Value Survey: Game 70

FanGraphs, our stats partner, generates dollar values for WAR. For the White Sox roster, FanGraphs is valuing 1.0 WAR at $7,987,179. By prorating salary, we can subtract salary paid from each player’s dollar war value to generate Surplus Value.

The Value Survey has been off for about a month, during which time Yoán Moncada has lost significant WAR and value. So, there’s a new team leader, Tim Anderson, with $11.3 million in surplus value as the season approaches the halfway mark. Another change is that the pitching staff is catching up with the hitters in overall value; the No. 2 surplus value on the team is Dylan Covey, at just about $10 million in just about 30 games on the roster.

White Sox vs. average team breakdown

To offer perspective on how the White Sox are doing relative to the league, I’ve created a generic “average” MLB team (average payroll, average WAR production) to use as a basis of comparison against the White Sox. The White Sox are doing far worse than that club when it comes to overall value this season:

The average MLB team has 14.3 WAR, which is $113,865,231 in value, $59,858,919 in salary and $54,006,312 in surplus value.

The White Sox have 7.8 WAR, which is $62,300,000 in value, $30,471,992 in salary and $31,828,008 in surplus value.

So, the White Sox are 6.5 WAR worse than an average team, which is $51,565,231 worse in value, despite spending just $29,386,928 less in salary.

Thus the White Sox surplus value is $22,178,303 less than the average team. Another way to look at it, on a per-game basis the White Sox are getting $316,832.90 less surplus value from their players than the average major league team.

Not good.

Quick Peeks

Top Hitter Value: Tim Anderson, $11,700,000

Top Pitcher Value: Dylan Covey, $10,100,000

Lowest Hitter Value: Trayce Thompson, -$9,400,000

Lowest Pitcher Value: Carson Fulmer and Lucas Giolito, -$4,700,000

Top Hitter Surplus Value: Tim Anderson, $11,268,000

Top Pitcher Surplus Value: Dylan Covey, $9,998,148

Lowest Hitter Surplus Value: Trayce Thompson, -$9,586,728

Lowest Pitcher Surplus Value: Carson Fulmer, -$5,031,200

Biggest Hitter Surplus Value Jump: Tim Anderson, $5,868,000

Biggest Pitcher Surplus Value Jump: Dylan Covey, $9,198,148

Biggest Hitter Surplus Value Drop: Trayce Thompson, -$8,086,728

Biggest Pitcher Surplus Value Drop: Lucas Giolito, -$4,337,600