The Future: 10 Sports Stars with Great Advanced Metrics Stats
We're on a wave right now, and there's no telling when it's going to stop.
Sports have been overrun by this bustling thing we've come to know as "advanced metrics." Basically, a pile of big data has been dumped on our laps, and smart people are out there concocting fresh ways to analyze every aspect of it.
The coolest part about this barrage of complex stats, formulas and algorithms is that it's opened our minds to new possibilities. Before the advanced-metrics movement, players were judged by their traditional stats and their play on tape.
With a sharper focus on each player's contributions, these metrics have given us a way to see the future and appreciate people we may not have before.
Scanning all of the metrics that are floating around on the Internet, we've decided to talk about 10 analytical players who are getting things done.
Instead of simply ranking the best players in the world, we've tweaked our own recipe a bit. This slideshow will look at young players with a bright future, role players who are underappreciated and we've jumbled those names with some of the very best players in the world.
Everyone, it's time to expand your mind with us and check out the future of sports research.
Honorable Mention: Eli Manning
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Eli Manning may seem like an odd choice to make this list, but he's actually more analytical than you may think.
Manning's had plenty of ups and downs throughout the 11 years he's been with the New York Giants. There have been seasons where he's tossed over 25 interceptions. There have been early struggles. And then, out of what felt like nowhere, he went out and won two Super Bowls.
In terms of advanced analytics, he hasn't really been a catalyst for the movement. In 2014, Pro Football Focus handed the former Ole Miss QB out a plus-0.9 grade.
Without the sudden emergence of rookie sensation Odell Beckham Jr., it's not difficult to imagine Manning being thrust into the negative ranks.
The one spot where Eli thrives off these new metrics is in the postseason. Data guru Nate Silver of FiveThiryEight.com crunched the numbers, and he came away with the conclusion that Manning is the most clutch QB in playoff history.
Again, in the grand scheme of advanced metrics, there's nothing about Manning you'd write home about. Nevertheless, his postseason antics are filled with perfect throws and an 8-3 win-loss record.
10. Teddy Bridgewater
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Don't mind the challenges Teddy Bridgewater faced during his rookie year with the Minnesota Vikings. The first-round pick was able to overcome them and churn out a season that should be remembered from an advanced-analytics interpretation.
Leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, Bridgewater went from being a hot name to one shoved behind the likes of Johnny Manziel, Derek Carr and Blake Bortles.
This surprised many film buffs and even casual fans considering Bridgewater's time at Louisville was a showcase of sorts. He displayed accuracy, NFL-caliber poise and a nice feel for his surroundings in the pocket.
Bridgewater's fall to the Vikings at pick No. 32 was surprising but welcomed amongst true fans of the purple and gold.
His traditional stats weren't immense. In 13 games, TB threw for 2,919 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The analytical angle tells another story.
By PFF's measurements, Bridgewater was the 15th-best QB in the league, recording a plus-4.5 grade. Going through the site's signature stats, TB also finished the 2014 season third in the quarterback accuracy percentage category.
Per PFF's own summary of that stat, that data "accounts for dropped passes, throw aways, spiked balls, batted passes, and passes where the quarterback was hit while they threw the ball."
Bridgewater has a lot of room to grow and mature as a passer, but all of these positives can't be overlooked. Without having Adrian Peterson in the backfield to relieve some pressure, the 22-year-old did a great job in 2014.
Before the analytical movement, only coaches and those who watched him on film would have realized that.
9. Dallas Keuchel
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Sometimes it's hard to tell how good a pitcher is based off his record alone. Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros is one of those examples.
Keuchel's record in 2014 wasn't anything to run home and tell your parents about. Thankfully, a pedestrian 12 wins to nine losses doesn't even begin to tell the full story.
As you trek on through the crisp pages of the stat sheet, you'll notice Keuchel finished '14 with a 2.93 ERA. FanGraphs.com, a website dedicated to analytics, has taken its research a step further and also ranked the young Astros pitcher as the 16th-best pitcher in all of the MLB.
His 3.9 wins above average were tied with Zack Greinke and more than Madison Bumgarner and Justin Verlander.
The 27-year-old lefty has found a way to put all of his stuff together and pitch admirably. Once Houston turns things around as a franchise, his wins should continue to climb.
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8. Everson Griffen
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The NFL's love for throwing the football has given way for edge-rushers to become franchise saviors.
