Now that the 2014 major league season is down to the final four, we can reflect on how these four teams made it to the League Championship Series and how they stack up for a World Series run.  To do so, I’ll look at the hitting, pitching, and defense of the remaining teams.

One of the best ways to measure a player’s offensive contributions is with Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+). Weighted Runs Created Plus attempts to quantify a player’s total offensive value and measure it in runs relative to the league average, controlling for park effects. League average for position players is 100. Every point above 100 is a percentage point above league average, so a 110 wRC+ means a player created 10 percent more runs than a league average hitter would have in the same number of plate appearances. I’ll use that 110 wRC+ threshold, based on the numbers on FanGraphs, to identify above average offensive players.

Last year’s World Series matchup featured two of the teams that make a strong case for the importance of offensive excellence. The World Champion Boston Red Sox had seven players with a wRC+ of 110 or better, tied for the most in baseball, and two more with a 109 wRC+. Their World Series opponent, the St. Louis Cardinals, had six players that were at least 10 percent better than average, tied for third best in baseball.

Players with 110 wRC+ or Better 2013 Playoff Teams Minimum 250 Plate Appearances
Team	Players
Boston Red Sox	7
Pittsburgh Pirates	7
St. Louis Cardinals	6
Detroit Tigers	6
Tampa Bay Rays	6
Oakland Athletics	5
Los Angeles Dodgers	5
Atlanta Braves	5
Cleveland Indians	5

 

This season, the American League Championship Series features the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals. Manny Machado’s knee injury in August and Chris Davis’ 25-game suspension left the Orioles with only four above average offensive regulars heading into the postseason. While Davis’ suspension garnered plenty of media coverage, his offensive production had been below average, 94 wRC+, this season.

Making up for the loss of Machado and Davis’ poor season was center fielder Adam Jones, who hit 29 home runs and slugged .469. Jones was among the best hitting center fielders, ranking second and seventh at the position in home runs and slugging percentage, respectively, among qualifiers. In addition, Nelson Cruz was one of the most underrated offseason free agent signings. Dan Duquette signed Cruz to a one-year deal for $8 million in February, securing a middle-of-the-order power bat to protect Adam Jones. Cruz handily outperformed his one-year deal by hitting an MLB-best 40 home runs in 2014.

While the Orioles have four above average offensive players, they have an abundance of above average defensive players. The Orioles lead the American League by a wide margin with 56 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). The Athletics finished second with 42 DRS. Baltimore has four players that rank in the top 10 at their respective positions, including the important up-the-middle positions with catcher Caleb Joseph, shortstop J.J. Hardy, and second baseman Jonathan Schoop.

Perhaps the most remarkable story of the season has been that of Steve Pearce. The 31-year old journeyman has taken advantage of the his opportunity this season by slugging .556 and hitting 21 home runs on his way to a 161 wRC+. Pearce also shined defensively where he ranked in the top 10 in Runs Saved at two different positions: first base and left field. This season, Pearce should be one of the most dangerous and versatile players in the postseason.

Beyond their individual players, the Orioles also have a nice advantage in the form of defense shifts. Baltimore led all teams in baseball with 599 shifts on balls in play a year ago and increased that total this season to 705 shifts, fourth most in baseball. That dedication to the shift resulted in seven Shift Runs Saved.

One the major reasons the Orioles advanced past the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS was the effectiveness of their bullpen. Where the Tigers bullpen failed to hold leads in the series sweep, the Orioles bullpen was superb. Manager Buck Showalter used his bullpen for 12 innings over the three games, and his relievers surrendered just three runs in that span. Showalter has a plethora of options to deploy against righties, including hard-throwing Tommy Hunter and sidewinder Darren O’Day. But his star reliever is their left-handed trade deadline acquisition Andrew Miller.

