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
1Ronald Acuna Jr. led MLB with 73 SB in 2023
Verified2Corbin Carroll had 54 SB and 80.6% success rate in 2023
Verified3Elly De La Cruz stole 67 bases at 75.3% success in 2023
Verified4Jazz Chisholm Jr. posted 40 SB with 82.6% success rate 2023
Directional5Brice Turang led NL with 50 SB in 2023
Single source6Esteury Ruiz had 50 SB but 67.7% success in 2023
Verified7Nolan Jones stole 33 SB at 84.6% in 2023
Verified8Jarren Duran had 24 SB and top BsR of 8.2 in 2023
Verified9Ha-Seong Kim posted 38 SB with 90.5% success 2023
Directional10Will Benson had 22 SB but high 82% success
Single source11Michael Harris II stole 23 at 82.1% in 2023
Verified12Bobby Witt Jr. had 49 SB and 7.1 BsR in 2023
Verified13Trea Turner posted 30 SB despite injury in 2023
Verified14Josh Rojas had 25 SB at 86.2% success 2023
Directional15Joey Wiemer stole 21 with 80.8% rate
Single source16Jake McCarthy had 26 SB and 6.4 BsR in 2023
Verified17Garrett Mitchell posted 22 SB pre-injury 2023
Verified18Sal Frelick had high sprint speed 29.0 ft/sec in 2023 debut
Verified19Victor Scott II stole 20 in minors but MLB pace high 2023
Directional20Masyn Winn had 12 SB at 92.3% success early 2023
Single source21Jordan Westburg posted positive BsR in limited action 2023
VerifiedBaserunning 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
1Andrelton Simmons led MLB with +25 Defensive Runs Saved at SS in 2017
Verified2Mookie Betts had +12 Outs Above Average in RF in 2023
Verified3Matt Chapman topped 3B with +29 DRS in 2022
Verified4Francisco Lindor led SS with +15 OAA in 2023
Directional5Dansby Swanson had +10 DRS at SS in 2023
Single source6Will Smith posted +12 FRV at C in 2023 per Statcast
Verified7J.T. Realmuto led catchers with +8 DRS in 2023
Verified8Adley Rutschman had top pop time avg 1.92 sec in 2023
Verified9Sean Murphy's arm strength 85.2 mph avg in 2023
Directional10Christian Vazquez had +15 FRV at C in 2022
Single source11Kevin Kiermaier led CF with +28 DRS in 2023
Verified12Cedric Mullins had +12 OAA in CF 2023
Verified13Jarren Duran posted +9 Defensive Runs in CF 2023
Verified14Steven Kwan led LF with +15 DRS in 2023
Directional15Ian Happ had +11 OAA across LF/CF in 2023
Single source16Brice Turang topped 2B with +12 DRS in 2023
Verified17Ketel Marte had +8 UZR/150 at 2B in 2023
Verified18Nico Hoerner led NL 2B with +10 OAA in 2023
Verified19Ha-Seong Kim had +14 DRS at 2B/SS in 2023
Directional20Jose Altuve posted +5 FRV despite age in 2023
Single source21Vladimir Guerrero Jr. improved to +3 OAA at 1B in 2023
Verified22Paul Goldschmidt had +4 DRS at 1B 2023
Verified23Christian Walker led 1B with +12 DRS in 2023
Verified24Rhys Hoskins had negative but relative +2 UZR at 1B 2023
Directional25Nolan Arenado topped 3B with +10 DRS career but +2 in 2023
Single source26Austin Riley had -5 OAA at 3B 2023
Verified27Ke'Bryan Hayes posted +9 DRS at 3B 2023
Verified28Elly De La Cruz had +4 OAA at SS despite errors in 2023
Verified29Ezequiel Tovar +7 DRS at SS 2023
Directional30Bobby Witt Jr. had +5 OAA at SS 2023
