VORP for the Yen

March 10, 2010

September 29, 2011
Bob Forsheim, Baseball Travelers Daily

This article focuses on the financial dimension of a player’s contribution. The VORP statistic is a good indication of how well a player has contributed to a team. It can be used to compare a pitcher’s performance to that of a position player. It is a good overall indicator of player performance for that reason. If we rate that performance by the player’s salary, we get a good indication of the bang for the buck. The players of the LRS were ranked by a measure of VORP per million dollars salary (VORP/$mil). The results are highlighted in this article.

A listing of the players with the highest VORP/$mil from each team is presented below.

Kuwana Steel Dragons: 24-year-old CF Kudo, Taro – 941.94 VORP/$mil, 43.8 VORP, $46,500
Edo Battousai: 21-year-old SP Hernández, Domingo – 922.58 VORP/$mil, 42.9 VORP, $46,500
Shin Seiki Evas: 30-year-old LF Chikafuji, Sotaro – 677.42 VORP/$mil, 31.5 VORP, $46,500
Naha Shisa: 27-year-old SP Koike, Tetsunori – 640.86 VORP/$mil, 29.8 VORP, $46,500
Neo-Tokyo Akira: 23-year-old SP Ueno, Rikiya – 593.55 VORP/$mil, 27.6 VORP, $46,500
Niihama-shi Ghosts: 28-year-old 1B Samuels, Ron – 524.73 VORP/$mil, 24.4 VORP, $46,500
Kure Arsenal: 24-year-old LF Watanabe, Tomiji – 507.53 VORP/$mil, 23.6 VORP, $46,500
Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors: 20-year-old CL Sai, Akio – 372.04 VORP/$mil, 17.3 VORP, $46,500
Hyakujuu Shinkansen: 31-year-old MR Yano, Ryuichi – 339.78 VORP/$mil, 15.8 VORP, $46,500
Lupin Cliff Hangers: 30-year-old LF Yoshikawa, Akihiro – 329.03 VORP/$mil, 15.3 VORP, $46,500
Kawaguchi Transmitters: 29-year-old 1B Konishi, Soshu – 320.43 VORP/$mil, 14.9 VORP, $46,500
Seoul Crushers: 27-year-old SS Takata, Ogai – 307.53 VORP/$mil, 14.3 VORP, $46,500

A listing of highest VORP/$mil by position is also presented.

28-year-old C Ogawa, Noritada of the Neo-Tokyo Akira – 253.76 VORP/$mil, 11.8 VORP, $46,500
28-year-old 1B Samuels, Ron of the Niihama-shi Ghosts – 524.73 VORP/$mil, 24.4 VORP, $46,500
36-year-old 2B Aguilar, José of the Lupin Cliff Hangers – 90.24 VORP/$mil, 36.6 VORP, $405,600
29-year-old 3B Sato, Soh of the Kuwana Steel Dragons – 77.13 VORP/$mil, 11.3 VORP, $146,500
27-year-old SS Takata, Ogai of the Seoul Crushers – 307.53 VORP/$mil, 14.3 VORP, $46,500
30-year-old LF Chikafuji, Sotaro of the Shin Seiki Evas – 677.42 VORP/$mil, 31.5 VORP, $46,500
24-year-old CF Kudo, Taro of the Kuwana Steel Dragons – 941.94 VORP/$mil, 43.8 VORP, $46,500
25-year-old RF Watanabe, Tameyoshi of the Niihama-shi Ghosts – 320.43 VORP/$mil, 14.9 VORP, $46,500
30-year-old DH Wada, Hisashi of the Shin Seiki Evas – 5.31 VORP/$mil, 49.5 VORP, $9,314,018
21-year-old SP Hernández, Domingo of the Edo Battousai – 922.58 VORP/$mil, 42.9 VORP, $46,500
20-year-old CL Sai, Akio of the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors – 372.04 VORP/$mil, 17.3 VORP, $46,500
21-year-old MR Sekiguchi, Shohei of the Niihama-shi Ghosts – 501.08 VORP/$mil, 23.3 VORP, $46,500

Note that Hisashi Wada is the only player with a VORP/$mil considered at the DH position, but he deserves this spot, ranking fifth amongst players with salaries over $7,000,000.

Domingo Hernandez

Taro Kudo is having an outstanding season so far for a player at league minimum salary. His .950 OPS is tied for 9^th in the league. Not bad for a player at the lowest possible cost. He is a valuable asset in Kuwana’s chase of the division lead. At 24 years old, he will surely rack up more impressive numbers in the future.

Domingo Hernández is pitching very well for a 21-year-old, with a 2.75 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. His 10-5 record is a vast improvement over his first major league season last year. This is a kid with a great future, and he his certainly doing his part in keeping Edo on top the division.

