Baseball Glossary › Weighted Runs Created Plus
Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+)
Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) measures a hitter's total offensive value compared with league average, adjusted for ballpark and league. It credits each outcome by its actual run value, so a home run counts for more than a single. A wRC+ of 100 is league average and 150 is 50 percent better.
What to Know
Reading wRC+ is simple: every point above or below 100 is one percentage point above or below league average. FanGraphs' rule-of-thumb scale puts 100 at average, 115 above average, 140 great and 160 excellent, while 80 is below average, 75 poor and 60 awful.
wRC+ vs OPS+: both use the 100-is-average scale and adjust for park and league. OPS+ is built from on-base and slugging percentage, while wRC+ starts from weighted on-base average, which values a walk, single, double, triple and home run by how many runs each one is actually worth. A hitter's two numbers for a season usually look similar.
wRC+ does not adjust for position or defense. For a hitter's total value, including fielding and baserunning, use WAR. For a simpler unadjusted snapshot, see OPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is wRC+ in baseball?
wRC+ stands for Weighted Runs Created Plus. It rates a hitter's total offensive production against league average, adjusting for ballpark and league, on a scale where 100 is average.
What is a good wRC+?
FanGraphs' rule of thumb puts 100 at league average, 115 above average, 140 great and 160 excellent. Below 100 is below average, with about 75 considered poor.
How do you read wRC+?
Each point above 100 is one percentage point better than league average, and each point below is one point worse. A 125 wRC+ means the hitter created 25 percent more runs than an average hitter in the same playing time.
What is the difference between wRC+ and OPS+?
Both are park- and league-adjusted with 100 as average. OPS+ is built from OBP and SLG, while wRC+ weights each offensive event by its run value. They usually produce similar numbers for the same season.
Does wRC+ include defense or position?
No. wRC+ is an offense-only stat and does not adjust for position. To combine offense, defense, baserunning and position in one number, analysts use WAR.
Can you compare wRC+ across eras?
Yes. Because wRC+ is adjusted for league scoring and ballpark, FanGraphs notes a 140 wRC+ means essentially the same thing in different seasons, which makes cross-era comparisons fair.
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Sources
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