Last season, A.J. Burnett pitched 191 stellar innings, leading Pittsburgh to its first postseason appearance since Sid Bream’s slide ended the 1992 NLDS. Burnett’s 3.30 ERA was backed up by even better peripherals, as his 2.80 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) mark was fifth among qualified NL hurlers. While Burnett certainly deserves a lot of credit for his own excellence, the Pirates’ front office put him in a position to succeed, deploying a stingy and well-aligned defense behind him. Although Burnett didn’t always agree with the alignment of that defense, he certainly benefitted from it. As one of the most extreme groundball pitchers in the game, Burnett gets disproportionate benefits from a strong and well-positioned defensive infield like the one he pitched in front of last year, while a poor group of infielders could hurt him more than most.

Unfortunately for Burnett, his new coworkers include just such a group of infielders. While Pittsburgh received solid infield defense across the board last season, the Phillies occupied the other end of the spectrum, combining around the horn to allow 50 runs more than an average group of infielders. While 18 of those runs are attributable to the now-retired Michael Young, Young’s replacement is unlikely to be stellar, either. Cody Asche, who cost the team seven runs in nearly 400 late-season innings in 2013, is projected for -10 DRS this season, so we’ll replace Philadelphia’s atrocious 25 runs cost at the hot corner in 2013 with that more generous -10.

In order to provide a rough estimate of what AJ Burnett’s 2013 would look like with the 2014 Phillies, we’ll assume that those runs cost and saved were evenly distributed. That is, given that Burnett’s 191 frames accounted for 13 percent of the innings tossed by Pirates pitchers last year, we’ll assume he benefitted from 13 percent of the runs saved by their defense. While a more in-depth analysis would consider Burnett’s batted ball types, pull percentages, and the resulting impact of the various fielders on his performance, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll stick to the quality of the defense behind him as a whole to estimate the magnitude of the possible effect on Burnett’s numbers.

This back-of-the-envelope calculation estimates the Pirates’ defense saved Burnett just over nine runs last season. Replacing Philly’s third base defense with Asche’s projection (a 15-run improvement) and assuming Burnett shoulders a similar percentage of the pitching load for the Phillies this year results in an estimated 11 additional runs cost against an average defense by the gloves behind him. Burnett allowed 79 runs last season, so by this admittedly simple accounting, the switch in defenses would bump that up to a little over 99 runs.

Burnett will also be switching parks from a fairly pitcher-friendly PNC to the homer-happy Citizen’s Bank. Making the broad assumption that his talent level at home and on the road is fairly similar, we’ll bump his runs at home up from 49 (half of the defense-adjusted 99 runs) by about 22 percent, or the difference between Pittsburgh and Philly’s park factors for runs. Between the less favorable defense and park, we’d now expect Burnett to allow 109 runs next season, raising his runs allowed per nine innings from 3.72 to 5.13.

In other words, by this estimate, the change in defenses and parks drops Burnett from a pitcher in the top half of the league to nearly the same level of production as the 2013 season of his new rotation-mate, Kyle Kendrick. While Burnett may have complained about the Pirates’ atypical alignments last season, it probably won’t be long before he’s pining for his days in western Pennsylvania.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

With the 2013 World Series underway on Wednesday between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, it seems like a great time to take a look at how each team stacks up against one another defensively.

Baseball Info Solutions estimates that the Red Sox saved 24 runs with their defense this season.  That is 63 runs better than the Cardinals, whose defense cost them 39 runs. The Red Sox were tied with the Rays and Yankees for the 4th-highest total of Defensive Runs Saved in the American League, trailing only the Royals, Rangers, and Orioles. The Cardinals on the other hand, come in at 14th in the National League, ahead of only the Phillies.

Here is how the Red Sox and Cardinals stack up against each other by position using Defensive Runs Saved:

The Red Sox have four positions (1B, 2B, CF, RF) in which they have positive Defensive Runs Saved, whereas the Cardinals only have one (C). The biggest contrast between the two teams is in their outfield, where the Red Sox have saved 27 runs defensively, whereas the Cardinals are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum with -27 Defensive Runs Saved. In fact, the Red Sox have two players ranked in the top-10 in Defensive Runs Saved at their respective positions. Shane Victorino saved 24 Runs, and was second only to Gerrardo Parra’s 36 in right field. Jacoby Ellsbury also has the sixth-most Defensive Runs Saved for a center fielder with 13. Amazingly, as good of a hitter as Matt Holliday is, he has actually cost the Cardinals an estimated 13 runs with his poor defense.