Single sourceFielding 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
1In 2023, Aaron Judge recorded the highest average exit velocity in MLB at 95.9 mph
Verified2Ronald Acuna Jr. led MLB with a 13.9% Barrel rate in 2023
Verified3Shohei Ohtani's 2023 xwOBA was .446, the highest in MLB
Verified4Juan Soto had a 17.8% walk rate in 2023, second highest among qualified hitters
Directional5Mookie Betts posted a .419 wOBA in 2023 with a 155 wRC+
Single source6Corey Seager's 2023 Hard Hit% was 49.2%, top 5 in MLB
Verified7Freddie Freeman led NL with a .977 OPS in 2023 regular season
Verified8Yordan Alvarez had a .627 SLG in 2023, highest among qualified AL hitters
Verified9Matt Olson's 2023 ISO was .278, leading qualified players
Directional10Bryce Harper's 2023 xSLG was .595, elite projection
Single source11Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a 14.2% Barrel% in 2023 second half
Verified12Ketel Marte posted a .376 wOBA in 2023 with 142 wRC+
Verified13Marcell Ozuna's 2023 Hard Hit% reached 48.1%, top 3
Verified14Rafael Devers had .300/.385/.581 slash in 2023
Directional15Adolis Garcia led MLB with 39 HR in 2023 despite .469 SLG
Single source16Elly De La Cruz's 2023 Sprint Speed avg 29.5 ft/sec, elite
Verified17Jazz Chisholm Jr. had 15.1% Barrel% in 2023
Verified18Oneil Cruz avg exit velo 95.1 mph in 2023, top 10
Verified19Pete Alonso's 2023 xwOBA was .392
Directional20Austin Riley had .281/.332/.511 slash with 16.8% K-rate in 2023
Single source21Randy Arozarena posted .254/.341/.475 with 20 SB in 2023
Verified22Ian Happ's 2023 wRC+ was 134
Verified23Christian Walker had .247/.370/.468 with 155 wRC+ in 2023
Verified24J.T. Realmuto's 2023 Barrel% was 11.2%
Directional25Dansby Swanson had .253/.322/.390 with 12.4% walk rate in 2023
Single source26Teoscar Hernandez's 2023 Hard Hit% was 46.7%
Verified27Nolan Gorman posted .177/.266/.417 early 2023 but improved to .250 wOBA later
Verified28Ezequiel Tovar's 2023 xSLG was .450 despite .441 actual
Verified29Josh Naylor had .248/.320/.456 with 14.1% Barrel% in 2023
Directional30LaMonte Wade Jr. had .256/.338/.398 with 15.2% walk rate in 2023
Single sourceOffensive 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
1Corbin Burnes led MLB with 2.45 ERA in 2023 among qualified starters
Verified2Spencer Strider's 2023 K/9 was 13.56, highest among qualified
Verified3Blake Snell posted 11.01 K/9 and 2.19 FIP in 2023
Verified4Gerrit Cole's 2023 SwStr% was 14.5%, top 5
Directional5Zack Wheeler had .233 opp AVG and 2.87 ERA in 2023
Single source6Logan Gilbert's 2023 Stuff+ was 112, elite rating
Verified7Framber Valdez led MLB with 2.36 BB/9 in 2023
Verified8Sonny Gray's 2023 CSW% was 29.8%, highest among qualifiers
Verified9George Kirby had 2.45 FIP and .220 opp BABIP in 2023
Directional10Tanner Bibee's 2023 Whiff% was 28.2% on fastballs
Single source11Joe Ryan posted 11.37 K/9 with 3.45 SIERA in 2023
Verified12Kodai Senga's 2023 Ghost Fork had 35% whiff rate
Verified13Luis Castillo's 2023 xERA was 3.12, under actual 3.34
Verified14Pablo Lopez had 10.58 K/9 and 194 ERA+ in 2023
Directional15Hunter Greene's avg fastball velo 97.8 mph in 2023
