Win Probability Added (Jose Bautista posts an all-time great season)

Here's a look at Win Probability Added (WPA) leaders in 2011. Turns out we saw a little bit of history.

Rk	Player	WPA	Age	Tm	G	PA
1	Jose Bautista	7.978	30	TOR	149	655
2	Prince Fielder	7.725	27	MIL	162	692
3	Miguel Cabrera	7.594	28	DET	161	688
4	Joey Votto	7.092	27	CIN	161	719
5	Ryan Braun	6.436	27	MIL	150	629
6	Matt Kemp	6.223	26	LAD	161	689
7	Jacoby Ellsbury	6.208	27	BOS	158	729
8	Lance Berkman	5.733	35	STL	145	587
9	Josh Hamilton	4.826	30	TEX	121	538
10	Albert Pujols	4.745	31	STL	147	651

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/12/2011.

This list is unsurprising, but notice that overall leader Jose Bautista not only had the most WPA of all players in 2011 but also did it in fewer games.

Bautista was one of just 3 players in 2011 with at least 0.05 WPA for each game played:

Rk	Player	WPA	G	Age	Tm	PA
1	Jose Bautista	7.978	149	30	TOR	655
2	Everth Cabrera	0.210	2	24	SDP	9
3	Erik Kratz	0.123	2	31	PHI	6

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/12/2011.

In fact, one could argue that Jose Bautista just put up one of the greatest 50 offensive seasons from the last 60 years.

Here are the players since 1950 (as far back as Baseball-Reference.com has WPA data) with at least 0.05 WPA per game played and at least 400 plate appearances:

Rk	Player	Year	PA	WPA	G	Tm	AB	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Jose Bautista	2011	655	7.978	149	TOR	513	43	103	.302	.447	.608	1.056	*95/D
2	Albert Pujols	2006	634	9.349	143	STL	535	49	137	.331	.431	.671	1.102	*3
3	David Ortiz	2006	686	7.851	151	BOS	558	54	137	.287	.413	.636	1.049	*D3
4	Ryan Howard	2006	704	8.227	159	PHI	581	58	149	.313	.425	.659	1.084	*3
5	Chipper Jones	2005	432	5.758	109	ATL	358	21	72	.296	.412	.556	.968	*5
6	David Ortiz	2005	713	8.754	159	BOS	601	47	148	.300	.397	.604	1.001	*D3
7	Barry Bonds	2004	617	12.943	147	SFG	373	45	101	.362	.609	.812	1.422	*7/D
8	Barry Bonds	2003	550	7.971	130	SFG	390	45	90	.341	.529	.749	1.278	*7/D
9	Barry Bonds	2002	612	10.487	143	SFG	403	46	110	.370	.582	.799	1.381	*7/D
10	Jason Giambi	2001	671	8.488	154	OAK	520	38	120	.342	.477	.660	1.137	*3D
11	Barry Bonds	2001	664	11.470	153	SFG	476	73	137	.328	.515	.863	1.379	*7/D
12	Todd Helton	2000	697	8.952	160	COL	580	42	147	.372	.463	.698	1.162	*3
13	Mark McGwire	1998	681	9.627	155	STL	509	70	147	.299	.470	.752	1.222	*3
14	Tony Gwynn	1997	651	7.552	149	SDP	592	17	119	.372	.409	.547	.957	*9/D
15	Barry Bonds	1995	635	7.460	144	SFG	506	33	104	.294	.431	.577	1.009	*7
16	Edgar Martinez	1995	639	7.518	145	SEA	511	29	113	.356	.479	.628	1.107	*D/53
17	Mark McGwire	1995	422	5.642	104	OAK	317	39	90	.274	.441	.685	1.125	*3D
18	Jeff Bagwell	1994	479	5.920	110	HOU	400	39	116	.368	.451	.750	1.201	*3/9
19	Barry Bonds	1991	634	8.135	153	PIT	510	25	116	.292	.410	.514	.924	*7/8
20	Will Clark	1989	675	8.250	159	SFG	588	23	111	.333	.407	.546	.953	*3
21	Mike Schmidt	1981	434	5.871	102	PHI	354	31	91	.316	.435	.644	1.080	*5
22	Dwight Evans	1981	504	5.586	108	BOS	412	22	71	.296	.415	.522	.937	*9
23	George Brett	1980	515	6.154	117	KCR	449	24	118	.390	.454	.664	1.118	*5/3
24	Joe Morgan	1975	639	7.488	146	CIN	498	17	94	.327	.466	.508	.974	*4
25	Cesar Cedeno	1972	625	7.161	139	HOU	559	22	82	.320	.385	.537	.921	*8
Rk	Player	Year	PA	WPA	G	Tm	AB	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
26	Hank Aaron	1971	573	7.020	139	ATL	495	47	118	.327	.410	.669	1.079	*39
27	Joe Torre	1971	707	8.850	161	STL	634	24	137	.363	.421	.555	.976	*5
28	Willie McCovey	1970	638	7.709	152	SFG	495	39	126	.289	.444	.612	1.056	*3
29	Willie McCovey	1969	623	10.109	149	SFG	491	45	126	.320	.453	.656	1.108	*3
30	Mike Epstein	1969	500	6.699	131	WSA	403	30	85	.278	.414	.551	.965	*3
31	Carl Yastrzemski	1967	680	8.451	161	BOS	579	44	121	.326	.418	.622	1.040	*7/8
32	Roberto Clemente	1967	632	8.134	147	PIT	585	23	110	.357	.400	.554	.954	*9/8
33	Hank Aaron	1967	669	7.977	155	ATL	600	39	109	.307	.369	.573	.943	*98/4
34	Harmon Killebrew	1965	479	5.986	113	MIN	401	25	75	.269	.384	.501	.885	*35/7
35	Mickey Mantle	1962	502	8.021	123	NYY	377	30	89	.321	.486	.605	1.091	*89
36	Mickey Mantle	1961	646	8.936	153	NYY	514	54	128	.317	.448	.687	1.135	*8
37	Tito Francona	1959	443	6.103	122	CLE	399	20	79	.363	.414	.566	.980	*83/7
38	Hank Aaron	1959	693	7.796	154	MLN	629	39	123	.355	.401	.636	1.037	*98/5
39	Willie Mays	1958	685	7.804	152	SFG	600	29	96	.347	.419	.583	1.002	*8
40	Mickey Mantle	1957	623	9.311	144	NYY	474	34	94	.365	.512	.665	1.177	*8
41	Ted Williams	1957	546	8.338	132	BOS	420	38	87	.388	.526	.731	1.257	*7
42	Mickey Mantle	1956	652	8.435	150	NYY	533	52	130	.353	.464	.705	1.169	*8
43	Ted Williams	1955	417	6.399	98	BOS	320	28	83	.356	.496	.703	1.200	*7
44	Ted Williams	1954	526	6.627	117	BOS	386	29	89	.345	.513	.635	1.148	*7

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/12/2011.

There are lots of famous seasons on here, but there are a few surprises, including Tito Francona in 1959, Mike Epstein in 1969, Cesar Cedeno in 1972, and Dwight Evans in 1981.