Basic fielding stats
Converting Zone Rating to something useful
Revised Zone Rating
Probabilistic Model of Range
Fielding Bible
Ultimate Zone Rating
Fan Fielding Survey versus range measures
Outfield arms
Ranking the second basemen
Ranking the shortstops
Ranking the third basemen
Ranking the first baseman
Ranking the center fielders
Ranking the right fielders
Ranking the left fielders
What about catchers?
The table below shows the runs saved above average per 150 games for all the major league first basemen with 600 or more innings in 2007. One thing to remember is that the range statistics we have been discussing do not tell us as much about first basemen as they do about other infielders. This is because one of the main jobs of a first baseman is to take throws from infielders and there is still no statistic which measures that adequately. That being said, range is still a valuable and sometimes underrated skill for a first baseman.
Last year, the systems did not agree on Sean Casey. The BIS Systems (RZR, PMR) ranked him below average while STATS systems (ZR, UZR) found him to be above average. Averaging across the systems, he finishes in the middle of the pack at -2. It is hoped that the more athletic Carlos Guillen will be an upgrade in terms of range as well as offense.
The Cardinals Albert Pujols ranked very well across all systems and finished first among all major league first basemen at +24. The American League leader was Kasey Kotchman of the Angels (+18). At the bottom of the chart are the Nationals Dmitri Young (-21) and the Mariners Richie Sexson (-14).
Table 1: Runs Saved Above Average (per 150 games) for first basemen in 2007
| player | team | inn | ZR | RZR | PMR | +/- | UZR | FFS | ARS |
| Pujols | StL | 1,325 | 13 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 14 | 26 | 24 |
| Kotchman | LAA | 1,033 | 15 | 19 | 11 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 18 |
| Helton | Col | 1,337 | 12 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 18 | 18 | 13 |
| Thorman | Atl | 608 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 3 | N/A | -22 | 7 |
| Overbay | Tor | 972 | 1 | 12 | -0 | 14 | N/A | 9 | 7 |
| LaRoche | Pit | 1,301 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 7 |
| Youkilis | Bos | 1,094 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 14 | 6 |
| Gload | KC | 676 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 8 | N/A | -7 | 6 |
| Klesko | SF | 805 | 12 | -7 | 9 | 11 | N/A | -1 | 6 |
| Gonzalez | SD | 1,463 | 1 | 3 | 11 | N/A | N/A | 24 | 5 |
| Lee | ChC | 1,274 | -1 | -1 | 12 | N/A | N/A | 29 | 3 |
| Pena | TB | 1,221 | -7 | 13 | 7 | 3 | -5 | 10 | 2 |
| Teixeira | Tex/Atl | 1,098 | 0 | 8 | -6 | N/A | N/A | 21 | 1 |
| Loney | LA | 775 | -8 | -6 | 8 | 3 | N/A | 25 | -1 |
| Casey | Det | 989 | 8 | -8 | -15 | N/A | 8 | -4 | -2 |
| Delgado | NYM | 1,219 | 1 | -6 | -6 | N/A | N/A | -22 | -4 |
| Berkman | Hou | 1,066 | -7 | -3 | -0 | N/A | -8 | 4 | -5 |
| Millar | Bal | 873 | -4 | -4 | -7 | N/A | N/A | -4 | -5 |
| Morneau | Min | 1,259 | 1 | -9 | -18 | N/A | 5 | 1 | -5 |
| Jackson | Ari | 868 | -4 | -12 | -5 | N/A | N/A | -24 | -7 |
| Johnson | Oak | 855 | -4 | -2 | -14 | N/A | N/A | -11 | -7 |
| Konerko | CWS | 1,228 | -2 | -11 | -10 | N/A | N/A | 1 | -8 |
| Jacobs | Fla | 903 | -3 | -4 | -16 | -12 | N/A | -13 | -9 |
| Fielder | Mil | 1,338 | -7 | -11 | -4 | -12 | -9 | -10 | -9 |
| Garko | Cle | 1,066 | -5 | -11 | -14 | N/A | -6 | -21 | -9 |
| Howard | Phi | 1,241 | -10 | -10 | -10 | N/A | -9 | -25 | -10 |
| Hatteberg | Cin | 773 | 12 | -19 | -23 | -14 | N/A | -5 | -11 |
| Sexson | Sea | 992 | -17 | -17 | -10 | -16 | -11 | -21 | -14 |
| Young | Was | 885 | -17 | -15 | -27 | -26 | N/A | -32 | -21 |
Knowing this, I'm at a complete loss as to why the Angels would want Paul Konerko...
ReplyDeleteEven though he doesn't qualify, is there enough data out there to support the belief that Guillen is an upgrade over Casey defensively?
Guillen was off the charts for both ZR and RZR. He would have been ahead of Pujols but 179 innings is too small of a sample size for it to mean much. I think it would be like a batter getting hot for 80 at bats.
ReplyDeleteLee, I'm running a quick and dirty projection of runs added and subtracted offensively and defensively this year. For 135 games played at 1B for Carlos Guillen, does 17 runs saved sound reasonable?
ReplyDeleteEddie, I think that's more of a judgement call than anything else. +17 RS would would place him among the top three 1B in the majors last year. Since he is a good athlete and is moving down the defensive spectrum, I would expect him to be above average. I'm not sure I would go as high as +17 if I was going to make a projection but I tend to be conservative.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, these are his numbers over 179 innings:
Zone Rating
PMAA 5
RSAA 4
PMAA/150 39
RSAA/150 31
RZR
PMAA 6
RSAA 5
PMAA/150 47
RSAA/150 38