Ranking playoff teams on defense
Oakland and Detroit provide a stark contrast in glove quality
By Scott Spratt | Baseball Info Solutions
The postseason teams exemplify the classic difference between the stereotypes of the National League and the American League. Combined, the four NL teams own 33 defensive runs saved (DRS), Baseball Info Solutions' measurement of total defense relative to an average player at each position. In contrast, the four AL teams have minus-38 defensive runs saved. It seems likely the World Series will feature a pair of teams with drastically different styles, but there is still a lot of baseball to be played before we get there. First, there are the division series. We'll preview all four from a defensive perspective and rank the eight remaining teams based on DRS.
Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals
I've exhausted my vocabulary of superlatives to describe the defensive excellence of Yadier Molina, but he seems especially important given the limitations of some of the other Cardinals' defenders. Matt Holliday, in particular, has been bad of late. Since Sept. 1, Holliday has minus-8 defensive runs saved, which is tied for the third-worst total in baseball. At least St. Louis has found a good replacement for injured Rafael Furcal. Pete Kozma has saved the Cardinals two runs in fewer than 200 innings at shortstop, a major improvement over Daniel Descalso, who had minus-7 DRS in similar playing time away from his normal position.
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Mike Trout has received the majority of the attention for his excellent defense in center field this season, but fellow phenom Bryce Harper has turned in his own impressive debut. For the year, Harper has saved 13 runs in center, which is more than all but four other center fielders. The Nationals will have to hope Harper rises to the occasion of the postseason because Roger Bernadina and Jayson Werth on either side of him have combined for minus-11 DRS.
What to watch: Only the Athletics and Giants have more team steals than the Nationals among postseason teams. They will have to decide whether it is worth the risk to run on Yadier Molina, who has thrown out 46 percent of would-be base stealers this season.
San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds
Brandon Phillips has been a fixture at the top of the DRS list at second base in his career. Over the past five seasons, only Chase Utley, Dustin Pedroia and Mark Ellis have more DRS at second than Phillips' 42. Shortstop, however, has been more of a revolving door.
<!-- begin inline 1 -->Gold gloves?
Ranking all LDS based on defensive runs saved.
<table><thead><tr><th>TEAM</th><th>DRS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last oddrow"><td>1. Reds</td><td>+38</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>2. A's</td><td>+16</td></tr><tr class="last oddrow"><td>3. Cardinals</td><td>+14</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>4. Giants</td><td>-5</td></tr><tr class="last oddrow"><td>5. Orioles</td><td>-5</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>6. Nationals</td><td>-14</td></tr><tr class="last oddrow"><td>7. Yankees</td><td>-22</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>8. Tigers</td><td>-27</td></tr></tbody></table>
<!-- end inline 1 -->Since 2008, the Reds have had a different opening day shortstop in every season. 2012 rookie Zack Cozart likely will break that trend next year. He and Phillips have extraordinary range. They have combined to save the Reds 22 runs with their ability to reach balls many other middle infielders would not.
When Melky Cabrera was suspended for the rest of the season, the Giants lost their next-best bat in the lineup to Buster Posey. However, they might have improved defensively. For the year, Cabrera has cost the Giants a run with his left-field defense. Since Aug. 15, when Cabrera was suspended, Gregor Blanco has saved the Giants three runs. More problematic for San Francisco is Hunter Pence, who saved 20 combined runs from 2009 to 2011 but has cost his teams nine runs this year. So far, his acquisition has been little help for the Giants.
What to watch: Posey has seen more stolen-base attempts, 118, against him than any other catcher in baseball, and he has managed to throw out just 31 of them, which is 26 percent. The Giants' pitching staff deserves much of the blame. The one Red who has the speed to benefit is Drew Stubbs. Stubbs is a notoriously streaky player, and his recent struggles have cost him playing time down the stretch. If he is able to get on base the way he did in June and July, he could be a spark plug for a dangerous Reds offense.
Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees
Mark Reynolds has been much maligned for his poor defensive play in his career, and with good reason. He has produced a terrible minus-51 DRS over the past five seasons at third base. Yet, when the Orioles moved him to first in the middle of the season, Reynolds responded. Since the All-Star break, he leads all players in baseball in good fielding plays, which are nonroutine defensive plays a typical fielder might be unable to make. In fact, his 58 GFP tally in the second half of the season is an amazing 13 more than the closest man to him, Ryan Zimmerman. Reynolds has been one of the main contributors in a huge defensive turnaround for the Orioles, who went from a minus-17 DRS defense in the first half to a plus-4 DRS defense in the second half.