Miller pitched 3.1 innings of no-hit baseball against the Tigers, striking out three batters against only one walk. Showalter utilized Miller’s versatility to pitch multiple innings in Games 1 and 3. Miller came on in the sixth inning in Game 1 to hold a one-run lead before the Orioles offense torched the Tigers bullpen for eight runs in the eighth inning. In Game 3, Miller inherited a runner on first, but he still held the Tigers scoreless, bridging the game to Orioles closer Zach Britton. Britton saved the final two games of the series, sending the Orioles to the ALCS for the first time since 1997.

The Kansas City Royals’ return to the playoffs was built upon power arms in the bullpen, speed, and defense. The Royals collective athleticism and speed buoyed an often lifeless offense. They led MLB in stolen bases this season, with Jarrod Dyson and Alcides Escobar each stealing 30-plus bases this year. Speed has continued to play a major role in the Royals’ postseason success thus far as the Royals stole seven bases against the Athletics in the Wild Card play-in game. They stole another five bases in their sweep of the Angels in the ALDS.

The Royals bullpen features three of the best power arms in baseball. Setup men Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis and closer Greg Holland each have an average fastball velocity over 95 mph, with Herrera and Davis touching 100 mph at various times this season. Davis was nearly untouchable this season, striking out almost 40 percent of the batters he faced while averaging only one earned run per nine innings. Holland and Herrera kept pace with Davis, with Holland fanning 38 percent of hitters and Herrera punching out 21 percent. Both maintained sub-2.00 ERAs, as well. In their four playoff games so far, the three flamethrowers and TCU rookie sensation Brandon Finnegan have been outstanding. They have combined to throw 15 innings, allowing just three earned runs and striking out 18 batters.

While their offense had its ebbs and flows this season, the Royals’ defense remained a constant strength all year. Kansas City saved 40 runs defensively this season, third most in the AL. Their outfielders were particularly outstanding. Left fielder Alex Gordon led all AL players with 27 DRS this season. Nearly as impressive were Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson who saved 24 and 14 runs, respectively. That defensive success has continued into the postseason where Cain and Dyson have made spectacular catches and outfield assists to stymie any potential rally put forth by the A’s and Angels.

During the regular season, the Royals had only three above average regulars on offense. So far this postseason, their offense has improved dramatically. First baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas were well-below average offensive players in the regular season. Hosmer hit a paltry 9 home runs and Moustakas hit 15. But both players have played like stars in their playoff games, hitting a pair of home runs, each, including two game-winning home runs, one by Moustakas in Game 1 and the other by Hosmer in Game 2 of the ALDS.

The National League Championship Series pits the San Francisco Giants against the St. Louis Cardinals, two of the most successful NL franchises over the last decade. The Giants are quite familiar with the spotlight and hope to continue their odd trend of winning a World Series in even years just as they did in 2010 and 2012.

Five Giants were at least 10 percent better than league average offensively this season. Team leader and perennial MVP candidate Buster Posey has the rare ability to both get on base at a high rate and hit for power. He ranked near the top in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage among catchers in 2014. Posey is surrounded by outfielder Hunter Pence, a stealth MVP candidate, and Pablo Sandoval, an above average offensive third baseman. In his career, Sandoval has really shined in the postseason. He has a solid .294/.346/.465 in the regular season, but in the playoffs, Sandoval has been a superstar, hitting .311/.351/.547 with six home runs in 27 career playoff games.

The Giants’ staff ace, Madison Bumgarner, is perhaps the most underrated pitcher in baseball. Still just 25-years old, Bumgarner has already won two World Series and finished in the top 12 in Cy Young voting twice. This season, with Matt Cain lost to injury for much of the season, Bumgarner established himself as the clear ace of the staff. It was his fourth consecutive season with more than 200 innings, and Bumgarner was also among the NL leaders in strikeout rate, walk rate, and ERA. He even excels in the batter’s box. In Bumgarner’s limited 78 plate appearances this season, he hit four home runs and posted a 115 wRC+, the best among pitchers with at least 50 plate appearances.