Single source16Triston McKenzie's 2023 SwStr% was 14.2%
Verified17Nestor Cortes had 25.3% K% and 3.65 FIP in 2023
Verified18Cristian Javier's 2023 xwOBA was .246, best in MLB
Verified19MacKenzie Gore posted 10.5 K/9 with 27.1% Chase% in 2023
Directional20Edward Cabrera's 2023 Stuff+ was 105 despite control issues
Single source21Jordan Montgomery had 3.20 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 2023
Verified22Clarke Schmidt's 2023 CSW% was 28.5%
Verified23Reese Olson had 9.2 K/9 and 3.53 SIERA late 2023
Verified24Landon Knack's 2023 debut Whiff% was 30.1%
Directional25Kyle Harrison's 2023 xERA was 3.85
Single source26Bobby Miller posted 95.5 mph avg FB velo in 2023
Verified27Matt Strahm had 10.8 K/9 with 2.45 FIP in 2023 relief
Verified28Yennier Cano's 2023 SwStr% was 15.8%
Verified29Andres Muñoz led relievers with 14.9 K/9 in 2023
Directional30Emmanuel Clase had 0.66 ERA and 12.5 K/9 in 2023
Single source31Edwin Díaz posted 13.1 K/9 post-injury in 2023
Verified32Devin Williams' 2023 Airbender had 42% whiff rate
Verified33Mason Miller's 2023 avg FB velo was 101.2 mph, fastest reliever
Verified34Jhoan Duran had 10.8 K/9 and 1.47 FIP in 2023
Directional35Adbert Alzolay's 2023 SwStr% was 15.2%
Single source36Camilo Doval posted 2.21 ERA with 11.2 K/9 in 2023
Verified37Aroldis Chapman's 2023 CSW% was 30.2%
Verified38Trevor Megill had 12.4 K/9 in 2023 relief role
Verified39Ryan Helsley led NL relievers with 1.01 ERA in 2023
Directional40Jason Adam's 2023 xERA was 2.45
Single source41A.J. Minter posted 2.79 ERA and 10.9 K/9 in 2023
VerifiedPitching 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
1Shohei Ohtani led MLB with 10.1 WAR in 2023
Verified2Mookie Betts had 8.3 fWAR and 7.4 bWAR in 2023
Verified3Corbin Carroll posted 5.6 WAR despite injury 2023
Verified4Francisco Lindor had 6.8 fWAR at SS in 2023
Directional5Ronald Acuna Jr. achieved 8.3 bWAR with MVP 2023
Single source6Matt Olson led with 6.2 WAR among 1B in 2023
Verified7Freddie Freeman had 6.9 fWAR and Gold Glove 2023
Verified8Ketel Marte posted 5.5 WAR with 138 wRC+ 2023
Verified9Christian Yelich had 4.8 fWAR rebound 2023
Directional10Yordan Alvarez 5.9 WAR despite limited games 2023
Single source11Corey Seager achieved 5.4 fWAR post-injury 2023
Verified12Dansby Swanson had 4.7 WAR with elite defense 2023
Verified13Ian Happ posted 4.5 fWAR utility 2023
Verified14Willson Contreras 3.2 WAR at C/1B 2023
Directional15J.T. Realmuto had 3.8 fWAR behind plate 2023
Single source16Corbin Burnes led pitchers with 5.9 fWAR in 2023
Verified17Zack Wheeler posted 5.5 fWAR and 3.08 ERA 2023
Verified18Spencer Strider had 4.6 fWAR pre-injury 2023
Verified19Logan Webb achieved 5.2 fWAR with Cy Young case 2023
Directional20Framber Valdez 4.8 fWAR innings eater 2023
Single source21Sonny Gray posted 4.4 fWAR breakout 2023
Verified22George Kirby had 4.1 fWAR control artist 2023
Verified23Blake Snell 3.9 fWAR Cy Young winner 2023
Verified24Gerrit Cole 4.7 fWAR strikeout king 2023
Directional25Pablo Lopez 4.3 fWAR breakout 2023
Single sourcePlayer 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.