No enhanced numbers are needed to explain how crucial it is to get pressure on quarterbacks. Violating the timing and comfort level of those guys changes everything.
In the land of Vikings, where head coach Mike Zimmer wants his edge-rushers to chew up quarterbacks like mutton, Everson Griffen is the man.
Lost in a pool of great pass-rushers, Griffen quietly had himself a very productive season in 2014. His PFF grade came in at a positive-16.8. That mark put him comfortably in the top 10 among all qualifying 4-3 defensive ends.
All of that pressure resulted in 12 sacks.
The Vikings' decision last year to sign Griffen to a five-year deal worth $42.5 million certainly looks like the right move. At 27 years old he's developed, focused and doesn't have a ton of mileage on his wheels—Griffen was used in a rotational role prior to 2014.
When the Vikings re-upped Griffen's contract and let Jared Allen walk, it was controversial. Looking at his traditional production—Allen had 5.5 sacks with the Chicago Bears—and the more inclusive stats, it's clear now that decision was correct.
7. Jose Quintana
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White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana is by all means criminally underrated. Lost in a sophisticated rotation consisting of Jeff Samardzija and Chris Sale, Quintana has quietly been a gamer for the Sox.
FanGraphs.com ranked Quintana as baseball's ninth-best pitcher last season—that was one slot lower than his teammate Sale.
The key for a guy like Quintana is his durability. After pitching 136.1 innings his rookie season, the 26-year-old has reached the 200-inning mark in 2013 and '14.
There are a lot of great arm talents in baseball, and that's part of what makes the game so great. Quintana won't mesmerize you with power or pinpoint control. He's simply more of a well-rounded player who understands how to manipulate a count.
Want to really be taken back? According to FanGraphs.com, Quintana's 5.3 WAR was higher than that of Adam Wainwright and Johnny Cueto—both of those dudes won 20 games in 2014.
Without the benefit of advanced metrics you would never know how good he was just by looking at the numbers featured on his trading card. And that's what makes this stuff so great.
6. Ben Zobrist
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Ben Zobrist should be dubbed "Mr. Sabermetrics." He provides premium value for a club without loading up the stat sheet.
The veteran Oakland Athletics player has found his niche and he's taken full advantage of it. You may ask, "How can a guy who's never had more than a .297 batting average be so valuable?"
Zobrist first and foremost is a jack-of-all-trades. Ryan P. Morrison of Beyond the Box Score examined a category he refers to as "positional flexibility." In that context, Zobrist's ability to play multiple positions on the field—and play them well—is second to none.
Morrison also asks the question, "But what about players who are fully capable of being starting players for most clubs at multiple positions? How much value might their versatility add?"
In the WAR discussion, Zobrist hangs tough. Looking at 2014, his 5.7 wins above replacement, via FanGraphs.com, were greater than Robinson Cano, Miguel Cabrera and Jose Abreu.
Mr. Sabermetrics is here to stay. I guess it's no coincidence he's currently playing for Billy Beane's club.
5. Anthony Rizzo
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Anthony Rizzo is budding into a superstar. He's already become one of the most important building blocks of the Chicago Cubs' future. Despite his robust numbers in 2014, Rizzo has to be featured on this list.
Last season, the 25-year-old first basemen hit 32 home runs, knocked in 78 RBI and finished the year with a .286 batting average.
Taking this conversation into more of an analytical direction, Rizzo's numbers become even more impressive. Strictly speaking in a WAR tone, the young Cubs player was worth 5.6 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.com's' data.
Another important category that Rizzo thrives in is one called weighted on-base average. By FanGraphs.com's' definition, wOBA breaks down like this:
"Weighted On-Base Average combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value. While batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage fall short in accuracy and scope, wOBA measures and captures offensive value more accurately and comprehensively.
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As far as one of the tell-all offensive stats goes, Rizzo crushed it. In 2014 he was the seventh best in that particular category. Better than the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Nelson Cruz and Buster Posey.
The numbers and research shows you how good of a player Rizzo has become in such a short period of time.
4. DeMarcus Cousins
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You're lying to yourself if you didn't think a few years back that DeMarcus Cousins could finish his NBA career as a mediocre entity.
Fresh out of Kentucky, Cousins was a question mark. No one really knew what the Sacramento Kings were going to get when they drafted him No. 5 overall in 2010.
