Runs Created by Position (Part 3)

Today, I will finish up my series of posts on runs created analysis with ranks of center fielders, right fielders and designated hitters. Here are the links to the earlier articles:

Detroit Tigers Runs Created Analysis
Runs Created by Position (Part1)
Runs Created by Position (Part2)

The center fielders are ranked in Table 7 below. Grady Sizemore (7.7 R/CG), Rocco Baldelli (6.9 R/G in 387 PA) and Vernon Wells (6.7 RC/G) were the league’s most productive center fielders. Curtis Grandeson was 7^th in the league. Granderson was inconsistent this year but he should become more steady next year when he is hopefully better adjusted to Major League pitching. That should mean an increase in runs created per game.

Table 7: Runs Created by AL Center fielders

Rnk	Player	Team	PA	R/G	RC
1	Sizemore	CLE	751	7.7	137
2	Baldelli	TB	387	6.9	66
3	Wells	TOR	677	6.7	112
4	Damon	NYA	671	6.5	107
5	Matthews Jr.	TEX	690	6.3	104
6	Patterson	BAL	499	5.5	72
7	Granderson	DET	679	5.4	93
8	Hunter	MIN	611	5.4	86
9	Figgins	LAA	683	4.9	86
10	Crisp	BOS	452	4.4	52
11	Kotsay	OAK	558	4.3	63
12	Anderson	CHA	405	3.3	36

Table 8 below ranks the right fielders. The league leaders were Jermaine Dye (8.0 RC/G) and Vladimir Guerrero (7.6 RC/G). Magglio Ordonez finished only 8^th among players at his position with 6.0 runs created per game. He did stay healthy this year though and that was a big boost for the Tigers. Ordonez averaged more than 7 runs per game for the White Sox from 2000-2003 but he’s not the same player he was before his knee injury. I would expect around the same production next year from Ordonez.

Table 8: Runs Created by AL Right fielders

Rnk	Player	Team	PA	R/G	RC
1	Dye	CHA	611	8.0	117
2	Guerrero	LAA	665	7.6	122
3	Norton	TB	335	6.9	56
4	Suzuki	SEA	752	6.8	121
5	Cuddyer	MIN	635	6.6	101
6	Blake	CLE	456	6.2	69
7	Rios	TOR	498	6.1	77
8	Ordonez	DET	646	6.0	97
9	Bradley	OAK	405	5.8	58
10	Pena	BOS	304	5.7	44
11	Markakis	BAL	542	5.5	75
12	Mench	TEX	349	5.3	46
13	DeRosa	TEX	572	5.3	75
14	Nixon	BOS	453	5.2	57
15	Williams	NYA	462	5.0	59
16	Sanders	KC	358	3.9	39
17	Hollins	TB	355	3.8	37

Table 9 shows that Travis Hafner was the most productive designated this year. He also led all players at all positions with 10.4 runs created per game. Jim Thome (8.9 RC/G) and David Ortiz (8.9 RC/G) finished well behind Hafner but still had outstanding years. No Tigers are listed here because they didn’t have a regular designated hitter. Next year, Sheffield will be their primary DH. He missed much of this year with a wrist injury and finished with just 5.5 runs created per game. However, he finished at 7.3 and 7.4 RC/G in 2004 and 2005 respectively. If he’s healthy, he should come close to that again in 2007.

Table 9: Runs Created by AL Designated Hitters

Rnk	Player	Team	PA	R/G	RC
1	Hafner	CLE	564	10.4	126
2	Thome	CHA	610	8.9	119
3	Ortiz	BOS	686	8.9	137
4	Giambi	NYA	579	8.2	107
5	Thomas	OAK	559	7.2	96
6	Gibbons	BAL	378	5.3	52
7	Hillenbrand	TOR	319	4.9	42
8	Gomes	TB	461	4.5	54
9	Everett	SEA	343	3.5	33
10	White	MIN	355	3.0	30