Most Valuable Franchise Players 1968-2011

[barking_iguana]

Highest career WAR (baseball-reference.com version) by franchise from 1968 through about a week ago. Only the player's contribution to that franchise counts, and any part of the career before 1968 doesn't.

Team	1st	WAR		2nd	WAR		3rd	WAR
LAA	C Finley	49.0		N Ryan	41.2		B Downing	37.7
Bal	C Ripken	89.9		J Palmer	61.1		E Murray	54.8
Bos	R Clemens	74.9		W Boggs	71.5		D Evans	61.1
ChW	F Thomas	70.6		S Buehrle	45.8		W Wood	42.4
Cle	J Thome	46.6		K Lofton	45.5		C Sabathia	28.8
Det	L Whitaker	69.7		A Trammell	66.9		M Lolich	35.8
KC	G Brett	85.0		K Appier	43.9		A Otis	42.3
Mil	R Yount	76.9		P Molitor	60.6		C Cooper	29.3
Min	R Carew	59.6		B Blyleven	44.8		K Puckett	44.8
NYY	D Jeter	70.7		M Rivera	56.2		W Randolph	49.8
Oak	R Henderson	75.3		S Bando	51.4		R Jackson	49.7
Sea	K Griffey	67.5		E Martinez	67.2		I Suzuki	54.4
TB	C Crawford	26.5		E Longoria	23.4		J Shields	17.8
Tex	I Rodriguez	48.6		R Palmeiro	40.1		B Bell	34.3
Tor	D Stieb	53.6		R Halliday	46.7		C Delgado	33.8
AZ	R Johnson	43.4		B Webb	27.6		L Gonzalez	25.6
Atl	C Jones	83.1		P Niekro	82.3		J Smoltz	66.2
ChC	R Sandberg	62.1		S Sosa	60.0		R Reuschel	46.7
Cin	J Bench	71.9		B Larkin	68.9		J Morgan	61.3
CO	T Helton	60.6		L Walker	44.1		T Tulowitzki	24.3
FL	H Ramirez	29.7		L Castillo	20.1		M Cabrera	18.7
Hou	J Bagwell	79.9		C Biggio	66.2		C Cedeno	49.4
LAD	R Cey	46.2		D Sutton	42.9		O Hersheiser	42.5
NYM	T Seaver	69.7		D Gooden	43.7		J Koosman	38.0
Phi	M Schmidt	108.3		S Carlton	66.1		B Abreu	46.6
Pit	B Bonds	50.2		W Stargell	47.7		D Parker	32.6
SD	T Gwynn	68.4		D Winfield	30.4		T Hoffman	27.8
SF	Ba Bonds	121.6		W Clark	37.5		Bo Bonds	36.9
StL	L Pujols	89.3		O Smith	58.3		B Gibson	52.1
Was	G Carter	52.6		T Raines	46.5		S Rogers	43.7

Comments

[chemoelectric.livejournal.com]

For the Mets, all pitching. :)

[barking-iguana.livejournal.com]

Yes, Strawberry was close. If Gooden hit as badly as Koosman, he'd be fourth and Straw would be third.

Of the teams ....

[freelikebeer.livejournal.com]

Nolan Ryan could have placed for, I wouldn't have picked the Angels.

Re: Of the teams ....

[barking-iguana.livejournal.com]

He pitched eight years for them, averaging over 250 IP per year. and while he had a couple years for Houston that were better per inning, he also had years that weren't so good and he was pitching many fewer innings per season by then. And for Texas, he didn't really pitch much at all, in the grand scheme of things.