The discrepancy between the Red Sox and Cardinals on defense is not limited to the teams’ players.  Strategy has also favored the Red Sox, particularly when it comes to the defensive shift.  The Red Sox had 477 shifts on balls in play this season, the seventh-highest total in baseball.  Their heavy shifting helped Boston save an estimated 15 runs.  Meanwhile the Cardinals shifted on only 107 balls in play, the eighth-lowest total, and did not save a run by doing so.

At the end of the day, the World Series will be a great matchup between two heavyweights. It looks as if the Red Sox have focused a little bit more on the defensive side than the Cardinals this season by utilizing quality defensive players and effective shifts. It will definitely be a battle of good pitching, good hitting, and of course good defense. So be sure to watch the 2013 World Series beginning this Wednesday night.

In 2012, Mike Trout burst onto the Major League scene with what can be considered one of the greatest rookie campaigns of all time. While he was a strong offensive player and baserunner, Trout made defense his calling card. As he ran, jumped, and dove across the field making one great play after another, the industry became enamored with his defensive ability. However, that defensive success did not carry over into his sophomore season as his defensive ratings were down across the board.

Many individuals may claim that this is due to a flaw in the manner by which defensive metrics are calculated, but the data shows that this may very well be a case of confirmation bias. Rather than trust the data that helps lead to conclusions, individuals use their own preconceived notions to justify Trout’s defensive prominence. Digging into the numbers shows a few noticeable aspects of Trout’s game that have changed.

A good place to start is with the part of Trout’s game that got everyone’s attention: the Good Fielding Plays (GFPs). In 2013, Trout tallied 24 total GFPs (similar GFP types have been grouped here):

These plays are fine and dandy, but there is a noticeable difference between his 2013 GFPs and his 2012 GFPs. The general theme is that there are fewer of them:

When good fielding plays occur, it is tracked whether the play saved the team a base or created an unexpected out. By looking at Trout’s 2012 GFPs, he recorded 28 unexpected outs and saved 3 additional bases (twice saving second base and once saving third base). In 2013, Trout has only recorded 23 unexpected outs and has only saved 2 additional bases (second base in both cases). However, the difference between 2012 and 2013 is bigger than this difference, as three of the additional unexpected outs recorded in 2012 were robbed home runs. This means the prevention of guaranteed runs being recorded instead of prevention of hits.

While Trout made fewer GFPs in 2013 than he did in 2012, he made the same number of Defensive Misplays and Errors:

Trout had fewer miscellaneous DMEs such as slipping or hesitating in 2013, but he racked up misplays in categories that are a more routine part of his duties as an outfielder. As may be noticed right away, Trout had three more balls bounce off his glove this year than last year, which essentially makes up the difference between flyball GFPs (assuming that the “Ball Bounces Off of Glove” DMEs would be GFPs if the plays were made). Trout also had a couple of routes so bad that they have cost him outs, and he had a much tougher time playing balls at the wall. Instead of robbing home runs at the wall and making great plays, he misplayed five balls at or off of the wall that have cost him outs and bases.

The DMEs here suggest is that Trout’s ability to judge plays may have decreased from 2012 to 2013. While he had three fewer failed dives at balls, he also misplayed five balls at the wall, made two mistakes in breaks and routes, and threw to the wrong base on two occasions. There could be many explanations for this, but Trout is likely the only one who can truly explain any differences since judgement is a mental process.

On whether or not Trout has actually become a worse defender, the jury is still out. There are certain aspects that Trout doesn’t have control over such as whether balls are hit in a spot that he can rob a home run. Along with that, Trout had a few instances where a ball bounced off of his glove rather than being caught for a likely GFP, and if these instances are a matter of inches, there may not be any loss of skill at all. However, there is also an apparent negative trend in the ability to make judgement plays. In all likelihood, Trout’s abilities as a defender lie between what he did in 2012 and in 2013. He still has the physical abilities, so it’s just a matter of overcoming the lapses in judgement.

The National League is down to four teams now that the Pirates eliminated the Reds last week, but even including Reds, those teams reached the postseason because of their pitching and defense. The top-five teams in the National League in runs allowed this season are also the five teams that reached the postseason: the Braves (548), Pirates (577), Dodgers (582), Reds (589), and Cardinals (596).

