Fangraphs has UZR go go go
DMZ · December 7, 2008 at 9:11 pm · Filed Under Mariners
For the last couple of years, one of the most frustrating things about discussing defensive stats has been knowing that UZR’s out there, one of the best defensive stats you can use to evaluate players, and yet really hard to get your hands on. Who was the best left fielder last year? I may have no clue unless MGL decides to post the top five guys in a comment thread somewhere.
But now! Fangraphs and MGL present UZRs, freely available to all. It’s a little different because it uses a different data source, but — wow, Ibanez is just wretched. If you thought… wow.
So…. Adam Jones…. #4 CF.
/facepalm
Huh? Is there a data error? Manny is listed at -4.8 in UZR last year after three seasons at -22.6, -19.5, and -18.3? Abreau (and his good arm) and Jason Bay have Raul comparable UZRs?
Betancourt worst fielding starting infielder in baseball.
Adrian Beltre 2nd best fielding 3b in baseball last year behind a surprising Mike Lowell.
There was some discussion about Manny actually improving on his move to Dodgerland and Bay’s numbers getting worse upon his move to Fenway. For several years some have speculated that the Green Monster was making Manny look worse than he actually is.
What’s really interesting is that UZR has Ichiro! @ -0.8 in CF and +7.3 in RF for his career. PMR, I believe, has the opposite. That he’s an average fielder in RF and very good in center.
UZR hates Ichiro.
What surprised me was how much worse Betancourt was than any other regular ss in the AL according to UZR and that three AL OFs rated worse than ibanez.
The Book blog has a UZR post essentially devoted to Ichiro. It highlights what UZR has to say about him by comparing the two data sets.
some have speculated that the Green Monster was making Manny look worse than he actually is
The Green Monster made him run around in circles and trip over his own feet?
I am certainly willing to believe he was trying harder in LA than he was in past years in Boston. But other than a couple of playoff games I didn’t see him play there so I have no idea. But supposedly he also upped his play in the field this year before leaving Boston — he pulled off the “high five the fan” double play on his way out, after all.
Well, no, of course not. It might however explain part of ‘Manny Ramirez LFer- EPIC FAIL’.
I’m not saying I’m advocating this train of thought. Just that after several more years worth of actual tracking data it’ll be interesting to see what emerges.