Like it or not, baseball’s most controversial statistic - WAR, which stands for Wins Above Replacement - is now part of the vernacular. No, it’s not perfect. There’s not even an agreed upon definition by which it can be calculated. You probably know the flaws. You also probably know that it’s a pretty good estimation of how MLB teams value players. WAR projections can reasonably predict what kind of contracts players get in the offseason. No one should look at just one statistic for any ballplayer, but if you absolutely had to, WAR, a summation of everything that happens on the field, is a fine starting point.