"The biggest concern with him right now is the lack of explosiveness … He is very effective at the current level because he simply outmuscles opponents, but once he faces bigger defenders, his athleticism (or lack thereof) will be exposed further," Jonathan Wasserman of NBADraft.net wrote at the time.
To say Cousins has turned things around would be a gross understatement.
The man they call "Boogie" has channeled all of his natural gifts and become one of the NBA's top big men. By the Hollinger rankings, Cousins' current player efficiency rating is at 24.97. That's eighth-best in basketball and No. 2 among centers.
Scoring and rebounding has gone hand in hand with those efficiency totals. Cousins is dropping 23.6 points and corralling 12.6 rebounds per game.
At 24 years of age, odds are we haven't even seen his peak. The Kings have a real chance to build around Cousins. He has that superstar skill set that you need to succeed in the NBA. Despite being buried in the lost city of California, the advanced metrics show that.
3. Marshal Yanda
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Evaluating talent in the NFL isn't an exact science. Football minds and experienced scouts understand what makes for a great player, but in recent years the advanced-metrics movement has also carved out a niche when it comes to grading ability.
Pro Football Focus is one of the very best when it comes to that whole perspective.
Offensive guard isn't the sexiest position in football. It doesn't involve touchdown passes, 90-yard runs or anything like that. But without solid play from the guard position, the rest of the offense will splinter into shards of nothing.
By PFF's measurements, Baltimore Ravens guard Marshal Yanda is one of the league's very best. The 30-year-old guard registered 1,012 regular-season snaps. Even with all of that work, his plus-43.4 grade was 17.7 points higher than the guys in second place.
Counting Baltimore's two playoff games in 2015, Yanda was present for 99.1 percent of the offensive snaps.
Yanda is a four-time Pro Bowler, yet he still feels greatly underappreciated. Even if that is the case, advanced metrics have proved how good he truly is. Without it, he might be lost in the shuffle of big bodies.
2. James Harden
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The Houston Rockets have a legitimate MVP candidate on their roster this season, and his name isn't Dwight Howard.
James Harden, the guard who was berated by the public for "not playing defense" last year, has turned a beast. Currently he's leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.3 points per game.
We love to see that as fans. Watching Harden attack the hoop and become the focal point of the Rockets offense is great. With Kobe Bryant's struggles and now injury, it's fantastic to see a young, talented shooting guard take over in the Western Conference.
ESPN's Hollinger ratings have been awfully kind to the prolific rim-rattler. Harden's 27.76 PER is third-best among qualifying NBA players—and top for shooting guards.
Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland.com has been talking about Harden for what feels like forever now. In his latest column focusing in on the man with the beard, Goldsberry said the following:
"Symbolically, Harden might be the most important player in the world. He’s a manifestation of the current trends in offensive basketball. The things that make him such an unusual superstar serve as a leaguewide harbinger of what’s to come.
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I've used this quote before, but it's so fitting for this conversation. The things Harden is doing on the court from an advanced-stats angle are simply beautiful.
Goldsberry breaks down why and how Harden has evolved into a star. Three things he highlights are responsible for it: scoring from the free-throw line, a subject he calls "functional misses," and Harden's ability to spread the basketball around.
Those elements have made him a bearded advanced-metric guru.
1. Anthony Davis
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Anthony Davis is a man who could steal the crown off of King James' dome.
LeBron is the best player in the world. There's little doubt about that. The things he's done and the skill set he's put forth are on an all-time scale.
But now that James is 30 years old, some of the younger players in the league have finally gotten a chance to make their case for the best. The job Davis has done during the 2014-15 season is staggering.
We hit the Hollinger index again because it's such a valuable well of information. In that light, Davis' PER rating is a league-best 32.07. To put that PER number into a brighter light, last year's MVP Kevin Durant finished his season with a 29.90 rating.
Davis is on pace to shatter that total.
"AD," as he's been called, is a rangy, proficient scorer on offense. Defensively, he's a shot-blocking robot. Based on those same Hollinger stats, he's worth an estimated 15.8 wins added to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Watching Davis play reveals that he's a demonic basketball force. The advanced metrics show you how all of those stats compare to the rest of the stars in the NBA.
Unless noted otherwise, all game scores, stats and information courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.
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