If we remove pitching and only look at the defenses for those five teams, one team falls away from the pack. Here are our five playoff teams and their team Defensive Runs Saved (NL rank): the Pirates 77 (2), Dodgers 47 (4), Braves 45 (5), Reds 43 (6), and Cardinals -39 (14). Four of the five playoff teams rank in the top-six of the NL in team DRS, but St. Louis is second to last, ahead of only Philadelphia.

What’s even more interesting is if we break down DRS by position, only catchers have saved the Cardinals runs this year, thanks to Yadier Molina and his 12 Runs Saved. The following charts show the total team DRS for 2013 on top and player DRS on the bottom. Please note that the first chart accounts for the entire team and anyone who has logged time defensively this year. The second chart highlights those players I believe will see significant playing time in the postseason.

As you can see, Descalso makes this list at three different positions, helping the team defensively when he plays for Freese at third, but hurting St. Louis in the middle infield. In addition, Allen Craig possesses the ability to play a corner OF spot but seems unlikely to do so in October with Holliday and Beltran currently being healthier options.

This post isn’t designed to say the Cardinals need to overhaul their starting lineup now that postseason play is upon us, but rather to show a team ranked fifth in the NL in runs allowed still has a lot of room to improve in that very category. Remember, that fifth-placed ranking is the worst of any NL playoff team.

We’ve all seen it.  Runner on first, chopper back to the pitcher for an easy double play…. and the throw sails into center field.   While watching a game last week where this exact event occurred, I asked myself who is actually the worst fielding pitcher in all of baseball, and what is the proper way of coming to the answer?

Greg Maddux was universally regarded as the best fielding pitcher of his generation, and possibly ever, with a major league record 18 Gold Gloves.  More recently, Mark Buehrle has succeeded Maddux as the “best fielding pitcher,” winning the Fielding Bible Award and Gold Glove the last four years. He has a chance for his fifth in 2013.

The likes of Maddux and Buerhle have helped their cause by fielding the position with quick reflexes, barehanded snags, and, for Buehrle, an unforgettable between-the-legs flip on Opening Day 2010.   It is easy to recognize those who show up on highlight reels and win the hardware.  However, how do we classify those who don’t?

Worst Net (GFPs – DMEs) Since 2008

Looking at good fielding plays (GFPs) and defensive misplays and errors (DMEs), A.J. Burnett could be seen as the worst fielding pitcher.  Since 2008, Burnett leads all pitchers in errors and is fourth in DMs.  Second on the list is Matt Garza, whose fielding woes received some attention earlier this season.  In an August game, Oakland bunted four times against Garza, who then expressed his anger on Twitter.  However, Oakland’s moves were with good reason as Garza has 12 errors since the beginning of 2011, the most of all pitchers.

Best Net (GFP – DMEs) since 2008

Buehrle has been the pitcher to receive the most accolades.  However, by using the measure of Net (GFP-DME), Zack Greinke has been the best fielding pitcher.  His 22 Net (GFP-DME) are 15 clear of second place since 2008, and Greinke has never won a Gold Glove in his career. Although Buehrle has the second most GFPs in this time frame, he only has a Net (GFP-DME) of 5, which ranks tied for twelfth among pitchers over that span.

ALL STATS AS OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

The Milwaukee Brewers’ shortstop, Jean Segura, has had an intriguing and puzzling season this year. He has been able to tackle difficult fielding plays, but at the same time, he’s been prone to errors on routine balls hit to him.

Segura has made 90 Good Fielding Plays (GFPs) this season, which is by far the most among any shortstop in the MLB. More than half of these GFPs are labeled “ground ball outs,” or outs recorded on difficult ground balls that otherwise would have been hits. The major leaguer with the second most GFPs at shortstop is Alexei Ramirez, with 70.

Even with all of these GFPs, Segura has still made 58 Defensive Misplays and Errors (DMEs), also the most at his position. Almost 25% of his DMEs are identified as “ground ball through infielder,” which means he failed to come up with routine ground balls hit to him. The ball either went through his legs or deflected off his glove. The shortstop with the second most DMEs is the Cubs’ Starlin Castro, with 57.

This proves that Segura is showing flashes of brilliance at shortstop but is also inconsistent at times. His season has been one of ups and downs, and because of that, he leads shortstops in both Good Fielding Plays and Defensive Misplays and Errors.

ALL STATS AS OF 9/11/2013