Even with Bumgarner at the top of the rotation, the strength of the Giants pitching staff is its bullpen. Manager Bruce Bochy can use his bullpen to counter any matchups that Cardinals manager Mike Matheny might present during the NLCS. Bochy has a lefty specialist in Javy Lopez who neutralizes left-handed hitters. Lefties are hitting just .190/.248/.290 against Lopez this season. Right-handed reliever Sergio Romo has regained the feel for his devastating slider, which he featured with tremendous success as the Giants closer in 2012. Bochy now has a flame-throwing righty in Hunter Strickland to counter difficult right-handed hitters with his 98 mph fastball. Santiago Casilla closes down games. He has a mid-90s fastball and two breaking pitches, a curve and a slider, which successfully held hitters to a .175 batting average against this season.

Last year’s NL Champion, the St. Louis Cardinals, aim for a return trip to the World Series. The Central Division champs had five above average offensive players this season, but they had to do it without catcher Yadier Molina for a good portion of the season. Between 2011 and 2013, Molina posted three consecutive seasons with a wRC+ above 125, but this season, he was barely above league average. Molina’s torn thumb ligament on his right hand, which put him on the disabled list from July 9^th through August 29^th, may explain his subpar offensive season.

With Molina sidelined, the Cardinals had several players who stepped up both offensively and defensively. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta lived up to the four-year $53 million free agent contract he signed in the winter. He has provided both power and defense, with 21 home runs and 17 Runs Saved, which had him near the top in each category among shortstops.

The Cardinals would not have advanced past the Dodgers in the NLCS without the efforts of third baseman Matt Carpenter. The TCU product was taken by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 2009 draft and has steadily risen to become one of the best players in baseball. In fact, since the beginning of the 2013 season, Carpenter is 4th in the NL in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement with 10.7 WAR, trailing only center fielders Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Gomez and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. During that span, Carpenter has been over 30 percent better than league average offensively, ranking in the top 10 among all NL position players in batting average and on-base percentage. Against the Dodgers in the NLDS, Carpenter hit .375/.412/1.125 with three home runs and a decisive three-run double against Clayton Kershaw in Game 1, cementing the Cardinals rally in the opening game of the series.

The Cardinals’ playoff rotation is built around staff ace Adam Wainwright, who finished second in the Cy Young voting last year and has once again built a strong case for the award in 2014. Among NL starters, Wainwright was second in innings and third in ERA and Fielding  Independent Pitching (FIP). Lance Lynn, the Cardinals Game 2 starter, has pitched over 200 innings in back-to-back seasons and is unusual in his approach. Lynn throws 79 percent fastballs, which is the second highest fastball percentage in MLB.

The Cardinals acquired veteran pitcher John Lackey at the trade deadline from the Boston Red Sox. Lackey has raised his game in the postseason in his career. His playoff ERA is under 3.00 in 17 starts, compared to an ERA over 4.00 in the regular season. He also has 86 strikeouts against just 36 walks in his postseason career. Lackey immediately paid dividends for the Cardinals in his Game 3 start against the Dodgers in the NLDS. In that start, he pitched seven innings and gave up just one-run on five hits while striking out eight batters and walking just one.

The two League Championship Series possess plenty of interesting matchups. The AL pits the Orioles’ power versus the Royals’ speed and the Royals’ lefty-laden lineup against Buck Showalter’s ability to counter with his relief corps. Both teams excel on defense, but Caleb Joseph should be able to slow the Royals’ running game down, and Nelson Cruz, Steve Pierce and the Orioles offense should continue to mash home runs, perhaps even a few the hard-throwing Royals bullpen.

The NLCS is a complete toss-up, seemingly destined to go the distance and be decided in seven games. Although the Giants have the better bullpen, which manager Bruce Bochy deploys as well as any manager in the game, the Cardinals’ lineup is deeper with power from both sides of the plate, and they also have the stronger rotation.

The usage of shifts in MLB has exploded this season.  Teams are on pace to combine for more than 13,000 shifts on balls in play this year, up from just over 8,000 a year ago.  Front offices and field staffs are shifting their defensive infield alignments as a result of sophisticated batter ball-in-play tendencies to identify the areas on the field batters are more likely to hit grounders and short liners (the batted ball types that are most affected by the shift).

