What is the mathematical term for the technique of calculating Wins Above Replacement?
"WAR" is an advanced statistic that combines several individual statistics for a baseball player,and then compares them to a given standard.
To put it one way, Player A is defined as a point in multidimensional space, where each dimension represents an independent baseball statistic (at bats, doubles, stolen bases, etc.). Player X is another point in the same multidimensional space. The relative "Wins Above Replacement" is an attempt to reduce the differences between the two player/points into one single quantity. Or, you could say that WAR is an attempt to quantify the "distance" between a player's "point" and some specified origin.
Is there a mathematical term that might define what WAR is trying to do? Somehow, in my limited knowledge of advanced mathematics, I'm thinking that the term "eigenvalue" fits the bill.
Mathematicians: Am I on to something here, or am I just blowing smoke?