Continuing with my look at AL position players measured by WARP:
Victor is moving up thanks to his torrid offensive numbers after the All-Star Break. Ivan Rodriguez is still a very good defensive catcher, but his offense (especially his power) has slipped this season.
Yeah, I was shocked that Coco finished a (distant) second to Ramirez. However, Hideki Matsui didn't qualify, and his 4.9 WARP1 would place him ahead of Crisp. Still, the fact that Coco has hit enough to be a credible left fielder is encouraging. I probably wouldn't give him a long-term deal, but he could serve well in left for the next couple of years. As for the others, it's a pretty mediocre lot. Scott Podsednik is only playing left because the White Sox have a superior fielder in Aaron Rowand, and Garret Anderson is having an awful year by his standards.
Now that Bobby Abreu has gotten some recognition as a darn good player, has Vernon Wells inherited his mantle as the most underhyped star in baseball? It looks like he's Torii Hunter with a better bat. Grady Sizemore finishes fourth here, although I think his defense should rate better in the future. At the bottom of the list comes a trio of flycatchers: Nook Logan, Jeremy Reed, and...Steve Finley?! Between Finley and Anderson, it's easy to see why the Angels' slugging numbers are so low.
Gary Sheffield slugs his way to the top, although Ichiro's defense makes it close. A smart team needing a center fielder this offseason might try for Jacque Jones; I think he could be at least adequate for someone needing a offensive upgrade in center. Casey Blake, thanks to his recent hot streak, has passed three right fielders. Nick Swisher isn't rated as highly because he's been injured and hasn't had as many at-bats as the others on the list.