Team fielding

[A. Cavatica]

Discount this because (1) small sample size, (2) usefulness of fielding percentage as a metric, and (3) ESPN stats being unreliable, but they have the Sox at #2 in baseball for fielding percentage right now.

Does that pass the eye test? Jimenez is awful in left, Delmonico couldn’t hit a cutoff man from right, Anderson is a mixed bag, Garcia had an awful first game. But apart from that, Robert/Engel/Moncada/Madrigal/Grandal are excellent defensively, and Abreu has been excellent so far.

[Frater Perdurabo]

I don’t think Eloy is awful. He obviously didn’t look good when he hurt himself crashing into the wall, but he’s made the catches he needs to and he’s hit the cutoff man on his throws. With Robert in CF, Eloy doesn’t need to cover a lot of ground.

I do agree with your larger point, though. Leury isn’t Anderson’s equal with range, but when Engel is in RF and Grandal is catching, this is the best defensive Sox team since 2005, or maybe even 1993.

[hoosiersoxfan]

Eloy just needs to not try to make any outstanding plays (and stop running into the wall). Sure it will cost us some runs by him never robbing any hits but he will more than make up for that with his bat if he can stay in the lineup. At least he isn't butchering routine plays.

Also, when did Abreu's defense improve so much? He's made a handful of outstanding plays already this season.

[Tragg]

A bad/low fielding percentage is a problem, but a good fielding percentage doesn't provide much, if any, insight as to defensive prowess. Just from watching, with Engel in right, this should be a solid defensive team.

[ChiTownTrojan]

I don't know what a lot of these stats are, but Abreu is appearing at the top of a bunch of the lists for 1B, which sounds like a good thing. Matches the eye test too, as he has made at least 3 diving stops down the line to take away extra bases that I can recall.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/l...lding_fielding

Robert is towards the top of some of the rankings as well.

Because I was curious I took a look at the team offensive stats, and the Sox are currently #1 in batting average and #4 in OPS. I'm not going to bother with the pitching stats yet.

[voodoochile]

I don't know what a lot of these stats are, but Abreu is appearing at the top of a bunch of the lists for 1B, which sounds like a good thing. Matches the eye test too, as he has made at least 3 diving stops down the line to take away extra bases that I can recall.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/l...lding_fielding

Robert is towards the top of some of the rankings as well.

Because I was curious I took a look at the team offensive stats, and the Sox are currently #1 in batting average and #4 in OPS. I'm not going to bother with the pitching stats yet.

Yeah Robert is everything he was advertised to be.

[FourGoldGloves]

Jimenez is awful in left, Delmonico couldn’t hit a cutoff man from right, Anderson is a mixed bag, Garcia had an awful first game. But apart from that, Robert/Engel/Moncada/Madrigal/Grandal are excellent defensively, and Abreu has been excellent so far.

This is really about how significant a weakness is represented by the defensive limitations of Jimenez and Anderson. Here is a thought experiment that helped to clarify my thinking.

Suppose on an off-day Rick Hahn has had a couple of beers and decides to fire off a long-shot proposal to the Padres’ GM offering to trade Danny Mendick and Nick Delmonico for Fernando Tatis Jr. But his fingers slip on the keyboard and he accidentally types Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez for Tatis. Then he hits send without proofreading. Then Hahn, KW, and Reinsdorf immediately head out on a camping trip in remote Siberia.

First question: Would the Padres accept that offer?

Suppose the Padres are interested and send back a positive response (after the Sox FO have disappeared) with a 12-hour deadline. Whoever is left in the office looks frantically for someone not in Siberia to forward the thread to, and picks you.

Second question: Do you accept the deal, Tatis for Anderson and Jimenez?

In my own thinking, I assume Anderson remains a good-hitting, toolsy player who may or may not actually learn to play short, and Jimenez is either going to be a DH or end his career (or that of one of his teammates) by injury if he remains a left fielder.

EDIT: Upon further review, I reject the deal. I was probably overrating Tatis' defense. He and Anderson seem to be fairly equivalent. It will be interesting to watch them both progress, as I am sure they both will.

[A. Cavatica]

Hahn does that after only a couple of beers? What a lightweight.

No, I don’t trade two regulars for one. Jimenez for Tatis even up would be intriguing. I haven’t watched Tatis in the field enough to judge that one.

[ChiTownTrojan]

Yeah Robert is everything he was advertised to be.

More on Robert's defense from Fangraphs:

https://twitter.com/Gaur_Nik/status/1290281238410850304

"Overall, Robert has been the 2nd most valuable player in baseball"

[voodoochile]

More on Robert's defense from Fangraphs:

https://twitter.com/Gaur_Nik/status/1290281238410850304

"Overall, Robert has been the 2nd most valuable player in baseball"

Yeah and I'm not surprised a single bit.