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Cheap Players All Over The RGM Player Rankings

Apr 29, 2008 3:49 PM EST

At RealGM, we use the Field Impact Counter (FIC) to objectively measure how effective players are performing and then use the Reina Value to evaluate their financial worth.

The player with the highest FIC for the season, therefore, ?deserves? the highest salary, which is Alex Rodriguez?s $28 million contract for 2008. Because Ben Sheets is currently the leader, he ?deserves? $28 million, and since he is ?actually? making $12.125 million, the difference is 131% and that becomes his Reina Value.

Click here for more information about the Field Impact Counter and the Reina Value.

Each player?s season FIC is listed below with his Reina Value percentage in parenthesis.

1. Albert Pujols, STL: 78 (+102%)

With 28 walks and just seven strikeouts, Pujols has a .538 OBP.

2. Lance Berkman, HOU: 72 (+62%)

Berkman continues his tear, hitting three homers and posting a 1.437 OPS over the past seven days.

3. Chase Utley, PHI: 70 (+177%)

Nine players have hit seven or more homers and they?re all in the NL, including Utley who has a MLB-best 10 (half of which have come against lefties).

4. Pat Burrell, PHI: 64 (+33%)

Burrell has done most of his damage against righties, hitting 1.303 with seven homers of his eight homers coming in those at bats.

5. Derrek Lee, CHI: 62 (+41%)

Lee is second in total bases with 68 while posting an OPS of 1.092.

6. Brandon Webb, ARI: 62 (+211%)

Webb is 6-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 34 K?s as his K/9 is at 7.46, slightly above his career average of 7.28.

7. Chipper Jones, ATL: 62 (+38%)

Batting .433 with a 1.192 OPS, Jones leads the MLB in both categories.

8. Nate McLouth, PIT: 60 (+3,801%)

McLouth has the second-highest OPS (1.041) of all left-handed hitters.

9. Conor Jackson, ARI: 60 (+3,833%)

Jackson has a 1.018 OPS to go with three triples (tied for MLB lead) and five doubles.

10. Carlos Quentin, CWS: 59 (+3,900%)

Quentin makes his first appearance in the rankings as he has a MLB-best 1.482 OPS over the last seven days.

11. Cliff Lee, CLE: 58 (+300%)

Opposing hitters have a .264 OPS against Lee, which is easily first ahead of Ben Sheets? .397 OPS-against.

12. Josh Hamilton, TEX: 54 (+3,932%)

Hamilton leads the MLB in RBIs with 27 while hitting .333/.385/.581.

13. Hanley Ramirez, FLA: 54 (+3,545%)

Ramirez has eight homers and nine stolen bases and could flirt with 50-50 if he kept up this pace.

He also has been tremendous with runners in scoring position and two outs, hitting for an OPS of 1.325 with an MLB-best 12 RBIs.

14. Jake Peavy, SDP: 53 (+146%)

Peavy leads the NL in strikeouts with 38 even though his K/9 is at 7.95 which is down from the 9.67 he posted a season ago as Cy Young.

15. Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS: 52 (+3,784%)

Ellsbury is second in the AL in runs (20) and stolen bases (8).

16. Chien-Ming Wang, NYY: 52 (+293%)

Wang has been striking out more batters, walking fewer ones while not keeping the ball on the ground quite as much (1.85 G/F vs. 2.81 career average).

17. James Shields, TBR: 52 (+1,467%)

Shields is yielding a .542 OPS against right-handed batters while lefties hit .708.

18. Rafael Furcal, LAD: 52 (-1%)

Furcal has three homers, which is already half the total he hit a season ago.

19. Carlos Zambrano, CHC: 51 (-3%)

Zambrano?s K/9 rate has fallen for the third consecutive season, but he is also walking fewer batters.

20. Felix Hernandez, SEA: 50 (+2,770%)

Hernandez is first in the AL in K?s with 41 and third in ERA (2.22).

21. Ben Sheets, MIL: 49 (+26%)

Sheets made his last start on April 18th, but he looks ready to return.

22. Miguel Tejada, HOU: 48 (+3%)

Tejada is hitting .992 against righties and just .669 against lefties.

23. Aramis Ramirez, CHC: 48 (-1%)

Ramirez is hitting 1.012 at Wrigley and .878 on the road.

24. Dan Haren, ARI: 47 (+270%)

Other than a bad start at Chavez Ravine, Haren has been nearly flawless with the D-Backs.

25. Casey Kotchman, LAA: 47 (+921%)

Kotchman is hitting .455 with 8 RBIs when there are two outs and runners in scoring position.

26. Tim Lincecum, SFG: 46 (+3,536%)

Lincecum has a scoreless streak of 16.2 innings to go with his 11.05 K/9 ratio.

27. Edinson Volquez, ARI: 46 (+3,594%)

Volquez has a 10.13 K/9 ratio and a 1.23 ERA making the Josh Hamilton trade look good from both sides.

28. David Wright, NYM: 46 (+176%)

Wright has been dominating lefties, hitting .500/.571/.867.

29. Ervin Santana, LAA: 46 (+3,293%)

Santana is 5th in the AL in WHIP with 1.02.

30. Adam Wainwright, STL: 45 (+1,936%)

Wainwright is coming off a compete game win against Houston and has gone deep into each of his five starts.

31. Josh Willingham, FLA: 45 (+3,357%)

Willingham is slugging .637, which is 6th in the NL.

