While the modern game might be defined by blasts like Aaron Judge's MLB-leading 95.9 mph average exit velocity, the true keys to unlocking elite performance lie deeper within the advanced metrics that reveal everything from a pitcher's dominant "Stuff+" to a defender's game-changing Outs Above Average.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Aaron Judge recorded the highest average exit velocity in MLB at 95.9 mph
- Ronald Acuna Jr. led MLB with a 13.9% Barrel rate in 2023
- Shohei Ohtani's 2023 xwOBA was .446, the highest in MLB
- Corbin Burnes led MLB with 2.45 ERA in 2023 among qualified starters
- Spencer Strider's 2023 K/9 was 13.56, highest among qualified
- Blake Snell posted 11.01 K/9 and 2.19 FIP in 2023
- Andrelton Simmons led MLB with +25 Defensive Runs Saved at SS in 2017
- Mookie Betts had +12 Outs Above Average in RF in 2023
- Matt Chapman topped 3B with +29 DRS in 2022
- Ronald Acuna Jr. led MLB with 73 SB in 2023
- Corbin Carroll had 54 SB and 80.6% success rate in 2023
- Elly De La Cruz stole 67 bases at 75.3% success in 2023
- Shohei Ohtani led MLB with 10.1 WAR in 2023
- Mookie Betts had 8.3 fWAR and 7.4 bWAR in 2023
- Corbin Carroll posted 5.6 WAR despite injury 2023
Top MLB stars showcased elite hitting, pitching, and fielding talents in 2023.
Baserunning Metrics
- Ronald Acuna Jr. led MLB with 73 SB in 2023
- Corbin Carroll had 54 SB and 80.6% success rate in 2023
- Elly De La Cruz stole 67 bases at 75.3% success in 2023
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. posted 40 SB with 82.6% success rate 2023
- Brice Turang led NL with 50 SB in 2023
- Esteury Ruiz had 50 SB but 67.7% success in 2023
- Nolan Jones stole 33 SB at 84.6% in 2023
- Jarren Duran had 24 SB and top BsR of 8.2 in 2023
- Ha-Seong Kim posted 38 SB with 90.5% success 2023
- Will Benson had 22 SB but high 82% success
- Michael Harris II stole 23 at 82.1% in 2023
- Bobby Witt Jr. had 49 SB and 7.1 BsR in 2023
- Trea Turner posted 30 SB despite injury in 2023
- Josh Rojas had 25 SB at 86.2% success 2023
- Joey Wiemer stole 21 with 80.8% rate
- Jake McCarthy had 26 SB and 6.4 BsR in 2023
- Garrett Mitchell posted 22 SB pre-injury 2023
- Sal Frelick had high sprint speed 29.0 ft/sec in 2023 debut
- Victor Scott II stole 20 in minors but MLB pace high 2023
- Masyn Winn had 12 SB at 92.3% success early 2023
- Jordan Westburg posted positive BsR in limited action 2023
Baserunning Metrics Interpretation
The modern stolen base is an art of both volume and precision, where old-school bandits like Acuña rack up heists and new-school accountants like Kim audit the basepaths with near-perfect efficiency.
Fielding Metrics
- Andrelton Simmons led MLB with +25 Defensive Runs Saved at SS in 2017
- Mookie Betts had +12 Outs Above Average in RF in 2023
- Matt Chapman topped 3B with +29 DRS in 2022
- Francisco Lindor led SS with +15 OAA in 2023
- Dansby Swanson had +10 DRS at SS in 2023
- Will Smith posted +12 FRV at C in 2023 per Statcast
- J.T. Realmuto led catchers with +8 DRS in 2023
- Adley Rutschman had top pop time avg 1.92 sec in 2023
- Sean Murphy's arm strength 85.2 mph avg in 2023
- Christian Vazquez had +15 FRV at C in 2022
- Kevin Kiermaier led CF with +28 DRS in 2023
- Cedric Mullins had +12 OAA in CF 2023
- Jarren Duran posted +9 Defensive Runs in CF 2023
- Steven Kwan led LF with +15 DRS in 2023
- Ian Happ had +11 OAA across LF/CF in 2023
- Brice Turang topped 2B with +12 DRS in 2023
- Ketel Marte had +8 UZR/150 at 2B in 2023
- Nico Hoerner led NL 2B with +10 OAA in 2023
- Ha-Seong Kim had +14 DRS at 2B/SS in 2023
- Jose Altuve posted +5 FRV despite age in 2023
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. improved to +3 OAA at 1B in 2023
- Paul Goldschmidt had +4 DRS at 1B 2023
- Christian Walker led 1B with +12 DRS in 2023
- Rhys Hoskins had negative but relative +2 UZR at 1B 2023
- Nolan Arenado topped 3B with +10 DRS career but +2 in 2023
- Austin Riley had -5 OAA at 3B 2023
- Ke'Bryan Hayes posted +9 DRS at 3B 2023
- Elly De La Cruz had +4 OAA at SS despite errors in 2023
- Ezequiel Tovar +7 DRS at SS 2023
- Bobby Witt Jr. had +5 OAA at SS 2023
Fielding Metrics Interpretation
While these elite defensive metrics make it clear who's vacuuming up balls in the field, they also quietly reveal that in modern baseball, saving runs with a glove has become its own precise and celebrated science.
