What a great few days it has been to be a Chicago Cubs fan... On Sunday night, fan favorite (and clubhouse favorite) David Ross was given standing ovation after standing ovation and hit the go-ahead home run in the fifth inning. On Monday, the Cubs secured their 100th victory of the year for the first time since 1935.
But lets get back to David Ross... the 39-year-old heart and soul of the team who plays once or twice a week. Ross is one of a kind. And while we always talk about what a clubhouse presence and great teammate he is OFF the field, I want to focus on what an outstanding year he has had ON the field.
Offense
Home Runs
- 106 career home runs
- Career high in a season = 21 (2006)
- 10 home runs this year including number 100 (hit 12 home runs in the past 3 years combined)
- Most home runs in a season since he hit 17 in 2007 with the Reds
2016 = 10 HR
2015 = 1 HR
2014 = 7 HR
2013 = 4 HR
2012 = 9 HR
ISO
- ISO stands for isolated power which represents a hitter's extra bases per at bat (Formula: (2B + 3B*2 + HR*3) / AB)
2016 = 0.221
2015 = 0.075
2014 = 0.184
2013 = 0.167
2012 = 0.193
Slugging Percentage
- David Ross has raised his slugging percentage by 0.202 points between 2015 and 2016
2016 = 0.454
2015 = 0.252
2014 = 0.368
2013 = 0.382
2012 = 0.449
wRC+
- Weighted Runs Created Plus is a statistic that calculates a player's total offensive value that considers the value of each outcome (single, double, etc.) rather than treating all hits or times on base equally, while also taking park effects and run environment into consideration
- Ross has a rating over three times higher in 2016 (105) than he did in 2015 (33)
2016 = 105
2015 = 33
2014 = 71
2013 = 85
2012 = 109
Line Drive Percentage
- Career Average = 19.8%
2016 = 24.1% (+5.5% compared to 2015)
2015 = 18.6%
2014 = 21.3%
2013 = 15.3%
2012 = 23.5%
Hard Hit Percentage
- Career Average = 31.6%
2016 = 35.3% (+5.6% compared to 2016)
2015 = 29.7%
2014 = 27.8%
2013 = 38.7%
2012 = 34.7%
Defense
Stopping Baserunners
- Ross has thrown out 29% of attempted base stealers (18/44, league average = 27%)
- Ross has picked off five base runners which is the most in all of baseball
ERA
- Cubs Pitchers ERA while pitching to Ross = 2.29
- Cubs Pitchers ERA while pitching to Miguel Montero = 3.12
- Cubs Pitchers ERA while pitching to Willson Contreras = 3.95
DEF
- Defensive runs above average measures a player's defensive value relative to league average
- Ross is currently ranked fifth in Major League Baseball and second in the National League among catchers with +9.8 defensive runs above average
DRS
- Defensive runs saved is a statistic that rates individual players as above or below average on defense
- A +15 is considered a "Gold Glove Caliber" defender, +10 is a "Great" defender, +5 is an "Above Average" defender, and 0 is considered "Average”
- For more on DEF and DRS, check out my article on the Cubs defensive metrics from early September
2016 = +9
2015 = +5
2014 = -5
2013 = +4
2012 = +1
rSB
- rSB is a number that measures the pitcher's contributions to controlling the running game and the catcher's ability to throw out runners and prevent them from attempting steals in the first place
- David Ross' rSB of +6 is the third best in the MLB and the best for any National League catchers
2016 = +6
2015 = +5
2014 = -1
2013 = +2
2012 = +4
Value
Wins Above Replacement (WAR)
- 2016 WAR: Ross = 1.8 (49 GS), Contreras = 1.8 (62 GS), Montero = -0.1 (62 GS)
- T-12th in the MLB among catchers, T-5th in the National League among catchers
- Career Best WAR = 2.6 in 2006
2016 = 1.8
2015 = 0.1
2014 = 0.3
2013 = 0.8
2012 = 1.4
WPA
- Win probability added measures the change in win expectancy from one plate appearance to the next and credits or debits the player based on how much their action increased their team's odds of winning
- David Ross had not had a positive WPA since 2011 before this year
- Career Total = -5.54
2016 = +0.29
2015 = -1.72
2014 = -1.56
2013 = -0.49
2012 = -0.59
High Leverage Situations
- One of the best statistics that I found on David Ross' 2016 season was his performance in high leverage situations
Low Leverage = 0.190 AVG
Medium Leverage = 0.250 AVG
High Leverage = 0.368 AVG
What a year it has been for David Ross! Who knows, maybe he will have a chance in a high leverage situation this postseason to cement himself as the most well-liked, most valuable Cubs backup catcher of all-time... No matter what happens in October, David has had himself one incredible 2016 season.