Posted by bripat42 on 4/24/2018 2:34:00 PM (view original):
Posted by saintonan on 4/24/2018 2:21:00 PM (view original):
Posted by bripat42 on 4/24/2018 1:06:00 PM (view original):
But he'd be more valuable overall at a position where he doesn't hurt the team's defense. But that's beside the point. This owner is doing something unrealistic and then complaining that one of the end results is unrealistic.
*cough*DerekJeter*cough*
Yes, it's predictable that someone would bring up Jeter, who lacked the range for SS the last half of his career. But even at the end of his career his fielding percentage was significantly better than this guy's .954, and 27 minus plays seems extreme -- even for Jeter. On top of that, Jeter still made plays that would have been considered plus plays in WIS.
I can't believe I'm defending Jeter's defense -- because he had no business playing SS as long as he did -- but it's ludicrous to suggest that his defense ever added up to a net negative-42 outcome.
It's not really net 42. An average SS in that world was about +3-- so it's really about 18 bad plays below average-- but that average SS also fielded about .972, so his guy only made 10 errors more than average. Take away 28 singles from Pineda and you get .276/.317/.649.
I'd think that an average-fielding SS in a fairly neutral park who slugged .649 might be a very serious MVP candidate. Or if I use bripat's numbers, how's this for an elevator speech for an MVP candidate-- he played SS, slugged .623, and made NO errors. I think jwynkoop has a point here.
Regarding whether this is MLB-realistic... comparing Pineda to Jeter, over Jeter's entire career (using Baseball-Reference's fielding stats, for whatever they're worth) he would have averaged about -20 with an average fielding percentage, so about 5-6 runs a season better than this guy. It's not an awful comparison... but if you're a little older you can remember when the Mets tried to play Howard Johnson at SS to get a bat in the lineup, and Hojo's defensive stats at SS are almost exactly what Pineda's are, probably a little worse, even. So Pineda's SS play is bad, but not comically out of line with MLB history, just near the very bottom of it. I can see it as a valid strategy.
Addendum: bripat's correct; the only season where Jeter was this bad was his farewell tour season.
4/24/2018 5:03 PM (edited)