The New York Mets are putting together a wonderful season in 2022, and so is their first baseman, Pete Alonso, who has emerged as the National League’s leader in runs batted in.
Alonso has piled up 97 RBIs (as of August 14). That’s a great year for any slugger, but it’s even more impressive when you realize that he has more than seven weeks left to play. His personal high of 120 runs batted in — set in his Rookie of the Year season of 2019 — is definitely within sight.
That doesn’t mean a lot to many baseball analysts. “Generally speaking, RBI is not a useful measure of offensive performance,” writes Neil Weinberg of FanGraphs. “I claim that, as a stat, RBI is useless,” says Jonathan Ashrock of The Data Jocks. Similar statements are easily found on the internet.
And what is Alonso’s opinion of these critics?
“I think they don’t necessarily understand baseball,” he said recently, and he went on to offer a simple explanation: “It’s a run-scoring competition; it’s not a hit competition.”
Well said.
I’ve addressed this point in previous newsletters, wondering why Major League Baseball downgrades the importance of scoring.
The National Football League releases weekly rankings of its top scorers, a list that is usually dominated by kickers. The National Basketball Association and National Hockey League are equally diligent in tracking their scoring races.
But MLB refuses to follow suit.
That’s why I’ve suggested that baseball should issue its own scoring list, combining each player’s runs scored and runs batted in, and then subtracting his home runs. (The reason for that last step is obvious: A batter who hits a solo homer is credited with both a run scored and a run batted in, even though his team adds just a single run on the scoreboard.)
The result is the player’s scoring total, which I abbreviate as SC. Here’s how it works, using Alonso as an example. He had scored 65 runs as of August 14, and he had driven in 97. That adds up to a total of 162. Subtract Alonso’s 29 home runs, and he winds up with 133 SC, the fifth-best total in the National League.
I understand the argument that a batter’s number of RBIs is dependent on his opportunities. A hitter on a strong team will almost certainly get more chances to drive runs home. But it’s also true that the the aim of the game is to score runs, and a player who places high on the SC list is of indisputable value to his club.
Alonso’s crosstown slugging compatriot, Aaron Judge of the Yankees, is baseball’s overall scoring leader (and the American League’s top scorer) with 150 SC as of August 14, based on 96 runs scored, 100 runs driven in, and 46 home runs. Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals leads the National League with 140 SC.
Look below to see each league’s 10 best scorers, along with the pacesetters for each of the 30 clubs. The components of all scoring totals are shown in parentheses.
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1. Aaron Judge, Yankees, 150 SC (96 R + 100 RBI – 46 HR)
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2. Jose Ramirez, Guardians, 133 SC (63 R + 92 RBI – 22 HR)
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3. Yordan Alvarez, Astros, 116 SC (73 R + 74 RBI – 31 HR)
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4. Adolis Garcia, Rangers, 115 SC (62 R + 72 RBI – 19 HR)
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5. Alex Bregman, Astros, 110 SC (64 R + 61 RBI – 15 HR)
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6. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays, 109 SC (62 R + 64 RBI – 17 HR)
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6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays, 109 SC (64 R + 68 RBI – 23 HR)
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8. Jose Abreu, White Sox, 105 SC (63 R + 56 RBI – 14 HR)
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9. Shohei Ohtani, Angels, 104 SC (63 R + 67 RBI – 26 HR)
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9. Anthony Rizzo, Yankees, 104 SC (64 R + 67 RBI – 27 HR)
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9. Kyle Tucker, Astros, 104 SC (49 R + 76 RBI – 21 HR)
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1. Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals, 140 SC (79 R + 89 RBI – 28 HR)
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2. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers, 136 SC (79 R + 72 RBI – 15 HR)
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2. Trea Turner, Dodgers, 136 SC (71 R + 83 RBI – 18 HR)
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4. Francisco Lindor, Mets, 135 SC (74 R + 81 RBI – 20 HR)
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5. Pete Alonso, Mets, 133 SC (65 R + 97 RBI – 29 HR)
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6. Manny Machado, Padres, 122 SC (75 R + 68 RBI – 21 HR)
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7. C.J. Cron, Rockies, 120 SC (63 R + 80 RBI – 23 HR)
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8. Mookie Betts, Dodgers, 118 SC (84 R + 60 RBI – 26 HR)
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8. Jake Cronenworth, Padres, 118 SC (70 R + 59 RBI – 11 HR)
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8. Dansby Swanson, Braves, 118 SC (73 R + 61 RBI – 16 HR)
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Angels: Shohei Ohtani, 104 SC (63 R + 67 RBI – 26 HR)
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Astros: Yordan Alvarez, 116 SC (73 R + 74 RBI – 31 HR)
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Athletics: Sean Murphy, 81 SC (46 R + 48 RBI – 13 HR)
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Blue Jays: Bo Bichette, 109 SC (62 R + 64 RBI – 17 HR) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 109 SC (64 R + 68 RBI – 23 HR)
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Braves: Dansby Swanson, 118 SC (73 R + 61 RBI – 16 HR)
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Brewers: Willy Adames, 99 SC (57 R + 64 RBI – 22 HR)
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Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt, 140 SC (79 R + 89 RBI – 28 HR)
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Cubs: Ian Happ, 89 SC (47 R + 52 RBI – 10 HR)
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Diamondbacks: Daulton Varsho, 93 SC (54 R + 55 RBI – 16 HR)
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Dodgers: Freddie Freeman, 136 SC (79 R + 72 RBI – 15 HR) and Trea Turner, 136 SC (71 R + 83 RBI – 18 HR)
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Giants: Wilmer Flores, 98 SC (57 R + 57 RBI – 16 HR)
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Guardians: Jose Ramirez, 133 SC (63 R + 92 RBI – 22 HR)
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Mariners: Julio Rodriguez, 97 SC (56 R + 59 RBI – 18 HR)
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Marlins: Jazz Chisholm Jr., 70 SC (39 R + 45 RBI – 14 HR)
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Mets: Francisco Lindor, 135 SC (74 R + 81 RBI – 20 HR)
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Nationals: Josh Bell, 95 SC (52 R + 57 RBI – 14 HR)
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Orioles: Cedric Mullins, 98 SC (60 R + 48 RBI – 10 HR)
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Padres: Manny Machado, 122 SC (75 R + 68 RBI – 21 HR)
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Phillies: Kyle Schwarber, 106 SC (71 R + 69 RBI – 34 HR)
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Pirates: Ke’Bryan Hayes, 73 SC (44 R + 35 RBI – 6 HR)
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Rangers: Adolis Garcia, 115 SC (62 R + 72 RBI – 19 HR)
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Rays: Randy Arozarena, 89 SC (48 R + 55 RBI – 14 HR)
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Red Sox: Xander Bogaerts, 102 SC (63 R + 48 RBI – 9 HR)
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Reds: Brandon Drury, 101 SC (62 R + 59 RBI – 20 HR)
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Rockies: C.J. Cron, 120 SC (63 R + 80 RBI – 23 HR)
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Royals: Bobby Witt, 99 SC (57 R + 57 RBI – 15 HR)
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Tigers: Javier Baez, 74 SC (41 R + 44 RBI – 11 HR)
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Twins: Luis Arraez, 92 SC (61 R + 37 RBI – 6 HR)
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White Sox: Jose Abreu, 105 SC (63 R + 56 RBI – 14 HR)
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Yankees: Aaron Judge, 150 SC (96 R + 100 RBI – 46 HR)