Like the Orioles, the Yankees have played much better defense since the All-Star break. Although that change has coincided with the arrival of Ichiro Suzuki, it has been some of the usual suspects who are more responsible for the turnaround. Nick Swisher, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson combined for a 23-run improvement over the first half of the season. Ichiro, on the other hand, has cost the Yankees two runs with his defense.
What to watch: The Orioles were last in baseball with 58 stolen bases on the season and second with 214 home runs. It will be interesting to see whether the Yankees position Granderson deeper in center field to account for the Orioles' power. He has cost the Yankees 10 runs this season because of his poor range, most of which has been on deep balls.
Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics
Yoenis Cespedes certainly has equaled the offensive expectations that came with his fanfare out of Cuba. Among the every-day players, Cespedes leads the Athletics with a .356 on-base percentage and .505 slugging. However, he did struggle defensively to start the year. He cost the A's nine runs in just 48 games in center field, mostly because of his limited range for a premium position. Since Coco Crisp has returned, Cespedes has moved to left field, and the Oakland outfield has settled into one of the better groups in the game.
As a left fielder, Cespedes is a positive contributor with plus-1 DRS. Add that to Crisp, a neutral defender, and Josh Reddick, who led all right fielders in baseball with 22 DRS, and the A's are peaking at the right time, defensively. Since Sept. 1, Oakland has 78 GFPs, the best of any team in the playoffs.
The Tigers overcame their defensive deficiencies to reach the playoffs behind a powerful offense, but potential mistakes in the field are often magnified in short series. Miguel Cabrera has not been as bad as expected at third base, posting minus-4 DRS compared with the minus-19 DRS he had when he most recently played a full season at third in 2007. The reason the Tigers are near the basement of the American League with minus-28 defensive runs saved as a team is the accumulation of weaknesses at every position. Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta and Prince Fielder have cost them runs in the infield, and Brennan Boesch has been especially poor in the outfield. Fortunately, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer get a lot of their outs via the strikeout, which prevents the defensive behind them from hurting the team.
What to watch: Verlander, Scherzer, and, to a lesser extent, Doug Fister strike out a lot of batters. That is the type of pitcher you want on the mound with bad infield defense. With Scherzer's health a question mark entering the series, Rick Porcello could see some extra work. His 53.2 percent ground-ball rate is the eighth-highest in the AL. It is no coincidence that he has allowed a .344 batting average on balls in play when, typically, pitchers stabilize close to .300. If he starts, he will be most susceptible to a costly defensive misplay behind him.
Oakland and Detroit provide a stark contrast in glove quality
By Scott Spratt | Baseball Info Solutions
The postseason teams exemplify the classic difference between the stereotypes of the National League and the American League. Combined, the four NL teams own 33 defensive runs saved (DRS), Baseball Info Solutions' measurement of total defense relative to an average player at each position. In contrast, the four AL teams have minus-38 defensive runs saved. It seems likely the World Series will feature a pair of teams with drastically different styles, but there is still a lot of baseball to be played before we get there. First, there are the division series. We'll preview all four from a defensive perspective and rank the eight remaining teams based on DRS.
I've exhausted my vocabulary of superlatives to describe the defensive excellence of Yadier Molina, but he seems especially important given the limitations of some of the other Cardinals' defenders. Matt Holliday, in particular, has been bad of late. Since Sept. 1, Holliday has minus-8 defensive runs saved, which is tied for the third-worst total in baseball. At least St. Louis has found a good replacement for injured Rafael Furcal. Pete Kozma has saved the Cardinals two runs in fewer than 200 innings at shortstop, a major improvement over Daniel Descalso, who had minus-7 DRS in similar playing time away from his normal position.
<offer></offer>
Mike Trout has received the majority of the attention for his excellent defense in center field this season, but fellow phenom Bryce Harper has turned in his own impressive debut. For the year, Harper has saved 13 runs in center, which is more than all but four other center fielders. The Nationals will have to hope Harper rises to the occasion of the postseason because Roger Bernadina and Jayson Werth on either side of him have combined for minus-11 DRS.
What to watch: Only the Athletics and Giants have more team steals than the Nationals among postseason teams. They will have to decide whether it is worth the risk to run on Yadier Molina, who has thrown out 46 percent of would-be base stealers this season.
San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds
Brandon Phillips has been a fixture at the top of the DRS list at second base in his career. Over the past five seasons, only Chase Utley, Dustin Pedroia and Mark Ellis have more DRS at second than Phillips' 42. Shortstop, however, has been more of a revolving door.
<!-- begin inline 1 -->Gold gloves?
Ranking all LDS based on defensive runs saved.
