Players of the Game are determined using
Win Probability Added (WPA) — a stat that measures
how much each individual play moved the needle toward a win.
Every at-bat changes a team's probability of winning based on the game situation — the score,
inning, outs, and runners on base. WPA credits the batter or pitcher for that change.
A walk-off home run in the 9th carries far more weight than a leadoff single in the 1st.
We display WPA multiplied by 100 for readability. A score of
41.32 means that player increased their team's
win probability by 41.32 percentage points across
all their plate appearances or pitching outings in that game.
The two players with the highest WPA — regardless of team or position — are named Players of the Game.
Some games may feature two hitters, two pitchers, or one of each.
In tight, low-scoring games WPA scores will naturally be lower — no single play shifts win probability dramatically when the game stays close throughout. A dominant performance in a blowout can also score lower than a clutch hit in a one-run game.
WPA data sourced from OOTP Baseball simulation engine.