Offensive Metrics
- In 2023, Aaron Judge recorded the highest average exit velocity in MLB at 95.9 mph
- Ronald Acuna Jr. led MLB with a 13.9% Barrel rate in 2023
- Shohei Ohtani's 2023 xwOBA was .446, the highest in MLB
- Juan Soto had a 17.8% walk rate in 2023, second highest among qualified hitters
- Mookie Betts posted a .419 wOBA in 2023 with a 155 wRC+
- Corey Seager's 2023 Hard Hit% was 49.2%, top 5 in MLB
- Freddie Freeman led NL with a .977 OPS in 2023 regular season
- Yordan Alvarez had a .627 SLG in 2023, highest among qualified AL hitters
- Matt Olson's 2023 ISO was .278, leading qualified players
- Bryce Harper's 2023 xSLG was .595, elite projection
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a 14.2% Barrel% in 2023 second half
- Ketel Marte posted a .376 wOBA in 2023 with 142 wRC+
- Marcell Ozuna's 2023 Hard Hit% reached 48.1%, top 3
- Rafael Devers had .300/.385/.581 slash in 2023
- Adolis Garcia led MLB with 39 HR in 2023 despite .469 SLG
- Elly De La Cruz's 2023 Sprint Speed avg 29.5 ft/sec, elite
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. had 15.1% Barrel% in 2023
- Oneil Cruz avg exit velo 95.1 mph in 2023, top 10
- Pete Alonso's 2023 xwOBA was .392
- Austin Riley had .281/.332/.511 slash with 16.8% K-rate in 2023
- Randy Arozarena posted .254/.341/.475 with 20 SB in 2023
- Ian Happ's 2023 wRC+ was 134
- Christian Walker had .247/.370/.468 with 155 wRC+ in 2023
- J.T. Realmuto's 2023 Barrel% was 11.2%
- Dansby Swanson had .253/.322/.390 with 12.4% walk rate in 2023
- Teoscar Hernandez's 2023 Hard Hit% was 46.7%
- Nolan Gorman posted .177/.266/.417 early 2023 but improved to .250 wOBA later
- Ezequiel Tovar's 2023 xSLG was .450 despite .441 actual
- Josh Naylor had .248/.320/.456 with 14.1% Barrel% in 2023
- LaMonte Wade Jr. had .256/.338/.398 with 15.2% walk rate in 2023
Offensive Metrics Interpretation
While Judge and Cruz crush the ball with thrilling violence, Acuña and Soto show the elegance of patience, and Betts and Freeman deliver with ruthless consistency, all these disparate metrics ultimately paint the same picture: hitting in 2023 was a masterclass in controlled, calculated, and often catastrophic force.