Sluggers David Ortiz, Chris Davis, Brian McCann, and Prince Fielder are four of the seven most shifted hitters since 2011. It comes as no surprise that teams are shifting these hitters given their public perceptions as power-hitting lefties. But what is interesting is the rate – determined by dividing shifted plate appearances by plate appearances with clear video of the defensive alignment of infielders – at which these hitters are being shifted against this season and the effectiveness of those shifts against them.

Perhaps no player in today’s game is more associated with shifting than Red Sox designated hitter, David Ortiz. Only Ortiz has ranked in the top five in most shifted plate appearances during the last three seasons, including through April 29 of this season. In 2012 and 2013, teams shifted Ortiz 82 percent and 88 percent, respectively. This season, Ortiz has been shifted on 97 percent of his plate appearances.  That leads MLB.

Last season facing the shift, Ortiz batted .250 on his grounders and short liners. While it is still April this season and the sample size is small, Ortiz is struggling this season hitting only .138 on those types of balls in play against the shift. Teams have virtually eliminated the opportunity for Ortiz to face a normal infield defense. Ortiz’s battle against the shift will likely continue as the season progresses, and the Red Sox have yet to face the Tampa Bay Rays, the team who shifted him the most last season.

The breakout star of the 2013 season was Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles. Davis vaulted himself from fringe player to major league superstar, and teams took notice increasing his shift percentage from 25 percent in 2012 to 78 percent in 2013. Davis hit .368 on grounders and short liners against the shift when he faced it less often in 2012, but he hit only .191 on grounders and short liners against the shift when his shifted rate increased in 2013. His shift rate is up, again, so far this season at 88 percent, and it continues to work for teams.  Davis is batting .200 on these types of batted balls versus the shift in 2014, so expect that trend to continue.

New York Yankees’ catcher Brian McCann is another example of a player who’s seen his shift rate increase over the last three seasons. As a member of the Atlanta Braves, McCann’s shift rate went from 38 percent in 2012, when he batted .189 on grounders and short liners facing the shift, to 64 percent in 2013. His .233 average on grounders and short liners against the shift was better in 2013, but it was still 30 points lower than his batting average on grounders and short line drives without a shift. This season, McCann’s first in pinstripes, his shift rate has jumped to 90 percent. That increase in the shift usage seems to be having a significant effect on McCann as he’s batting .130 on grounders and short liners against the shift. McCann should get comfortable facing the shift in the AL East as the Orioles and Rays, division opponents, were the top two teams in shifting last season, respectively.

Newly acquired Texas Rangers’ first baseman Prince Fielder may be the most interesting case.  Fielder is not as obvious a shift candidate as Ortiz, Davis, and McCann because he pulls fewer of his grounders and short liners.  In fact, over his last 120 such balls in play, Fielder has only pulled 74 percent them, which falls below the 80 percent threshold Baseball Info Solutions uses to identify left-handed shift candidates.  That said, Fielder has fared very poorly against the shift.

In 2012, Fielder had an excellent overall season with a .313/.412/.528 slash line, and he was among the top five in shifted plate appearances. However he was only shifted 37 percent of his plate appearances, despite hitting .256 on his grounders and short liners against the shift. Meanwhile, Fielder’s shift rate fell to 28 percent the following year even though his .226 average on grounders and short liners continued to trail his average on those balls in play with no shift.

Unfortunately for Prince Fielder and the Rangers, other teams have caught on, and that seems to be one of the reasons he has struggled so far this season. Fielder is back in the top five of the number of shifts faced this year, and teams are also shifting him with greater frequency. This season, 77 percent of his plate appearances have been shifted, and Fielder has continued to struggle, hitting just .143 on grounders and short liners against the shift. If Fielder is to put his early season troubles behind him and turn his season around, he’ll likely have to do it against an increased shift rate.

