Cardinals: Evaluating "WAR" and its reflection of team success

Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is a common stat used for player performance. Teams are also given a WAR total. Do WAR totals for teams reflect accuracy in the standings?
St. Louis Cardinals v Washington Nationals
St. Louis Cardinals v Washington Nationals / G Fiume/GettyImages
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National League West

Current Standings

fWAR Standings

bWAR Standings

Dodgers (70-46)

Dodgers (13.8 fWAR)

Dodgers (32.1 fWAR)

Giants (62-55)

Padres (13.3 fWAR)

Padres (31.4 fWAR)

Diamondbacks (58-59)

Giants (9.7 fWAR)

Diamondbacks (24.7 fWAR)

Padres (56-61)

Diamondbacks (9.6 fWAR)

Giants (22.1 fWAR)

Rockies (45-72)

Rockies (3.8 fWAR)

Rockies (7.4)

The Padres get a huge boost in WAR standings when compared to the current division standings. The Giants, meanwhile, take a fall in all WAR standings. While the Giants have a top-3 pitching bWAR total in the National League, their non-pitching bWAR total brings them down. The Padres, on the other hand, are top-3 in bWAR hitting and top-8 in pitching bWAR in the National League.

The Dodgers have a commanding lead at the top of the division and all categories while the Diamondbacks sit in the middle of the pack in all categories. The Rockies are bringing up the rear, having only 2.7 fWAR more than all free agents. The Diamondbacks are currently trying to hold off the Padres in the division while contending for a Wild Card berth.

The Dodgers are one of the most dominant teams in all of baseball according to their record and WAR totals. They are second in all of MLB in fWAR and are 6th in bWAR. They are a relatively balanced team, but their offensive statistics are helping their middle-of-the-pack pitching statistics.