Via Christopher Reina/RealGM

General, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies

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Maholm Pitches 2-Hitter Against Phillies

Apr 27, 2008 4:54 PM EST

Paul Maholm pitched a two-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 5-1 win over their interstate rival.

Maholm (2-2) walked four and struck out two batters in the win. He's 2-0 in three starts at PNC Park this season and has allowed just two runs in 20 1/3 innings at home.

Nate McLouth hit two home runs to support Maholm, who helped lead the Pirates to their 10th win of the season.

Via ESPN

Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies

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Utley And A Bunch Of Red Sox In New RGM Player Rankings

Apr 23, 2008 9:09 PM EST

By Christopher Reina

At RealGM, we use the Field Impact Counter (FIC) to objectively measure how effective players are performing and then use the Reina Value to valuate their financial worth.

Click here for more information about the Field Impact Counter and the Reina Value.

Each player?s season FIC is listed below with his Reina Value percentage in parenthesis.

*Through Tuesday?s games

1. Chase Utley, PHI: 60 (+260%)

Utley has a MLB-best nine homers and MLB-best 1.238 OPS as he makes a very strong early MVP statement.

2. Albert Pujols, STL: 55 (+69%)

Pujols is getting pitched around heavily and is contemplating going out of the strike zone more frequently.

3. Chipper Jones, ATL: 53 (+75%)

Jones is leading the MLB with a .430 batting average and six homers.

4. Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS: 53 (+4,563%)

Ellsbury has a 1.152 OPS, two homers and six stolen bases in his past seven games.

5. Brandon Webb, ARI: 53 (+239%)

Webb is five-for-five in his starts and has 29 K?s in 35 innings.

6. Conor Jackson, ARI: 52 (+3,977%)

Jackson is batting .400/.423/.800 in his past six games, hitting three doubles, two triples and a homer in the process.

7. Pat Burrell, PHI: 52 (+19%)

Burrell has a 1.200 OPS, second in the MLB behind teammate Utley.

8. Lance Berkman, HOU: 51 (+14%)

Berkman has a 1.316 OPS at Minute Maid Park and just .709 on the road.

9. Derrek Lee, CHC: 50 (+25%)

Lee is leading the NL in runs with 19 while being second in home runs with seven.

10. Ben Sheets, MIL: 49 (+32%)

Sheets has a microscopic 0.96 ERA, but will be scratched until Tuesday.

11. Nate McLouth, PIT: 49 (+3,660%)

McLouth, a career .261/.336/.449 hitter, is currently hitting .366/.447/.622.

12. Hanley Ramirez, FLA: 48 (+3,545%)

Ramirez is the ultimate stat sheet stuffer, in the top-10 in the NL in batting, homers, runs, OBP, slugging and stolen bases.

13. Jake Peavy, SDP: 47 (+146%)

Peavy is yielding a .340 average and 1.002 OPS in road games this season.

14. David Wright, NYM: 47 (+204%)

Wright has a 1.126 OPS and 10 doubles, but he continues to struggle at Wrigley Field (.761 career OPS).

15. Rafael Furcal, LAD: 45 (+0%)

Furcal is in a walk year and is currently making exactly how much he deserves ($15.7 million).

16. Felix Hernandez, SEA: 44 (+2,813%)

King Felix is leading the league in K?s with 31.

17. Miguel Tejada, HOU: 43 (+6%)

While not condoning lying for the sake of business, I am not a fan of ambush ?journalism? and am happy seeing Miggy playing so well in Houston.

18. Kevin Youkilis, BOS: 42 (+417%)

Youkilis is batting just .300/.364/.433 over his past seven games.

19. Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS: 42 (+86%)

Dice-K is giving up an OPS of .490 away from Fenway Park.

20. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS: 41 (+1,900%)

Papelbon has 8 saves and a 14.73 K/9 rate.

21. Carlos Zambrano, CHC: 41 (-5%)

Zambrano has been keeping his walks down and has a 5.40 K/BB rate so far this season.

22. Micah Owings, ARI: 40 (+3,685%)

Owings has an excellent WHIP of 0.88 through his first four starts in 2008.

23. Chien-Ming Wang, NYY: 40 (+278%)

Wang has been giving up more flyballs than ever before in his career, but continues to be as effective as ever, though his ERA is now approaching 4.00.

24. Eric Byrnes, ARI: 40 (+125%)

I wasn?t sure about Byrnes? three-year, $30 million extension when the D-Backs signed him to it, but he is currently out-playing the deal, ?deserving? to make $15 million annually right now.

25. Aramis Ramirez, CHC: 40 (-3%)

Ramirez is batting .391/.563/.739 over his past seven games.

26. Josh Hamilton, TEX: 38 (+3,611%)

Hamilton has an OPS of 1.017 against lefties and .885 against righties.

27. Dustin Pedroia, BOS: 38 (+3,073%)

Pedroia leads the MLB in doubles (11) and the AL in batting (.364).

28. John Smoltz, ATL: 38 (+4%)

Smoltz has a 0.78 ERA and 31 strikeouts so far this season.

29. Ervin Santana, LAA: 37 (+3,293%)

Santana has rebounded from his 5.76 2007 to get his ERA down to 2.67.

30. Zack Greinke, KCR: 37 (+900%)

Greinke has a 1.24 ERA and one complete game.

31. Cliff Lee, CLE: 37 (+250%)

Lee has a 0.40 ERA and a .128 BAA.

32. Manny Ramirez, BOS: 37 (-26%)

Manny has a 1.494 OPS and three homers in his past six games.