On Saturday, Mike Trout hit another milestone in his already outstanding baseball career, although his first four-strikeout game in the majors was a milestone he would have preferred to have taken longer to achieve. After the game, Trout said all the things one would expect him to say after a four-strikeout effort: he tipped his hat to starting pitcher Max Scherzer, mentioned the Angels failed to capitalize on the few mistakes Scherzer did make, and that he’ll take the same approach into the next game. Four-strikeout games are more commonplace in 2014 — many would argue far too common — but it took Mike Trout 353 career games to have his first “golden sombrero.” One of the more fun things about Mike Trout is that we can justifiably compare him to other great players in baseball history.

So let’s see how many games it took for other great players in baseball history to rack up their first four-strikeout game. Encompassed among the group of 45 players I looked at were the top 25 in Offensive WAR according to Baseball Reference, as well as other great players who have strong Hall of Fame candidacies.

It took less than 100 games for Mike Schmidt, Derek Jeter, Pete Rose, Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds to have their first four-strikeout game. While they all took quick paths to a four-strikeout game, it only took Reggie Jackson 11 games to get his first of what would be 22 career four-strikeout games (in addition to one five-strikeout game). A hero to a generation of baseball fans, Mickey Mantle had his first four-strikeout effort in his 192^nd career game on August 6, 1952 against Walt Masterson, who twice struck out Yogi Berra and Mantle back-to-back. Miguel Cabrera, the player Trout has finished runner-up to in the last two MVP races, required only 40 games to reach his first four-K game. Perhaps the greatest leadoff hitter of all time, Rickey Henderson, came seven games short of tying Trout’s 353 games, as it took Henderson 346 games to hit the four-strikeout mark.

The list of players who needed more games than Trout’s 353 to have their first four-K game is an interesting list because of their respective career feats. Sluggers Ken Griffey, Jr., Hank Greenberg, Harmon Killebrew, and Willie Mays all had over 380 games under their belt before notching their first four-strikeout game. Jimmie Foxx and Craig Biggio played over 900 games to reach their first; Willie McCovey, Manny Ramirez, and Roberto Clemente played over 1,000 games; and Chipper Jones and Robin Yount played over 2,000 games to reach their first four-strikeout game.

Player	Games to First Four-Strikeout Game
Reggie Jackson	11
Mike Schmidt	24
Derek Jeter	28
Pete Rose	36
Miguel Cabrera	40
Alex Rodriguez	41
Barry Bonds	99
Frank Robinson	114
Mickey Mantle	192
Rod Carew	242
Rickey Henderson	346
Mike Trout	353
Cal Ripken, Jr.	370
Ken Griffey, Jr.	381
Hank Greenberg	409
Harmon Killebrew	570
Willie Mays	635
Eddie Mathews	635
Andruw Jones	739
Jimmie Foxx	947
Craig Biggio	985
Willie McCovey	1052
Manny Ramirez	1168
Roberto Clemente	1552
Chipper Jones	2060
Robin Yount	2778

However this type of discussion would not be complete without mentioning the players who’ve NEVER had a four-strikeout game (at least, since 1914, which is as far back as I found data for). Babe Ruth, along with his 714 home runs, never had a single four-strikeout game in his career. Neither did the man who broke his record. Hank Aaron played in 3,298 games over 23 seasons and never had a four-strikeout game. Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, and Mel Ott never had four strikeouts in a game. In more recent vintage, Tony Gwynn, Barry Larkin, George Brett, and Carl Yastrzemski never had four K’s in a game. Two players in the latter half of their potentially Hall of Fame careers, Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols have yet to put a four-strikeout performance into a box score.

Players with Zero Four-Strikeout Games

Babe Ruth

Joe DiMaggio

Albert Pujols

Hank Aaron

Ichiro Suzuki

Lou Gehrig

Stan Musial

Honus Wagner

Ty Cobb

Tris Speaker

Eddie Collins

Ted Williams

Mel Ott

Nap Lajoie

Joe Morgan

Carl Yastrzemski

George Brett

Cap Anson

Barry Larkin

Tony Gwynn

 

Derek Jeter recently announced through Facebook that the 2014 season would be his last. Immediately upon his announcement, ticket prices for Jeter’s final home game at Yankee Stadium soared. Before the announcement, tickets for the September 25^th game against the Baltimore Orioles were selling for less than $100 on StubHub; however, within 10 minutes after the announcement all of those tickets were sold. By the end of the day, average ticket prices for the game were selling for over $1,100.

