Juan Lagares, Leonis Martin Excelled On RZR Metrics In 2014

Juan Lagares covered a lot of ground in center field for the Mets in 2014
(Photo credit: NewYorkMetsReport.com)

In previous posts, I looked at the Revised Zone Rating (RZR) and Out-of-Zone Plays (OOZ) metrics listed at FanGraphs.  Links to these posts are provided below:

• Conversion of RZR, OOZ to runs (from 2012)

• Right fielders

Now, I'm going to to do the above conversion for center fielders.  Table 1 below contains the following information for 20 MLB center fielders with 800 or more innings in 2014: 

• Inn = Innings

• RZR = Revised Zone Rating

• OOZ = Out-of-Zone Plays

• PIZAA =  Plays in Zone Above Average

• OOZAA = Out-of-Zone Plays Above Average

• PMAA = Total Plays Above Average

• RSAA = Runs Saved Above Average

Mets center fielder Juan Lagares was the MLB leader in RSAA (+26) followed by Leonis Martin of the Rangers (+21).  Both outfielders were better on out-of-zone plays than in-zone plays: Lagares (+30 PIZAA, +1 OOZA) and Martin (28, -3).

Former Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson finished with +3 RSAA which means he saved Tigers/ Mariners an estimated 3 runs compared to an average center fielder given the same opportunities. Jackson was better at making plays in the zone (+6 plays above average) than out of zone (-3).  

More relevant to the Tigers current roster would be Rajai Davis (+8) and recently acquired Anthony Gose (-1).  I wouldn't read much into those numbers though as both played fewer than 500 innings in center field and defensive metrics don't work well on small sample sizes.  

Table 1: Runs Saved by MLB Center Fielders According to RZR, OOZ, 2014

Player	Team	Inn	RZR	OOZ	PIZ AA	OOZ AA	PMAA	RSAA
Juan Lagares	NYM	945	.922	92	1	30	31	26
Leonys Martin	TEX	1,247	.911	109	-3	28	25	21
Jackie Bradley Jr.	BOS	949	.916	85	-1	23	22	19
Adam Eaton	CHW	1,043	.931	82	3	14	17	14
Jacoby Ellsbury	NYY	1,237	.930	88	3	7	11	9
Billy Hamilton	CIN	1,199	.950	77	9	-1	7	6
Austin Jackson	- - -	1,326	.939	84	6	-3	4	3
Adam Jones	BAL	1,368	.915	94	-1	5	4	3
Denard Span	WSN	1,302	.924	85	2	0	2	1
Carlos Gomez	MIL	1,269	.923	80	1	-3	-2	-1
Desmond Jennings	TBR	1,033	.940	58	5	-9	-4	-3
Ben Revere	PHI	1,199	.888	78	-9	-0	-9	-7
Marcell Ozuna	MIA	1,206	.900	72	-5	-7	-12	-10
Drew Stubbs	COL	835	.905	43	-3	-11	-14	-12
B.J. Upton	ATL	1,218	.892	73	-8	-6	-14	-12
Mike Trout	LAA	1,314	.917	72	-1	-14	-14	-12
Andrew McCutchen	PIT	1,286	.942	58	6	-26	-20	-17
Dexter Fowler	HOU	959	.870	51	-10	-12	-22	-19
Michael Bourn	CLE	925	.888	44	-7	-16	-23	-19
Coco Crisp	OAK	900	.870	34	-9	-25	-34	-28

Data Source: FanGraphs.com