Learn how WAR works from the mouth of one of the primary architects. Easy to read, to the point and it covers the bases well.

Wins above Replacement (WAR) is a fantastic tool to evaluate and compare players. But how do you calculate all of the components and synthesize them together? Sean Smith does a fantastic job laying out the myriad dimensions of WAR and the math behind them. Sean presents complex concepts in a straightforward, relatable fashion that should appeal to all types of readers.

Perhaps most importantly, he expertly weaves in wonderful narratives of players, seasons, and careers throughout the book. I'm often struck by how frequently other analyses seem to regard the players and games as almost incidental to the statistics they accrue. Not so here. You can tell from the first few pages that Sean is a genuine baseball fan first who just so happens to have a tremendous aptitude for statistics.

If you want to learn more about WAR and have a fun time doing it, get this book.

This was a fantastic book! I thought I liked Smith's WAR 2.0 after perusing its results, but after seeing him break down his reasoning behind every aspect of his new WAR system, i know I love it!

Not only does Sean Smith justify WAR 2.0 in this book, he goes into the reasoning behind bWAR, fWAR & Win Shares as well. If you find yourself scratching your head when going on those sites, and seeing various comparisons, you'll have a much better understanding of what they were thinking, and why Smith made the changes & choices he made, after reading this book.

I bought the kindle version of this book, and had a hard time looking away! It sucked me in until i was finished with it, and I know I'll read it several more times!

For baseball fans who are concerned with evaluating players across history, this is the book for you!

Excellent read, highly recommend for a student of baseball or even a front office.

Tastes great? Less filling? It is bold? Either way, the writer presents complex baseball statistics and the framework and logic behind them. But what makes the book thoroughly enjoyable, is the application to perennial and classic debates and case studies.

He knows baseball

Data

Information

Knowledge

Wisdom

Wins Above Replacement does this for the dedicated baseball fan, and Sean walks you through the path on how to understand it. Math is the quantification of logic, and you'll see the logic fleshed out.

Sean Smith is a treasure for fans of baseball analytics and for fans of baseball everywhere. He's also got a sense of humor and the patience of a saint. I'm not a saint, but even if I was, I wouldn't have that much patience with people like me. More specifically, if you want to know what goes into WAR - Wins Above Replacement - and not just accept the concluding summary numbers, this book will answer those questions and entertain you along the way.