Due to the considerable cost for tickets and the opportunity to witness the final at-bats of a surefire Hall of Famer, it’s not a giant leap to suggest that Yankee fans get to their seats before Jeter steps into the batter’s box. Setting aside cost and nostalgia, the reason Yankee fans should be in their seats before his arrival to the plate is because Jeter may not be at the plate for very long. Derek Jeter has a reputation as a grinder, with a knack for fighting off tough pitches and driving at-bats into deep counts. However, as great as Jeter has been in deep counts, he’s also had remarkable success on the first pitch of at-bats during his career.

Derek Jeter has not been shy about swinging at the first pitch. Prior to his injury-plagued 2013 campaign, Jeter averaged 96 one-and-done at-bats from 2002-2012. Also including 2013, about 15.5 percent of all of Jeter’s total at-bats have been one pitch in length. Jeter’s aggressive approach at the plate has yielded significant results with a slash line of .365/.384/.526, all better than his overall rates in any count during the span.

In fact, in 2012, Jeter’s last full season, he was even more aggressive at the outset of at-bats. In 119 one-and-done at-bats, Jeter had another terrific year with a line of .345/.361/.479; about 17.4 percent of his total at-bats were of the one-pitch variety. It is unlikely that Derek Jeter’s aggressive approach will wane in his final season, so Yankee fans should be in their seats early for his final at-bats because some of them will only be one pitch long.

Derek Jeter’s First Pitch Success vs. Overall Rates All Counts (2002-2013)
	AVG	OBP	SLG
One-and-done At-Bats	.365	.384	.526
Rates in Any Count	.308	.375	.434

Los Angeles Dodgers’ right fielder Yasiel Puig emerged as an instant sensation when he debuted June 3^rd in a Dodgers’ victory. A defector from Cuba, Puig immediately contributed to the Dodgers turnaround midseason from division bottom feeder to pennant contender. Puig made many “web gems” on defense, from outstanding throws to amazing catches; he showed no dearth of extravagant plays. Amidst Puig’s rise to stardom were critics who focused attention on his at-times lethargic play and perceived lack of fundamentals on defense. But was all the noise and critique surrounding his defense warranted? Digging into Yasiel Puig’s defensive misplays and errors will help determine if his perceived lack of fundamentals on defense was justified.

Yasiel Puig’s effort was brought into the discussion concerning his defense during the season, to the point that Dodgers manager Don Mattingly removed Puig after the fourth inning of a Dodgers victory in August. The exact reason for Puig’s removal wasn’t revealed, but Puig said after the game through an interpreter that he was not preparing well for each pitch on defense and that he understood manager Don Mattingly’s decision. While this supports the supposition that Puig at times struggled with his level of effort during the year, there is a distinct difference between the lack of effort Puig displayed and the absence of fundamentals on defense.

Concentrating on the categories in which Yasiel Puig had two or more Defensive Misplays or Errors (DMEs) isolates the actions where Puig made repeated mistakes during the season. There were five such types. These five areas accounted for more than three-quarters of all the defensive misplays that Puig accrued during the 2013 season:

Defensive Misplays/Errors in Right Field in 2013	Yasiel Puig
Mishandling ball after safe hit	6
Ball bounces off glove	4
Failed dive for fly ball/line drive	3
Bad Route	2
Wasted throw after hit/error	2
Failing to anticipate the wall	1
Failure to yield	1
Offline throw after hit	1
Throw toward wrong base	1
Wall difficulties	1
	22

Despite these problem areas, Puig was ninth among all right fielders in saving runs for his team in 2013. In fact, Puig was far from the only right fielder among the top 10 in Defensive Runs Saved to have similar defensive misplays. Jay Bruce and Marlon Byrd had more cases of mishandling a ball after a safe hit and Josh Reddick had more wasted throws after hits. Each of those players saved more runs last season than Puig. Moreover the leader in Runs Saved last season, Diamondbacks’ outfielder Gerardo Parra had more misplays concerning failed dive attempts after fly balls and instances where the ball bounced off his glove than any right fielder among the top 10. Additionally Puig took fewer bad routes to balls than either Parra or Shane Victorino, who finished second in Runs Saved last season.

