Atlanta Braves Highest Earners and WAR: Dan Uggla

Atlanta WAR and RAR

Before we begin, it is important to mention that Uggla’s WAR was negatively impacted by the Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR). This author believes that fielding statistics, like fielding percentage, are inconsistent at their best. Moving on.

While Uggla had a decent 2011 offensive outing with the Braves. His defensive skills, again a subjective category, had Uggla finish with a -1.2 dWAR.

With that in mind, Uggla’s 2011 player value stats were as follows:

• WAR:1.6
• RAR: 17
• WAA: -0.4

Note that Uggla’s Wins Above Average (WAA), which looks at the wins added by players above that of an average player, was negative for 2011.

Uggla’s 2012 stats, on the surface, appear to be a regression from his 2011 stats. Uggla recorded career lows in hits, RBI, home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, on slugging percentage.

Upon closer review, Uggla had a more balanced season and, as mentioned above, managed to secure a trip to the all-star game. He even led the league in walks for the 2012 season. His on-base percentage jumped from .311 in 2011, to .348 in 2012.

He finished 2012 with the following player value stats:

• WAR: 2.9
• RAR: 28
• WAA: 0.9

His stats suggest that he had a better year defensively, and he may have, but this author believes Uggla’s stats point to poor replacement options as opposed to a significant improvement from Uggla himself.

The 2013 season was the worst of Uggla’s career. He finished the 2013 season with the following player value stats:

• WAR: -0.3
• RAR: 0.0
• WAA: -2.0

In Uggla’s worth career year, he was the highest-paid player on the Braves’ roster – $13,000,000. Uggla’s salary alone comprised 14.66% of the total team payroll.

The Braves’ top two earners in 2013 (Dan Uggla and BJ Upton) both finished the season with a negative WAR. The Braves would win the NL East despite their top earners, not because of them.

In Uggla’s final season with the Braves, 2014, he appeared in 48 games. It is a small sample size, but after the 2013 season the Braves knew what they had.

Uggla finished with the following player value stats during his time with the Braves in 2014:

• WAR: -1.0
• RAR: -8
• WAA: -1.5

It would only be piling on to the poor man to say anything else about his value stats at this point.

Last Laugh?

Before the Atlanta Braves released Uggla in July 2014, they were vocal about trading Dan Uggla. When no suitors manifested the Braves did what they had to do.

But Dan Uggla would have the last laugh before his retirement.

One of the lowest moments of the Atlanta Braves 2015 season, a season in which they finished 67-95, was paying Dan Uggla to lead a comeback victory against them. Uggla hit a three-run home run in the ninth to seal the victory for the Washington Nationals over their NL East rival.

The Braves lost twice that night.

This, having come after a 2014 season in which Uggla vultured himself a World Series ring after playing just 4 games with the Giants, batting .000 in 12 plate appearances.

All in all, Uggla was an extremely poor investment for the Atlanta Braves as the executives over-valued his talent. He will not be remembered as the worst investment Frank Wren ever made (looking at you BJ Upton!), but he will be in the conversation.