<table><thead><tr><th>TEAM</th><th>DRS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last oddrow"><td>1. Reds</td><td>+38</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>2. A's</td><td>+16</td></tr><tr class="last oddrow"><td>3. Cardinals</td><td>+14</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>4. Giants</td><td>-5</td></tr><tr class="last oddrow"><td>5. Orioles</td><td>-5</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>6. Nationals</td><td>-14</td></tr><tr class="last oddrow"><td>7. Yankees</td><td>-22</td></tr><tr class="last evenrow"><td>8. Tigers</td><td>-27</td></tr></tbody></table>
<!-- end inline 1 -->Since 2008, the Reds have had a different opening day shortstop in every season. 2012 rookie Zack Cozart likely will break that trend next year. He and Phillips have extraordinary range. They have combined to save the Reds 22 runs with their ability to reach balls many other middle infielders would not.
When Melky Cabrera was suspended for the rest of the season, the Giants lost their next-best bat in the lineup to Buster Posey. However, they might have improved defensively. For the year, Cabrera has cost the Giants a run with his left-field defense. Since Aug. 15, when Cabrera was suspended, Gregor Blanco has saved the Giants three runs. More problematic for San Francisco is Hunter Pence, who saved 20 combined runs from 2009 to 2011 but has cost his teams nine runs this year. So far, his acquisition has been little help for the Giants.
What to watch: Posey has seen more stolen-base attempts, 118, against him than any other catcher in baseball, and he has managed to throw out just 31 of them, which is 26 percent. The Giants' pitching staff deserves much of the blame. The one Red who has the speed to benefit is Drew Stubbs. Stubbs is a notoriously streaky player, and his recent struggles have cost him playing time down the stretch. If he is able to get on base the way he did in June and July, he could be a spark plug for a dangerous Reds offense.
Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees
Mark Reynolds has been much maligned for his poor defensive play in his career, and with good reason. He has produced a terrible minus-51 DRS over the past five seasons at third base. Yet, when the Orioles moved him to first in the middle of the season, Reynolds responded. Since the All-Star break, he leads all players in baseball in good fielding plays, which are nonroutine defensive plays a typical fielder might be unable to make. In fact, his 58 GFP tally in the second half of the season is an amazing 13 more than the closest man to him, Ryan Zimmerman. Reynolds has been one of the main contributors in a huge defensive turnaround for the Orioles, who went from a minus-17 DRS defense in the first half to a plus-4 DRS defense in the second half.
Like the Orioles, the Yankees have played much better defense since the All-Star break. Although that change has coincided with the arrival of Ichiro Suzuki, it has been some of the usual suspects who are more responsible for the turnaround. Nick Swisher, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson combined for a 23-run improvement over the first half of the season. Ichiro, on the other hand, has cost the Yankees two runs with his defense.
What to watch: The Orioles were last in baseball with 58 stolen bases on the season and second with 214 home runs. It will be interesting to see whether the Yankees position Granderson deeper in center field to account for the Orioles' power. He has cost the Yankees 10 runs this season because of his poor range, most of which has been on deep balls.
Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics
Yoenis Cespedes certainly has equaled the offensive expectations that came with his fanfare out of Cuba. Among the every-day players, Cespedes leads the Athletics with a .356 on-base percentage and .505 slugging. However, he did struggle defensively to start the year. He cost the A's nine runs in just 48 games in center field, mostly because of his limited range for a premium position. Since Coco Crisp has returned, Cespedes has moved to left field, and the Oakland outfield has settled into one of the better groups in the game.
As a left fielder, Cespedes is a positive contributor with plus-1 DRS. Add that to Crisp, a neutral defender, and Josh Reddick, who led all right fielders in baseball with 22 DRS, and the A's are peaking at the right time, defensively. Since Sept. 1, Oakland has 78 GFPs, the best of any team in the playoffs.
The Tigers overcame their defensive deficiencies to reach the playoffs behind a powerful offense, but potential mistakes in the field are often magnified in short series. Miguel Cabrera has not been as bad as expected at third base, posting minus-4 DRS compared with the minus-19 DRS he had when he most recently played a full season at third in 2007. The reason the Tigers are near the basement of the American League with minus-28 defensive runs saved as a team is the accumulation of weaknesses at every position. Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta and Prince Fielder have cost them runs in the infield, and Brennan Boesch has been especially poor in the outfield. Fortunately, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer get a lot of their outs via the strikeout, which prevents the defensive behind them from hurting the team.
What to watch: Verlander, Scherzer, and, to a lesser extent, Doug Fister strike out a lot of batters. That is the type of pitcher you want on the mound with bad infield defense. With Scherzer's health a question mark entering the series, Rick Porcello could see some extra work. His 53.2 percent ground-ball rate is the eighth-highest in the AL. It is no coincidence that he has allowed a .344 batting average on balls in play when, typically, pitchers stabilize close to .300. If he starts, he will be most susceptible to a costly defensive misplay behind him.
