Bonds' Wins Above Replacement vs Griffey, A-Rod, Pujols, and Trout's

RiceBondsMntna2Young

Having seen some misleading comments made debating the merits of Bonds for the HOF, I wanted to dispel the myth that Bonds was an otherwise mediocre player until he reportedly started on PEDs following the 1998 season. Here are some of the best players of the 90s, aughts, and 2010s side-by-side. These are their Wins Above Replacement (WAR) rankings against position players in their own league.

•( ) = 1st place where appropriate
•N/R = not top 10 in own league

BONDS
1986 N/R 3.5 (Gwynn 6.7)
1987 9th 5.8 (Gwynn 8.6)
1988 7th 6.3 (Larkin 7.0)
1989 3rd 8.0 (L. Smith 8.8)
1990 1st 9.0
1991 1st 8.0
1992 1st 9.0
1993 1st 9.9
1994 2nd 6.4 (Bagwell 8.2)
1995 1st 7.5
1996 1st 9.7
1997 4th 8.2 (Walker 9.8)
1998 1st 8.1
1999 N/R 3.8 (Bagwell 7.4)
2000 3rd 7.7 (Helton 8.9)
2001 1st 11.9
2002 1st 11.7
2003 1st 9.2
2004 1st 10.6
2005 N/R 0.6 (Pujols 8.4)
2006 N/R 4.0 (Pujols 8.5)
2007 N/R 3.4 (Pujols 8.7)

GRIFFEY
1989 N/R 3.3 (Henderson 8.4)
1990 N/R 5.2 (Henderson 9.9)
1991 2nd 7.1 (Ripken 11.5)
1992 N/R 5.8 (Puckett 7.1)
1993 1st 8.8
1994 2nd 6.9 (Lofton 7.2)
1995 N/R 3.3 (Valentin 8.3)
1996 1st 9.7
1997 1st 9.1
1998 5th 6.6 (A-Rod 8.5)
1999 N/R 4.9 (Jeter 8.0)
2000 N/R 5.5 (Helton 8.9)
2001 N/R 1.9 (Bonds 11.9)
2002 N/R -0.7 (Bonds 11.7)
2003 N/R 1.2 (Bonds 9.2)
2004 N/R 0.6 (Bonds 10.6)
2005 N/R 3.7 (Pujols 8.4)
2006 N/R -0.1 (Pujols 8.5)
2007 N/R 0.7 (Pujols 8.7)
2008 N/R 0.4 (Pujols 9.2)
2009 N/R 0.6 (Pujols 9.7)
2010 N/R -0.8 (Pujols 7.5)

A-ROD
1994 N/R -0.3 (Lofton 7.2)
1995 N/R -0.4 (Valentin 8.3)
1996 2nd 9.5 (Griffey 9.7)
1997 7th 5.7 (Griffey 9.1)
1998 1st 8.5
1999 N/R 4.8 (Jeter 8.0)
2000 1st 10.4
2001 3rd 8.3 (Giambi 9.2)
2002 1st 8.8
2003 1st 8.4
2004 2nd 7.6 (Suzuki 9.2)
2005 1st 9.4
2006 N/R 4.5 (Sizemore 6.6)
2007 1st 9.4
2008 3rd 6.8 (Markakis 7.4)
2009 N/R 4.2 (Zobrist 8.6)
2010 N/R 4.2 (Hamilton 8.7)
2011 N/R 4.0 (Ellsbury 8.3)
2012 N/R 2.2 (Trout 10.5)
2013 N/R 0.0 (Trout 8.9)
2014 N/R DNP (Trout 7.7)
2015 N/R 3.0 (Trout 9.6)
2016 N/R -1.2 (Trout 10.5)

PUJOLS
2001 9th 6.6 (Bonds 11.9)
2002 N/R 5.5 (Bonds 11.7)
2003 2nd 8.7 (Bonds 9.2)
2004 4th 8.5 (Bonds 10.6)
2005 1st 8.4
2006 1st 8.5
2007 1st 8.7
2008 1st 9.2
2009 1st 9.7
2010 1st 7.5
2011 10th 5.3 (Kemp 8.0)
2012 N/R 4.8 (Trout 10.5)
2013 N/R 1.6 (Trout 8.9)
2014 N/R 3.9 (Trout 7.7)
2015 N/R 3.0 (Trout 9.6)
2016 N/R 1.5 (Trout 9.6)
2017 N/R -1.9 (Judge 7.9)
2018 N/R 0.8 (Betts 10.6)
2019 N/R 0.5 (Bregman 9.1)
2020 N/R -0.1 (Abreu 3.1)

TROUT
2011 N/R 0.5 (Ellsbury 8.3)
2012 1st 10.5
2013 1st 8.9
2014 1st 7.7
2015 1st 9.6
2016 1st 10.5
2017 5th 6.7 (Judge 7.9)
2018 2nd 10.2 (Betts 10.6)
2019 4th 8.2 (Bregman 9.1)
2020 N/R 1.9 (Abreu 3.1)

craig44

Bonds was in a league of his own.

DBesse27

Seems like a topic for the sports talk forum.

coolstanley

@craig44 said:
Bonds was in a league of his own.

He should've won 3 straight MVP's with the Pirates. He was a HOFer before he left for SF as far as I'm concerned.

GreenSneakers

Have any of those in a PSA 10?

Cakes

For many people it just doesn't matter, cheaters are cheaters. Many of the purists will never forgive him. I do forgive him, but it has still left a tarnish on his legacy.