MLB Free Agents 2012: The All-Sabermetric All-Star Team

When a team sorts through the number of free agents available this offseason, it becomes clear after looking at statistics from last season that a player such as Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder could be ideal signings for adding a power bat to a lineup, and that Jose Reyes could become a team’s leadoff hitter for the next few seasons.

However, statistics such as batting average, home run and hit totals, as well as ERA may not tell the full story when it comes to viewing a player’s ability.

Fielder led all free agent batters with a .408 wOBA, and David Ortiz and Carlos Beltran finished with the second and third highest totals, respectively.

C.J. Wilson led all free agent starting pitchers with a 3.41 xFIP, and is joined in the top five among free-agent pitchers who made at least 20 starts by Erik Bedard and Chris Capuano.

This offseason’s best free agents may change when sabermetrics are used to evaluate them instead of average statistics.

Here is this offseason’s all-sabermetric free-agent team.

Catcher: Ryan Doumit

Ryan Doumit batted .303 with eight home runs and 30 RBI last season, and is one of this offseason’s available free-agent catchers.  But he also had a career year in a number of sabermetric categories.

Doumit’s .174 ISO, .360 wOBA, 129 wRC+ and .331BABIP were near his career averages.  Doumit also has the second-best BB% and K% among free-agent catchers this offseason, as well as the second-highest WAR value.

First Base: Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder not only leads free-agent first basemen in a number of sabermetric statistics, but also this offseason’s entire free-agent class.  Fielder batted .299 with 38 home runs and 120 RBI last season.

Fielder’s 5.5 WAR value, .267 ISO, .408 wOBA, 162 wRC+ and .981 OPS lead free-agent first basemen this offseason.  Fielder has had three seasons in which his OPS was over .980, his ISO over .260, his wOBA over .390 and his wRC+ over 150.

Second Base: Nick Punto

Nick Punto had one of the fewest amounts of at-bats last season among free-agent second basemen, but had a .278 batting average and 20 RBI.  He also has the second-highest WAR value of free-agent second basemen.

Punto’s 123 wRC+, .319 BABIP and .350 wOBA lead free-agent second basemen, and his .143 ISO and .809 OPS were the highest of his career.  He also has one of the highest UZR values among free-agent second basemen, as he has a career .983 fielding percentage at second base.

Shortstop: Jose Reyes

Jose Reyes not only has the highest WAR value of free-agent shortstops this offseason, but also in all of the major leagues last season at shortstop.  Reyes batted .337 with seven home runs and 44 RBI last season.

Reyes’ .156 ISO, .386 wOBA, 149 wRC+, .877 OPS, .353 BABIP and 32.7 wRAA are the highest among free-agent shortstops, while his BABIP, wOBA, wRC+, wRAA and OPS were the highest of his career.  Reyes also has the lowest strikeout rate of free-agent shortstops.

Third Base: Aramis Ramirez

Aramis Ramirez has the highest WAR value of free-agent third basemen and leads in a number of other sabermetric categories.  He also had the highest batting average last season of free-agent third basemen.

Ramirez batted .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI last season.  He also has the highest wOBA, wRC+, wRAA and ISO of free-agent third basemen this offseason.  Ramirez’s 133 wRC+, .373 wOBA and .308 BABIP were above his career averages.

Outfield: Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran not only leads free-agent outfielders in sabermetric categories, but he also has some of the highest statistics of all free agents.  Beltran batted .300 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI last season.

Beltran also leads free-agent outfielders with a .389 wOBA, a 151 wRC+ and a 34.9 wRAA.  His wOBA, wRC+ and BABIP were better than his career averages.  Beltran’s sabermetric statistics are near the top for all free agents this offseason.

Outfield: Michael Cuddyer

After Carlos Beltran, Michael Cuddyer may have the highest sabermetric statistics of free-agent outfielders.  Cuddyer batted .284 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI last season.  After Beltran, Cuddyer leads free-agent outfielders in wRAA, and is near the top in wOBA, wRC+ and BABIP.

Cuddyer had a .354 wOBA, a 124 wRC+, .312 BABIP and 17.6 wRAA last season.  These averages are near or above his career averages, and put him as one of this offseason’s top sabermetric performers.

Pitcher: C.J. Wilson

C.J. Wilson went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA last season, and has some of the highest sabermetric averages of free-agent pitchers.

Wilson had a 3.41 xFIP, .287 BABIP, 3.44 SIERA, 3.75 tERA and 73.6% LOB% last season.  He also has the highest K/9 average of free-agent pitchers, at 8.30.  Wilson’s SIERA and xFIP are at the top of this offseason’s free-agent pitchers.