BV 43
2. Yandy Diaz, Rays, BV 40
3. Randy Arozarena, Rays, BV 35
4. Josh Lowe, Rays, BV 31
5. Yordan Alvarez, Astros, BV 30
5. Matt Chapman, Blue Jays, BV 30
7. Taylor Walls, Rays, BV 28
8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays, BV 27
8. Anthony Rizzo, Yankees, BV 27
8. Marcus Semien, Rangers, BV 27
National League top 10
1. Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves, BV 59
2. LaMonte Wade Jr., Giants, BV 33
3. Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals, BV 32
3. Sean Murphy, Braves, BV 32
5. Ian Happ, Cubs, BV 31
5. Juan Soto, Padres, BV 31
7. Will Smith, Dodgers, BV 30
8. James Outman, Dodgers, BV 29
9. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers, BV 28
9. Brandon Marsh, Phillies, BV 28
American League team leaders
Angels — Shohei Ohtani, BV 23
Astros — Yordan Alvarez, BV 30
Athletics — Brent Rooker, BV 43
Blue Jays — Matt Chapman, BV 30
Guardians — Jose Ramirez, BV 18
Mariners — Jarred Kelenic, BV 22
Orioles — Cedric Mullins, BV 25
Rangers — Marcus Semien, BV 27
Rays — Yandy Diaz, BV 40
Red Sox — Adam Duvall, BV 26
Royals — Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, BV 18
Tigers — Zach McKinstry, BV 8
Twins — Joey Gallo, BV 18
White Sox — Luis Robert Jr., BV 23
Yankees — Anthony Rizzo, BV 27
National League team leaders
Braves — Ronald Acuna Jr., BV 59
Brewers — Christian Yelich, BV 13
Cardinals — Paul Goldschmidt, BV 32
Cubs — Ian Happ, BV 31
Diamondbacks — Corbin Carroll, BV 20
Dodgers — Will Smith, BV 30
Giants — LaMonte Wade Jr., BV 33
Marlins — Luis Arraez, BV 18
Mets — Brandon Nimmo, BV 26
Nationals — Victor Robles, BV 9
Padres — Juan Soto, BV 31
Phillies — Brandon Marsh, BV 28
Pirates — Jack Suwinski, BV 23
Reds — Jonathan India, BV 22
Rockies — Charlie Blackmon, BV 11