Improving the Win, 2014 Braves Edition

What would happen if the practice of giving a W or L to individual players extended beyond just pitchers, and also involved a better process than just lucky timing?  Using WPA, I’ve assigned a W or L for every game in the 2014 season so far.  Let’s see what it looks like:

DateOpponentScorePlayer of record
3/31@Brewers0-2Dan Uggla - L (0-1)
4/1@Brewers5-2Alex Wood - W (1-0)
4/2@Brewers1-0Aaron Harang - W (1-0)
4/4@Nationals2-1David Hale - W (1-0)
4/5@Nationals6-2Andrelton Simmons - W (1-0)
4/6@Nationals1-2Jason Heyward - L (0-1)
4/8vs. Mets0-4Jason Heyward - L (0-2)
4/9vs. Mets4-3Ervin Santana - W (1-0)
4/10vs. Mets4-6David Hale - L (1-1)
4/11vs. Nationals7-6Justin Upton - W (1-0)
4/12vs. Nationals6-3Justin Upton - W (2-0)
4/13vs. Nationals10-2Aaron Harang - W (2-0)
4/14@Phillies9-6Dan Uggla - W (1-1)
4/16@Phillies1-0Julio Teheran - W (1-0)
4/17@Phillies0-1Jason Heyward - L (0-3)
4/18@Mets6-0Aaron Harang - W (3-0)
4/19@Mets7-5Freddie Freeman - W (1-0)
4/20@Mets3-4Evan Gattis - L (0-1)
4/21vs. Marlins4-2Evan Gattis - W (1-1)
4/22vs. Marlins0-1B.J. Upton - L (0-1)
4/23vs. Marlins3-1Evan Gattis - W (2-1)
4/25vs. Reds5-4Justin Upton - W (3-0)
4/26vs. Reds4-1David Hale - W (2-1)
4/27vs. Reds1-0Julio Teheran - W (2-0)
4/29@Marlins0-9Alex Wood - L (1-1)
4/30@Marlins3-9Aaron Harang - L (3-1)
5/1@Marlins4-5David Carpenter - L (0-1)
5/2vs. Giants1-2Chris Johnson - L (0-1)
5/3vs. Giants1-3Justin Upton - L (3-1)
5/4vs. Giants1-4Justin Upton - L (3-2)
5/5vs. Cardinals3-4Justin Upton - L (3-3)
5/6vs. Cardinals2-1Chris Johnson - W (1-1)
5/7vs. Cardinals1-7Mike Minor - L (0-1)
5/9vs. Cubs3-2Julio Teheran - W (3-0)
5/10vs. Cubs2-0Ervin Santana - W (2-0)
5/11vs. Cubs5-2Evan Gattis - W (3-1)
5/12@Giants2-4Gavin Floyd - L (0-1)
5/13@Giants5-0Mike Minor - W (1-1)
5/14@Giants4-10Julio Teheran - L (3-1)
5/16@Cardinals2-5Ervin Santana - L (2-1)
5/17@Cardinals1-4Justin Upton - L (3-4)
5/18@Cardinals6-5Freddie Freeman - W (2-0)
5/19vs. Brewers9-3Jason Heyward - W (1-3)
5/20vs. Brewers5-0Julio Teheran - W (4-1)
5/21vs. Brewers1-6Ervin Santana - L (2-2)
5/22vs. Brewers5-4Ryan Doumit - W (1-0)
5/23vs. Rockies3-2Gerald Laird - W (1-0)
5/24vs. Rockies1-3Chris Johnson - L (1-2)
5/25vs. Rockies7-0Evan Gattis - W (4-1)
5/26vs. Red Sox6-8Ian Thomas - L (0-1)
5/27vs. Red Sox3-6Luis Avilan - L (0-1)
5/28@Red Sox0-4Freddie Freeman - L (2-1)
5/29@Red Sox3-4David Carpenter - L (0-2)
5/30@Marlins3-2Jason Heyward - W (2-3)
5/31@Marlins9-5Freddie Freeman - W (3-1)
6/1@Marlins4-2Evan Gattis - W (5-1)
6/3vs. Mariners5-7Gavin Floyd - L (0-2)
6/4vs. Mariners0-2Chris Johnson - L (1-3)
6/6@Diamondbacks5-2Jason Heyward - W (3-3)
6/7@Diamondbacks3-4Anthony Varvaro - L (0-1)
6/8@Diamondbacks5-6David Hale - L (2-2)
6/9@Rockies3-1Gavin Floyd - W (1-2)

A breakdown by starters:

C Evan Gattis (5-1)
1B Freddie Freeman (3-1)
2B Dan Uggla (1-1)
3B Chris Johnson (1-3)
SS Andrelton Simmons (1-0)
LF Justin Upton (3-4)
CF BJ Upton (0-1)
RF Jason Heyward (3-3)

Bench Gerald Laird (1-0)
Bench Ryan Doumit (1-0)

SP Julio Teheran (4-1)
SP Aaron Harang (3-1)
SP Mike Minor (1-1)
SP Gavin Floyd (1-2)
SP Ervin Santana (2-2)

SP/RP David Hale (2-2)
SP/RP Alex Wood (1-1)
RP David Carpenter (0-1)
RP Luis Avilan (0-1)
RP Anthony Varvaro (0-1)
RP Ian Thomas (0-1)

(everyone else is 0-0)

Now, I won’t pretend that this is a good way of analyzing players or pitchers.  WPA doesn’t incorporate defense, for example.  It also   My method has the same basic flaw that Wins have – trying to give a single player credit or blame for a team’s result.  It isn’t a good way to look at things.  But I would at least contend that my revised W/L record is a better way of doing that flawed exercise.

If we’re not going to acquiesce to Brian Kenny’s wishes and kill the win, the least we could do is make it better.

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