Weighted Runs Created Plus, or wRC+, is an all-encompassing metric that measures a player’s total offensive production. What separates it from wOBA is that while it accounts for the same weights put on hit values, wRC+ takes things a step further by adjusting for park factors and the league run-scoring environment.
wRC+ Explained
As we try to paint a complete picture of a player’s offensive capabilities, we want to consider every factor of a player’s individual performance and include all important contextual factors. This includes everything from the ballpark they play in, the league average number of runs scored during that season to what hit types they generate the most, and more. wRC+ is one of the best publicly available metrics to date that weighs and accounts for all of these variables.
Similar to OPS+, wRC+ is an adjusted stat that normalizes the league average to 100. Every point above or below 100 represents one percentage point better or worse than league average.
The main difference between wRC+ and OPS+ is that wRC+ utilizes wOBA in its calculation, while OPS+ uses raw OPS. This difference makes wRC+ the more accurate metric of the two, since wOBA factors in the proper hit values, rather than adding total bases like OPS.
To calculate wRC+, we first need to calculate another metric called Weighted Runs Created, or wRC, represented by this equation:
wRC = (((wOBA – League wOBA) / wOBA Scale) + (League R / PA)) * PA
From there, we can use the following equation to calculate wRC+ by adjusting for league and park factors:
wRC+ = 100 * (wRC / League wRC)
Keep in mind, wRC+ normalizes for the number of plate appearances so that players with differing numbers of at-bats can be put on the same scale. wRC+ is also the offensive component of FanGraph’s WAR calculation, which is another reason why it’s so important to consider.
Summary
Now that we understand Weighted Runs Created Plus, we can use this metric to determine how valuable a particular player performed during a specific season and how they compared to the league average over multiple seasons.
Comments