Which Teams Are Best at Drafting, Developing and Displaying DRS?
How has your favorite team fared at developing defense?
Who are the best infielders at avoiding mistakes?
By MARK SIMON A couple of weeks ago, we ran an article in The Athletic explaining our detailed scoring system for tracking Defensive Misplays and Errors. The piece focused mostly on those who were frequent mistake-makers, so we thought that we would share a look at the game’s best at avoiding defensive mistakes. We’ll do […]
When will the phrase “hit into the shift” become outdated?
As a baseball fan, you hear it all the time on any MLB broadcast. As I was recently watching the Nationals play the Mets on ESPN, Curtis Granderson hit a groundball right into the heart of a “Full Ted Williams shift”, where Daniel Murphy, the second baseman playing in shallow right field, scooped it up […]
Opening Act: Stats and scouts evaluate rookies’ defense
Nearly a month into the MLB season, the signal in the Defensive Runs Saved data is beginning to break free of the noise. The elite defenders are steadily climbing toward the top of the leaderboards, while the less talented gloves are falling to the back of the pack. With that in mind, this seems like […]
Mark Trumbo’s Hidden Tool
When the Diamondbacks, Angels, and White Sox agreed on a three-team deal that sent Mark Trumbo to the desert during this year’s Winter Meetings, the trade was widely panned from the Diamondbacks’ perspective. Many observers felt that the Snakes had given up too much young, controllable talent in a myopic search for power, fail
Freddie Freeman Picking Up His Teammates
The Atlanta Braves have arguably the best defensive shortstop in all of baseball in Andrelton Simmons. The slick-fielding 23-year-old leads MLB in Defensive Runs Saved with 39 in 2013, more than double Pedro Florimon, who is second among shortstops with 18. However, Simmons is not the only 23-year-old in the Braves infield who is showing
The Best Position Player in Chicago
It’s been a rough year for Chicago baseball fans. With disappointing seasons from the likes of Starlin Castro and Paul Konerko, plus the trades of Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rios, Jake Peavy, and Matt Garza, there have few bright spots on either side of town. In a few short weeks, Chicagoans will look back and realize […]