Pitching Metrics
- Corbin Burnes led MLB with 2.45 ERA in 2023 among qualified starters
- Spencer Strider's 2023 K/9 was 13.56, highest among qualified
- Blake Snell posted 11.01 K/9 and 2.19 FIP in 2023
- Gerrit Cole's 2023 SwStr% was 14.5%, top 5
- Zack Wheeler had .233 opp AVG and 2.87 ERA in 2023
- Logan Gilbert's 2023 Stuff+ was 112, elite rating
- Framber Valdez led MLB with 2.36 BB/9 in 2023
- Sonny Gray's 2023 CSW% was 29.8%, highest among qualifiers
- George Kirby had 2.45 FIP and .220 opp BABIP in 2023
- Tanner Bibee's 2023 Whiff% was 28.2% on fastballs
- Joe Ryan posted 11.37 K/9 with 3.45 SIERA in 2023
- Kodai Senga's 2023 Ghost Fork had 35% whiff rate
- Luis Castillo's 2023 xERA was 3.12, under actual 3.34
- Pablo Lopez had 10.58 K/9 and 194 ERA+ in 2023
- Hunter Greene's avg fastball velo 97.8 mph in 2023
- Triston McKenzie's 2023 SwStr% was 14.2%
- Nestor Cortes had 25.3% K% and 3.65 FIP in 2023
- Cristian Javier's 2023 xwOBA was .246, best in MLB
- MacKenzie Gore posted 10.5 K/9 with 27.1% Chase% in 2023
- Edward Cabrera's 2023 Stuff+ was 105 despite control issues
- Jordan Montgomery had 3.20 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 2023
- Clarke Schmidt's 2023 CSW% was 28.5%
- Reese Olson had 9.2 K/9 and 3.53 SIERA late 2023
- Landon Knack's 2023 debut Whiff% was 30.1%
- Kyle Harrison's 2023 xERA was 3.85
- Bobby Miller posted 95.5 mph avg FB velo in 2023
- Matt Strahm had 10.8 K/9 with 2.45 FIP in 2023 relief
- Yennier Cano's 2023 SwStr% was 15.8%
- Andres Muñoz led relievers with 14.9 K/9 in 2023
- Emmanuel Clase had 0.66 ERA and 12.5 K/9 in 2023
- Edwin Díaz posted 13.1 K/9 post-injury in 2023
- Devin Williams' 2023 Airbender had 42% whiff rate
- Mason Miller's 2023 avg FB velo was 101.2 mph, fastest reliever
- Jhoan Duran had 10.8 K/9 and 1.47 FIP in 2023
- Adbert Alzolay's 2023 SwStr% was 15.2%
- Camilo Doval posted 2.21 ERA with 11.2 K/9 in 2023
- Aroldis Chapman's 2023 CSW% was 30.2%
- Trevor Megill had 12.4 K/9 in 2023 relief role
- Ryan Helsley led NL relievers with 1.01 ERA in 2023
- Jason Adam's 2023 xERA was 2.45
- A.J. Minter posted 2.79 ERA and 10.9 K/9 in 2023
Pitching Metrics Interpretation
It turns out you can't build a modern Cy Young award without a small army of specialists, from the surgeon's command and the strikeout artist's flair to the fireballing reliever who moonlights as a human exclamation point.
Player Value Metrics
- Shohei Ohtani led MLB with 10.1 WAR in 2023
- Mookie Betts had 8.3 fWAR and 7.4 bWAR in 2023
- Corbin Carroll posted 5.6 WAR despite injury 2023
- Francisco Lindor had 6.8 fWAR at SS in 2023
- Ronald Acuna Jr. achieved 8.3 bWAR with MVP 2023
- Matt Olson led with 6.2 WAR among 1B in 2023
- Freddie Freeman had 6.9 fWAR and Gold Glove 2023
- Ketel Marte posted 5.5 WAR with 138 wRC+ 2023
- Christian Yelich had 4.8 fWAR rebound 2023
- Yordan Alvarez 5.9 WAR despite limited games 2023
- Corey Seager achieved 5.4 fWAR post-injury 2023
- Dansby Swanson had 4.7 WAR with elite defense 2023
- Ian Happ posted 4.5 fWAR utility 2023
- Willson Contreras 3.2 WAR at C/1B 2023
- J.T. Realmuto had 3.8 fWAR behind plate 2023
- Corbin Burnes led pitchers with 5.9 fWAR in 2023
- Zack Wheeler posted 5.5 fWAR and 3.08 ERA 2023
- Spencer Strider had 4.6 fWAR pre-injury 2023
- Logan Webb achieved 5.2 fWAR with Cy Young case 2023
- Framber Valdez 4.8 fWAR innings eater 2023
- Sonny Gray posted 4.4 fWAR breakout 2023
- George Kirby had 4.1 fWAR control artist 2023
- Blake Snell 3.9 fWAR Cy Young winner 2023
- Gerrit Cole 4.7 fWAR strikeout king 2023
- Pablo Lopez 4.3 fWAR breakout 2023
Player Value Metrics Interpretation
While Shohei Ohtani towered above the league in 2023 as its undisputed WAR-lord, this diverse cast of stars—from elite sluggers and rebound stories to defensive maestros and pitching aces—proves there’s more than one way to be incredibly valuable, even if some definitions require a fanciful acronym to explain.