Sotaro Chikafuji is having a breakout season with a .433 OBP and .956 OPS. These numbers are better than any prior, including his minor league years. If he can avoid the injuries, he can contribute a lot to Shin Seiki and help them maintain their division lead.

Tetsunori Koike has a 3.61 ERA over 164.2 innings, with three shutouts, to compliment a 13-7 record. He has been steadily improving since his major league debut in 2007. This must be due in part to what Naha pitching coach Ryu Ueno refers to as his, “…high intelligence with an exemplary work ethic.”

Ron Samuels

Rikiya Uena was acquired from Lupin in the offseason. His 2.79 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 119.1 innings are good indications that the trade was favorable for Neo-Tokyo. He was deservedly selected as an All-Star. His 7-4 record highlights his value at a league minimum salary.

Ron Samuels has shown improvement in this, his second major league season. His .856 OPS, 58 runs, and 51 RBI have certainly benefited Niihama-shi in their push for the division race. His .266 AVG is certainly a bargain at league minimum salary.

Tomiji Watanabe is having an excellent rookie season for the Kure Arsenal. Tomiji, who was traded from Neo-Tokyo prior to the season, has a .255 AVG and .805 OPS. He has hit 16 HR and 24 2B. Scouts believe that his power will increase as the 24-year-old matures. He was certainly a valuable acquisition.

The VORP/$mil statistic heavily favors players who make league minimum or very low salaries. This is because of the great value of those inexpensive players. Thus far, this article has focused predominantly on those lower salary players. In order to determine the relative value of players commanding higher prices, rankings within salary groups will be considered.

The first group considered will be those players with salaries of $7,000,000 or more. These are the superstars and the players earning the mega bucks:

29-year-old RF Eitoku Yamada of the Shin Seiki Evas ranks the highest in this group. He has a 7.32 VORP/$mil resulting from a 71.2 VORP and $9,728,320 salary. Yamada was acquired via trade from the Naha Shisa shortly after the end of last season. He has gone on to perform much better than in any of his prior seasons. He sports a .324 AVG, .632 SLG, and 1.019 OPS. His 88 RBI from the cleanup slot have definitely helped drive Shin Seiki to the top of their division.

33-year-old 3B José Escalante of the Naha Shisa ranks second in this group. He has a 6.88 VORP/$mil resulting from a 53.6 VORP and $7,789,264 salary. This Dominican-born All-Star has a .316 AVG and .434 OBP. These are seasonal personal bests for José. Interestingly, these are almost identical to his numbers of .317 and .434 for time spent with Naha last season. However, those marks were only for a partial season, as José played the first part of the 2010 season for Neo-Tokyo.

36-year-old SP Yoriyoshi Tanaka of the Kuwana Steel Dragons ranks third in this group. He has a 5.65 VORP/$mil resulting from a 42.4 VORP and a $7,500,000 salary. Yorioshi is earning his keep this season with a 2.72 ERA over 158.2 innings and a 15-6 record. Tanaka was acquired by trade from the Seoul Crushers in the offseason and has turned out to be quite the pickup. He has returned to the remarkable form displayed in the inaugural 2007 season.

35-year-old SP Alonso Arteaga of the Shin Seiki Evas ranks fourth in this group. He has a 5.58 VORP/$mil resulting from a 40.0 VORP and a $7,165,000 salary. Alonso has thrown for a 2.95 ERA over 174.0 innings. He was acquired by trade from Hyakujuu on July 24^th. Since joining the Evas, he has won five while losing none, bringing his season record to 11-3. His presence on the team has certainly helped the Evas in their hunt for the championship.

The next group covered is the $3,000,000 to $6,999,999 range:

Nobuhito Hasegawa

27-year-old 3B Nobuhito Hasegawa of the Niihama-shi Ghosts leads this group. He has a 14.23 VORP/$mil resulting from an 83.2 VORP and $5,846,500 salary. This fan-favorite All-Star is simply astounding this season. He is having his best season ever, leading the league in OPS (1.124), SLG (.636), OBP (.488) and AVG (.385). Hasegawa has played with Niihama-shi since the inaugural season, and they should benefit from his bat for years to come due to a contract that runs through the 2014 season.

31-year-old 1B Mushanokoji Furukawa of the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors ranks second in this group. He has a 12.44 VORP/$mil resulting from a 37.9 VORP and $3,046,500 salary. Furukawa previously played in the PEBA and was only a so-so batter in that league. He became a free agent and was signed by Fushigi Yugi shortly after the end of last season. If anyone was thinking he might be a risky investment, he has turned out to be good as gold in the LRS. For his price, a .320 AVG and .901 OPS are welcome additions to any team. The Celestial Warriors are definitely in the race for the Bright Blade Group division and Mushanoki is a good man to have fighting for that cause.

