. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. What level of play? There is some good news, however. All rights reserved. Aside from the pitcher, the strongest arm probably belongs to either the third baseman or right fielder, though it is never a firm rule and varies by team. Shortstops at this level will be missing a few elements of the top shortstop, but they still make plays and contribute in the line-up. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. And we'd talk about it for days. You know what the Rangers thought of that Gold Glove? Fielding percentage: .989 (tied for second). Sure, there are some opportunities to range either way and make throws from deep in the hole, but when guys make contact, one of two things happens: It gets by you (and it would get by anybody, because its going that fast), or its a hot shot you can reach. Some players have the mindset of I only play third base! DRS | Sabermetrics Library College, HS Varsity, JV, Frosh, 14U etc. Division 1 Pitch velocity: 84 MPH consistently; up to 95+ MPH Command of at least 3 pitches ERA: below 2.00 At least 1 K per inning pitched Walk less than 1 batter per 2 innings pitched Division 2 Pitch velocity: 82 MPH - 90+ MPH Skip ahead anywhere in this article on softball positioning this applies both to fastpitch and slowpitch, though slowpitch is NOT the focus of this article. 10. This should be the best athlete on the field, but these shortstops aren't playing at higher levels because of a lack of speed and lateral quickness. He debuted when he was just 20 years old, so he likely still has room for improvement. Foul tips and long days squatting and blocking in the heat make for very long, draining days. Andrelton Simmons: MLB's Top Fielder | Tbones Baseball Rules question do runners have to be on base? Left fielders need to play excellent outfield defense and thus must be fast and have a great glove. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Ranking MLB's 10 Best Defensive Shortstops Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Twenty-eight of those 29 runs below average came as a center fielder, where he made 2.50 plays per nine innings compared to the MLB average of 2.76. Playing right field requires decent arm strength because of the long throw to third, but the right fielder is typically the least important player on the field. ), 9. In 2009, he did make a high number of good fielding plays (48), according to Baseball Info Solutions, although that was countered by 33 misplays. He's going to make errors, because he's going to get to more balls that most other guys, but he's not booting one every four or five days. Research is complete through completion of the previous season and includes all the fielding average variations. But, it just occurred to me that it might be a function of aluminum bats. No-hitter the latest feat in James Paxton's rise, Deal ends Matt Harvey's roller-coaster ride with Mets, Sizing up potential trade fits for Manny Machado, Real or Not? While Drew is middling in terms of most of his stats, the superb fielding percentage is hard to ignore. About Sharing Tools. Its just like a refresher course for me. Chances Records for Shortstops by Baseball Almanac The Padres made the playoffs with Gomez playing shortstop in 1996 and 1998, so they apparently didn't think he was awful there. 5. Sometimes that doesnt show as flashy where it might catch the average fans eye. *Many detailed statistics are based on play-by-play accounts accumulated by Retrosheet. Coaches at the top levels will look for middle infielders that display outstanding defensive ability in all of these categories. Catchers need a strong arm, so if you need to work on your throwing (for any position, really) check out my free throwing webinar below. The throw from right field to third base is very long, hence the need for good arm strength. Fielding Average Records for Shortstops by Baseball Almanac In Girls HS softball, can a team play 3 infielders and 4 outfielders (rover)? What is considered a good fielding percentage often varies based on the position, but a good fielding percentage in high school baseball is about .940 and above. League Year-By-Year Fielding--Averages. His +26 is just percentage points below the top performance of the last two years, which belonged to another D II product, UC San Diegos Vance Albitz. With that in mind, lets turn our attention to shortstop defense. For shortstops who were in the field for 800 or more balls in play (roughly 33 games) in both 2007 and 2008, the year-to-year correlation was approximately 0.29. Undoubtedly, voters remembered the spectacular plays, but there was nothing in the numbers that suggested Kemp had above-average range and he was making a large number of miscues at the same time. Gomez's range factor was actually higher than the MLB average, 4.63 to 4.58, and his fielding percentage was fine, so I'm not quite sure why he rates so poorly. Not as much fielding range as the shortstop; One of the better power hitters on the team, typically; Many HS shortstops are recruited as SS, but end up playing 2B or 3B in college . While Escobar's RF of 4.11 is only 13th-best, he's tied for fifth place in DPR with a 0.9 rating. In terms of DRS, he is in a four-way tie for seventh with a value of four. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Matt Kemp, CF, 2010 Dodgers (minus-37). Return to Top; Major League Players. What's even scarier is his age: Simmons is only 23. Second baseman have to be very quick and agile defenders and have value on the bases. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, While his dWAR and DRS aren't as noteworthy, they balance out the former group of stats in such a way to seat him at No. He is always on the field. In the MLB, while no one is even close to being as skilled as Dutch phenom Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves, all-around powerhouse Troy Tulowitzki and defensive specialist Pedro Florimon make a valiant effort. Real or Not? If he wasn't on fans' radars before 2012, he is now. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. 9 . Lets get started with a few frequently asked questions. Data Provided By Universal Fielding Percentages | Articles | Bill James Online A college shortstop playing high-level competition is probably more like a wood-bat-league third baseman. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. And because I'm a traditionalist, good old fielding percentage has its time of day here and was considered as much as the component metrics. Jeter, at minus-33 runs, was BIS's worst-rated shortstop over that two-season span; Ryan, at plus-45, was the best. His UZR of 5.7 is sixth among all qualifying shortstops as is his dWAR of 0.9. Each position on the field is designated with a 1-9 number. 2022 Major League Baseball Fielding Leaders 970 Numerically, what does it mean to be consistent? Thanks. With all of the hype around the St. Louis Cardinals and their sizable crop of potential All-Stars, Pete Kozma either goes unnoticed or else is pegged as one of the weakest players on the team. All orgs will receive a full list. Farmer ranks. Get the MLB schedule, scores, standings, rumors, fantasy games and more on NBCSports.com. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Pitchers are #1 in the softball scorebook, and theyre in control of the pace of the game. 60 Yard Dash: 7.0 or below Velocity from the INF: 78+ MPH from SS Stats: OB%: .400 Slugging: .500 Coach Keys: Athleticism, knowledge of the game, and leadership skills are necessary for shortstops at this level. The most important factors when evaluating an elite middle infielder defensively are speed, quickness, good hands, and arm strength. When it comes to defenseshortstops and beyondthe caliber of Andrelton Simmons' talent is rivaled by few. Michael Young, SS, 2005 Rangers (minus-32). 2023 Regular Season MLB Baseball ss Fielding Statistics - Major League Just wait, he's salvageable. This was Sheffield's final season as a third baseman and he made 34 errors while fielding .899. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. It can certainly contribute to the discussion, but until a few more years go by and we can combine the data with professional records for these college players, we dont know just how worthwhile it is. Sometimes its simply because the coach is more familiar with the player abilities and skills etc but sometimes unfortunately its seems to be pure favoritism. Do you have a blog? Data. Defensive skills are the focus for shortstops, with offensive skills being a bonus. What follows is a list of the top 10 shortstops in the MLB. Anyway, Young had come up as a second baseman and moved to shortstop in 2004 and in 2005 he made 4.41 plays per nine innings versus the MLB average of 4.60 (his fielding percentage was about league average). What to expect from Orioles' Joey Ortiz in the Majors In other words, when aluminum is involved, hard hit balls turn every infielder into a third baseman. It's true; his composite stats are currently laughable, so he's obviously not in the top 10. College, HS Varsity, JV, Frosh, 14U etc Some information here: Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. However, its not really the case any more that they have the strongest arm on the entire teamthey mightbut the shortstop and third baseman also have tremendously strong arms. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. So all the metrics agreed that he just didn't have much range in this year. Colligiate Summer ball as a true Freshman. This was because originally, the shortstop was the fourth outfielder. Catchers have an extremely demanding role on the team both physically and mentally. This one makes a lot of sense: An old outfielder trying to play in Coors Field. > Career Fielding % as 3B. Braun fielded just .895, making 26 errors in 112 games, and made .57 fewer plays per nine innings than the average third baseman. Composite advanced metrics: Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR) and Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), 2. Just how great is Simmons? Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Drew has a RF of 4.32, good enough for 10th place. Shortstop is, perhaps, the most complex fielding position in baseball, both in terms of execution and defensive statistics. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Sometimes, it seems like Elvis Andrus has been a longtime Texas Ranger, but he's only 24. He's a phenomenal defensive player. MLB Fielding Complete Stats . Left fielders typically have good speed and fielding skills and are expected to be good contributors at the plate. Back in May, I looked at some notable defensive performances among college third basemen, especially that of Fresno States Tom Mendonca. If his fielding percentage was middle as opposed to dismal, he'd likely move up several spots, but you can't have your shortstop botching every other play, which is why he sits at No. Fast legs are strong legs. What is the DH in softball? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. W. Clayton Kershaw (3-1) L. Tylor Megill (3-1) We've added a page to show the statistical impact of MLB's rule changes for the 2023 season. Your email address will not be published. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The other positions require similar skills but are less demanding. The hope for the Tigers is that Castellanos is young enough to improve, but he needs a lot of improvement just to become league average. A +5 DRS at third means the player is five runs better than the average third. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. At least thats what Ive experienced. I enjoyed reading your write up Coach Dan Blewett, youre doing a good job. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Simmons was just named the Defensive Player of the Month for June by ESPN. Twelve innings: Irv Ray of Boston on August 15, 1888, John Gochnaur of Cleveland on July 14, 1903, Billy Rogell of Detroit on June 16, 1937, Andre Rogers of San Francisco on July 9, 1960, Ernie Riles of Milwaukee on August 3, 1986 and Khalil Greene of San Diego on August 1, 2004. Florimon out of the bunch is seemingly worthless on offense (he has a lifetime .220 average), but he makes up for it by covering ground in the middle infield like no one else can. If you need to improve your speed, be sure to get in the weight room! The 2008-09 correlation was a bit weaker, but still above 0.25. Infield Velocity: Low 80s and above from SS. The 9 Softball Positions & The Skills Required For Each One 13 May 2022 In the field, Alcantara has six errors in 89 chances (.933 fielding percentage) at shortstop. Why did Ross Tucker start Go Big Recruiting? Fielding percentage Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster In left field, he made 1.80 plays per game while teammate Josh Willingham -- hardly known as a plus fielder himself -- made 2.17. How do I pick which schools to send my Go Big profile to? Again, only players above the BIP threshold are included; the numbers include two seasons worth of data, and are regressed based on playing time. Middle Infielder | Baseball Positional Guidelines | Go Big Recruiting Left fielders typically have good speed and fielding skills and are expected to be good contributors at the plate. He's in the seventh spot as opposed to sixth because his component metrics and DSR pull him down a bit, and the following candidate is just a hair stronger both in this area and in UZR. The Designated Hitter is a player who only hits, and hits in place of the pitcher. 24-year Here's the skinny on Hardy: Once in a while, there's a UZR/dWAR discrepancy, and Hardy is a curious case of that. What do the softball position numbers mean? The fact that the two names at the top are both from D II schools may give us pause. Originally, in the early years of baseball, the shortstop was the fourth outfielder. I don't think anyone is going to defend Dunn's defense. Probably not. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Lower NAIA/D2 Middle Infielder Physical Measurables: Height: 5'11" Weight: 170 lbs. Castellanos' range factor was 2.10 per nine innings compared to the MLB average of 2.56, but of course he played on a staff that racked up a lot of strikeouts. That can be attributed to a good amount of added strength, using his body more efficiently in the box and employing a more direct bat path consistently. The primary reason for Kozma sitting below the top four is the gap in composite metrics. Drew's numbers aren't outstanding, but they do speak to his point, as does the video above. Oddly enough, though, his dWAR is .9, which puts him in a three-way tie for sixth place. His reward? However, his dWAR of 1.1 and DRS of six (both fourth place) put him in the company of the top-tier guys. a third baseman? He's clearly a level up from the Escobars and narrowly tops Kozma in terms of his composite metrics, which is why he falls above them, but his UZR, RF and fielding percentage are underwhelming when compared to the remaining three on this list. Ortiz brings what is now considered Major League average pop (a 50 on that scouting scale) to the Orioles' lineup. Statistics: . Fielding percentage: .987 (tied for fifth). They moved him to third base the following season. You want them to play as much as they can especially if they are at least as good as the others. A third defensive metric that I'll mention in the piece below is ultimate zone rating, available at FanGraphs. Modify, Export & Share Table. He had poor range -- 1.77 plays per nine innings compared to the 2.00 MLB average -- and also tossed in 13 errors. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. HELP WANTED: Players / Teams / Coaches / Tourneys, http://hsbaseballweb.com/eve/f631074461/m/33410865. Velocity from the INF: Upper 70s MPH from SS. Well start with the basics, answer a lot of questions and get to some more advanced topics on infield defense and recruiting at the end. Alexei Ramirez can be considered a veteran at this point, but he's still pretty spry. Before we get going, check out this video about throwing speed by age for fastpitch players. In an interview with Mark Simon of ESPN (found in the preceding link), Braves general manager Frank Wren had this to say about the phenom: To go along with great hands, arm and athleticism, he has excellent awareness on the field. He's above Tulo due to a talent-infused blend of composite and component metrics, but there's still no contest between himor the rest of those who rankand the No. Totals are Below. While Hardy's RF is just 4.02 (seventeenth), his DPR on 1.0 (third-best) is quite impressive, considering the fact that, throughout the years, it has constantly been up in the air as to who his double playmate will be (this happens when you have the oft-injured Brian Roberts as your projected starting second baseman). What level of play? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The statistic is premised on the notion that the total number of outs in which a player participates is more relevant in evaluating that player's defensive play than the percentage of . Having great range allows the middle infielder to field ground balls that may deep in the hole or up the middle. Ryan doesn't make the cut for several reasons, the first being that his UZR is unforgivable. Ramirez's RF of 4.05 is the 15th-highest, showing that he's not quite as nimble as he was in his prime, but he proves to be adept at turning two, as his DPR of 1.6 is the best in the league among shortstops. First, lets recap a bit of what I wrote in the Mendonca article. He may be 31, but judging from the video above, he hasn't lost his instincts (or his ups). Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. anything but a shortstop!) Statistics That Require the Tracking of Batted Balls Metrics Theres little question he was one of the top available prospects with the bat, but it will be interesting to see how his glove measures up in the pros. Join our linker program. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. The position numbers go in order, starting with the pitcher as #1, however the shortstop is out of order and is labeled #6 instead of #5 all other positions go naturally in order from pitcher to catcher, around the infield, then into the outfield. I never change that. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. They make the plays, but don't have the best range. Jean Segura has a UZR of zero, which slots him in 18th place. I dont know if flashy is the word, but he can do things that other people cant do. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Los Angeles Dodgers. Double-play turns for lefty middle infielders are nearly impossible. Top middle infielders will also be able to hit at a high level. College Baseball Scouts Have Guidelines, Yet All Guidelines Can Be Broken, College Baseball Talent Does Not Fit Into A Neat Hierarchy. Center field requires lots of speed and great fly ball reading ability. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. A player's Fielding Runs number is used to estimate his Fielding Wins, an estimate of the number of games a team won above or below what it would have won with an average fielder (with zero Fielding Runs) at the player's position. Teammate and fellow infielder Jose Iglesias can make some superstar plays up the middle, but his move to the hot corner is a testament to Drew's reliability. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. This one may be a bit surprising as Young was regarded as a solid shortstop and even won a Gold Glove in 2008. Shortstops are usually the best athletes on the field at all levels of softball. Although the remaining candidates hold the top two RFs, Tulo's range is arguably more impressive given that his genetic makeup is atypical for a shortstop. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. The typical answer for this is the right fielder, because they will have the longest throw to third base of all outfielders. Many of the best amateur glovemen are shortstops, and almost as soon as they appear on scouts radars, the debate begins as to whether they can stick at the position. The consensus is that the Minnesota Twins have finally found an everyday shortstop. Fielding percentage is a very simple measurement. Do you have a sports website? FPCT: Fielding Percentage; RF: Range Factor; A couple of other notes. What is a Good Fielding Percentage in High School Baseball? His DRS of four puts him in a four-way tie for seventh-best. St. Louis' first-round draft pick from 2007 wasn't expected to play much this year as the Cardinals initially had both Rafael Furcal and Ronny Cedeno on their roster, but Furcal's decision to have Tommy John surgery and St. Louis' eventual release of Cedeno provided an opening for Kozma at short. Beyond that, he needs to pick bad throws, be a great, large target and read throws well to get outs on every throw he can from other infielders. Which is the hardest position? While were at it, lets look at a smattering of high draft picks from one year ago. Third baseman have a similar skillset to shortstops, but they hit for more power and are more offensive in general, with slightly less range and foot. Find out more. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Do you have a blog? Because the catcher must control and corral the pitcher, he has to be physically and mentally quick. What is a good infield fielding percentage? He has a reputation as a defensive wizard, and his 09 season would seem to support that. But when you look up after a hard-hit ball, and hes standing right there or ranges up the middle to his glove side, hes a very good defender. I checked Baseball-Reference.com for their list of worst individual fielding seasons and thought it would be fun to look at the bottom 10. These totals may be incomplete (3.6% of all plays from 1914 to 1972 are missing or have incomplete accounts, click link for year and team summary of data completeness) for some players prior to 1973 and even complete seasons may not match the official totals due to errors in both the official totals and the . Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Copyright 1999- Fielding Percentage | High School Baseball Web If a high school shortstop made 50 outs and committed only two errors, his fielding percentage would be 960 (48/50). He won't be slowing down anytime soon. But as seen above, he can lay out with the best of 'em. Join our linker program. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Ryan's RF is 4.35, good enough for eighth among qualifying shortstops. And I happen to think J.J.s substance is his style. Fielding percentage: .977 (four-way tie for 11th). The top two are both flashier, statistically range from a little bit to overwhelmingly better, and when it comes down to it, healthy. I appreciate your content. What can help a young softball star reach the next level? Simmons is No. . Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The formula is simple: the total number of putouts and assists by a defender, divided by the total number of chances (putouts, assists and errors). All rights reserved. His dWAR is just a hair below the Escobars' while his UZR bests the two by a greater margin, but it's his fielding percentage and RF that definitively solidify his higher ranking. He thus had 28.02 expected errors. Much like Derek Jeter, there has been a lot of divisiveness over the years about Kemp's defense. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. On June 27, 1939, Eddie Miller of Boston played twenty-three innings at shortstop and handled twenty-one chances setting the major league record for most chances by a shortstop in an extra inning game. The Twins walked the fewest batters in the AL and were in the middle of the pack in strikeouts and home runs allowed but were 13th in hits allowed, so the team defense was pretty bad overall, with Puckett apparently playing a big role.

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