Article: Minnesota's Defensive Dilemma

[markos]

 

That doesn't seem right.  Just looking at Fangraphs league fielding totals, AL SS last year have cumulative -9.5 UZR, and NL SS last year had (you guessed it) +9.5 UZR, for a MLB total of 0 UZR:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=al&qual=0&type=1&season=2015&month=0&season1=2015&ind=0&team=0,ss&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0

 

That would suggest the average is based on MLB, rather than AL/NL.  Which is logical.  (To the extent that league matters, more pitchers bat in the NL, but that should already be accounted for in the type and location of their batted balls.)

You're right. I had only looked at 2016 SS, which currently (and must be coincidentally) has a 0.6/0.6 total for AL/NL. I must be misinterpreting the text I bolded in my previous comment.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

You're right. I had only looked at 2016 SS, which currently (and must be coincidentally) has a 0.6/0.6 total for AL/NL. I must be misinterpreting the text I bolded in my previous comment.

Perhaps the 2016 numbers are still relative to previous year averages?  I'm thinking, they must use previous year's averages in early season numbers (otherwise, how would they score plays in the first game of the season?), maybe there are still phasing them down.  A rolling "last 162 games" type sample or something?

 

And perhaps by referring to "league" they mean MLB, as opposed to AAA, Japan, etc.  Not that UZR has been applied in those places, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was their goal.

Edited July 22, 2016 by spycake

[Bill Brown69]

The D is nothing special in the infield. I would agree that Mauer is our best infielder. I would rate Plouffe next(not as good as last season) and the rest at average or below.

 

I think our outfield has a lot of potential with time. I wouldn't mess with that.

 

There are some on the Twins that never learned to make good plays look routine. They make good plays look spectacular and never make anything over a good play.

[adorduan]

Sano is pretty bad. You can't keep dropping easy pop ups.