29-year-old LF Sozui Kawashima of the Kuwana Steel Dragons ranks third in this group. He has an 11.94 VORP/$mil resulting from a 47.5 VORP and $3,978,500 salary. Sozui’s 166 hits in 464 AB have earned him a .358 AVG. He shows great plate discipline with a .449 OBP, which is second best in the league. That’s the kind of player to look for – at about four million dollars – when you make a title run.

34-year-old RF Toyozo Okamoto of the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors ranks fourth in this group. He has an 11.30 VORP/$mil resulting from a 48.7 VORP and $4,309,800 salary. Okamoto is quite a hitter, with a .358 AVG, .437 OBP, .617 SLG and 1.053 OPS. Unfortunately, he has lost some significant playtime this year and last due to injury, but his performance when on the field is definitely a big part of Fushigi Yugi’s winning formula. Okamoto also adds a 21-game hitting streak to his credentials this season.

The next group covered is the $1,000,000 to $2,999,999 range:

29-year-old SP Toshikasu Tanaka of the Shin Seiki Evas leads this group. He has a 16.71 VORP/$mil resulting from a 42.6 VORP and $2,550,000 salary. This career Shin Seiki player holds the league-leading ERA for pitchers with more than 90 IP with a mark of 2.61. He has a 1.09 WHIP over 158.1 innings. His 11-6 record has helped the Evas to where they are: on top of the division.

27-year-old 1B Yasushi Amano of the Hyakujuu Shinkansen ranks second in this group. He has a 15.61 VORP/$mil resulting from a 21.1 VORP and $1,351,272 salary. Amano has had more at bats this season than in any of his previous four seasons with the Shinkansen. His output is indicating that he is worthy of those at bats, with a .265 AVG and a career best .823 OPS. He is easily worth his salary.

Toshikasu Tanaka Yasushi Amano 28-year-old 2B Akira Sakurai of the Shin Seiki Evas ranks third in this group. He has a 15.20 VORP/$mil resulting from a 30.4 VORP and $2,000,000 salary. Akira was traded from the Lupin Cliff Hangers before the 2010 season. He posted his worst career performance in his first (2010) season as an Eva, but he has returned to form and then some this season, besting his career average with a .278 AVG, .372 OBP and .843 OPS. He certainly deserved his selection to the All-Star Game.

31-year-old CL Takeji Nakayama of the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors ranks fourth in this group. He has a 15.18 VORP/$mil resulting from a 24.3 VORP and $1,600,400 salary. Takeji has a 1.54 ERA over 64.1 innings with a 1.15 WHIP. He has converted 29 SV of 32 SVO, netting a .906 SV%. This All-Star is the type of pitcher you want on the mound with the game on the line. He’s definitely a steal at $1,600,400 per year and is locked into another season at $1,850,200.

The next group covered is the $46,501 to $999,999 range:

25-year-old C Salvador “The Gambler” Medrano of the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors leads this group. He has a 212.00 VORP/$mil resulting from a 42.4 VORP and $200,000 salary. Salvador is not having his best season this year, but even when he’s not at his best, he’s really good. He has a .423 OBP and .843 OPS. These are excellent offensive numbers from a catcher, and this youngster also brings a very good defensive factor to the table. Medrano is quite the catch at 200k for Fushigi Yugi, who signed him to a minor league deal in 2007.

29-year-old SP Yugoro “Checkmate” Chouda of the Seoul Crushers ranks second in this group. He has a 156.50 VORP/$mil resulting from a 31.3 VORP and $200,000 salary. Despite a losing record of 8-10, Yugoro is pitching well. He has a 3.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 156.0 innings. The 0.97 WHIP is league-leading for pitchers with over 90 IP, as well as a personal best. Chouda came to Seoul via trade from Hyakujuu in June of last year. He is proving to be quite an addition to the Crushers.

28-year-old SP Yoshiyuki Kikuchi of the Shin Seiki Evas ranks third in this group. He has a 147.50 VORP/$mil resulting from a 29.5 VORP and $200,000 salary. Yoshiyuki has only started 10 of his 32 games this season, compiling 88.2 innings pitched, but those innings were quality innings, without question. He has a 2.03 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with a 6-1 record. Kikuchi is definitely a pitcher any manager would be interested in for 200K.

29-year-old CF Kazuyoshi Miura of the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors ranks fourth in this group. He has a 146.00 VORP/$mil resulting from a 29.2 VORP and $200,000 salary. Miura is having his best season ever, outperforming his prior three major league seasons by leaps and bounds. He has a .289 AVG, .387 OBP and .848 OPS. Kazuyoshi, as well as all the players highlighted in this article, is certainly providing VORP for the yen!