Total instances of DME types: mishandling balls after safe hits, balls bouncing off gloves, failed dives for fly balls, bad routes, and wasted throws after hits and errors
Player	DRS	Total
Gerardo Parra	36	18
Yasiel Puig	10	17
Marlon Byrd	12	13
Shane Victorino	24	12
David Lough	10	12
Josh Reddick	13	11
Jay Bruce	18	10
Norichika Aoki	13	10
Jason Heyward	15	7
Cody Ross	15	2

The misplays Yasiel Puig committed in 2013 arguably reflect more on his judgment as a first-year major leaguer than his defensive fundamentals. The over aggressiveness displayed by Puig in the field may have led to his failed dive attempts as well as wasted throws on the bases resulting in the needless advancement of runners. Balls careening off his glove could potentially be a byproduct of his speed, enabling him to get closer to more balls in the air rather than letting those balls drop in front of him, which would have allowed him to play them cleanly. Conversely, Puig undeniably struggled last season with a high number of mishandled balls after hits and poor routes to balls. Nevertheless, his overall numbers in the five misplay categories did not vastly differ from other elite right fielders in the game.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop, JJ Hardy, is one the top defensive shortstops in Major League Baseball. However, despite finishing 2013 statistically among the top five shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved (estimated number of runs saved by player for his team), he is widely considered on the second tier of shortstops in the game. Hardy is often regarded by critics as consistent but never flashy, solid but not in the elite company of Andrelton Simmons or Troy Tulowitzki.

Hardy has been as consistent and steady as any shortstop in the game, finishing the last three seasons in the top ten in Defensive Runs Saved. When looking closer at defensive play, specifically the good fielding plays (GFPs) that Hardy made during the 2013 season, a signature skill pops out of the data. Hardy made an exceptionally quick pivot around second base to turn a double play 11 times in 2013. In fact, of the top ten shortstops according to Defensive Runs Saved, only Troy Tulowitzki and Andrelton Simmons came within three Good Fielding Plays of Hardy’s total with eight and seven, respectively.

Shortstop	2013 Quick Double Play Pivots among SS
JJ Hardy	11
Troy   Tulowitzki	8
Andrelton   Simmons	7
Pete Kozma	5
Nick Punto	3
Pedro   Florimon	3
Brendan Ryan	1
Cliff Pennington	1
Clint Barmes	0
Ramon Santiago	0

Last season, Hardy made more exceptional quick pivots to turn double plays than any middle infielder in the league. Former Yankee and now Seattle Mariner second basemen Robinson Cano led the league in exceptional quick pivots to turn double plays in 2011 and 2012 and finished second in 2013 behind only Hardy. Cano, known for his extraordinarily quick hands and smooth footwork, has had a remarkable three-year run posting double-digit totals over the last three seasons. Meanwhile, JJ Hardy improved his total of quick pivots on double plays each season from 2010 through 2013, the final three of which were in Baltimore. This ability to quickly pivot around second base and turn the double play is a repeatable skill that these players have improved and mastered over the last several years.

Quick Double Play Pivots by Year
	JJ Hardy	Robinson Cano
2013	11	10
2012	7	10
2011	4	11
2010	2	6

JJ Hardy’s style in the field may not grab him many headlines or make many highlight reels, but his style is supremely effective. While even he will not toot his own horn about his defensive prowess, in an interview with David Laurila of FanGraphs, Hardy described his style, “I’d characterize my style as not having much style. I try to just catch the ball and throw the ball. I don’t try to be flashy. I just try to make every play that I can.” Hardy is making more than his fair share of double plays around second base and has proven to be an elite shortstop in the game.