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Category: John Dewan’s Stat of the Week

  • Stat of the Week: Most Valuable Pair

    Stat of the Week: Most Valuable Pair

    This article is an abridged version of one on NL MVP candidates Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado that appears in The Bill James Handbook, available now from ACTA Sports.

    If we’re going to talk about the best infield corner combos in major league history, we can begin by producing a list of instances in which a team’s usual first and third basemen each posted 5 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) in a season.

    Doing so nets us 43 sets of combos in baseball’s modern era (since 1900). If we raise the bar to each recording a 6-WAR season, the list thins to only seven pairs, each of whom made it once. Bump it to 7 WAR and we’re in rare pair air.

    There are only three such corner combos, and our Bill James Handbook cover subjects Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt make up one of them. The others are first baseman Frank Chance and third baseman Harry Steinfeldt of the 1906 Cubs and the standard-setter, Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen for the 2004 Cardinals.

    The amazing thing about Goldschmidt and Arenado is how closely aligned in overall value they are.

    What made them so special in 2022?

    For both Goldschmidt and Arenado, 2022 was the greatest offensive season of their careers when considering how they did relative to the rest of MLB.

    In 2022 MLB hitters had a .706 OPS, down 22 points from 2021 (despite the DH becoming permanent in the NL) and 52 points from 2019.

    Goldschmidt’s OPS jumped by 102 points from 2021 to 2022. Heck, Goldschmidt’s OPS with two strikes was .785, 79 points better than the MLB overall OPS.

    If you’ve ever regularly watched Goldschmidt during a full season (I did in 2018), you’d know that he goes through periods of time in which the baseball looks like a beach ball.

    In 2022, that covered 51 games from May 7 to July 2, in which he hit .383 with a .455 on-base percentage and a .755 slugging percentage, with 17 home runs and 54 RBI.

    Arenado’s OPS increased by 84 points from 2021 to 2022. He also cut his strikeout rate to 11.6%, the lowest for any full season in his 10-year career.

    Arenado finished with 30 home runs and 72 strikeouts. There were 23 players with 30 home runs in 2022. The only other one with fewer than 100 strikeouts was Kyle Tucker with 95.

    Peak Arenado showed up twice. In the first 20 games of the season, he hit .368 with a 1.133 OPS.

    Then, over the nearly two-and-a-half months from June 17 to August 29, he hit .345 with a 1.065 OPS and 16 home runs in 58 games.

    Left unsaid to this point are the aesthetics. Goldschmidt does everything well. He’s not just a hitter. Did you know he’s got a streak going of 23 consecutive successful stolen base attempts?

    Goldschmidt may not have played Fielding Bible Award–worthy defense this season, but the Cardinals did lead MLB in how often they turned groundballs and bunts into outs, so he deserves some credit for that. He turned 35 in September but he doesn’t play like a 35-year-old. At least not yet.

    Arenado similarly just plays the game well. He’ll turn 32 not long after Opening Day in 2023. But he still plays defense like he’s in his prime. He won his 5th Fielding Bible Award in 2022.

    The joint value that the two of them provided this season was virtually unprecedented and is something that likely won’t be seen again for quite some time.

    Unless they do it again next season, of course.

  • Stat of the Week: Astros Made The Plays When They Were Most Needed

    Stat of the Week: Astros Made The Plays When They Were Most Needed

    By MARK SIMON

    Chas McCormick played 52 of the 220 games he played college baseball at Division II Millersville (Pa.) University in center field. In the minors, he played 270 games in the outfield and only 56 in center field.

    But in the majors, the Astros have needed him to be adept at the position, particularly after trading away Myles Straw in 2021 and Jose Siri this season.

    In 93 career regular season games in center field, McCormick has 2 Defensive Runs Saved. Within that small sample, he’s been a little above average.

    But a slightly deeper dive on the 60 regular season games he played in center showed something that foreshadowed one of the biggest moments of the World Series. Of the 49 opportunities on fly balls that our system classified as “deep” McCormick caught 43 (an opportunity is a ball on which he has a >0% chance to record an out). But, based on the sum our generated out probabilities, he was only expected to catch 35.

    In particular, McCormick showed a penchant for making the play and withstanding contact with the outfield wall, whether it was a light bump, like this catch against Riley Greene

    or harder thuds, like these plays against Corey Seager, Shohei Ohtani, and Mike Trout.

    None of those catches compared in terms of impact to the one McCormick made on J.T. Realmuto in Game 5 of the World Series. With the Astros holding a one-run lead, McCormick leapt into the Citizens Bank Park right center field scoreboard to take away a potential extra-base hit, particularly important with Bryce Harper up next for the Phillies.

    The Astros won the game 3-2 and then won Game 6 to win the series. McCormick’s catch was the second big defensive play in two innings for the Astros in Game 5. First baseman Trey Mancini, filling in for injured Yuli Gurriel, made a lead-preserving, inning-ending snag of a groundball to keep the game tied in the eighth inning. Like McCormick, Mancini isn’t a star at the position he was playing. In 2,100 career innings at first base, he has 1 career Run Saved.

    But the Astros made the defensive plays all season, and that rubbed off on the right players at the right times. In particular, their outfielders led the majors in Defensive Runs Saved. The team finished tied for fourth in Defensive Runs Saved overall.

    The Astros also ranked fourth in the majors in home runs hit. So perhaps it’s appropriate that their season was punctuated by Yordan Alvarez hitting a ball that couldn’t be fielded (his go-ahead home run in Game 6) and McCormick’s and Mancini’s amazing plays on balls that could.

  • Stat of the Week: Who is the NL Most Valuable Defender?

    Stat of the Week: Who is the NL Most Valuable Defender?

    The NL MVP race has tightened up. Though it appeared that Paul Goldschmidt’s winning was a foregone conclusion for much of the season, Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado and Freddie Freeman have all been worthy competitors.

    The NL MVD race (MVD standing for Most Valuable Defender) is also quite tight. Three players are separated by 0.1 Defensive WAR – Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers, Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, and Cardinals infielder Tommy Edman.

    Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas is just off the pace and Arenado is not far behind too. And if we’re going to consider outfielders, Aristides Aquino, Daulton Varsho, and Mookie Betts should enter the discussion.

    Rodgers and Hayes each lead their respective defensive positions with 23 Runs Saved.

    If there was an award for Most Improved Defender, Rodgers would win in a runaway. He’s improved on his 2021 Runs Saved at second base by 28 runs with an aggressive approach. He leads all players with 19 diving plays this season.

    Hayes is leading all third basemen in Defensive Runs Saved for the second straight season. The difference maker that separates him is how well he fares on balls hit to his right. His arm is so strong and so accurate, he makes difficult plays look easy. Hayes is four runs ahead of Arenado, who is going to finish in the top two in Runs Saved at third base for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

    Edman is prized for his being able to switch positions without issue. He’s saved 12 runs with his defense at second base and 6 more at shortstop with his time split nearly evenly between the two spots. What’s made Edman so good at second base is how he limits his mistakes. He leads all shortstops in fewest Misplays & Errors per inning at shortstop and ranks second in that same stat to Luis Guillorme (barely) at second base.

    Rojas is also excellent at minimizing miscues. He leads all shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved and ranks third behind Edman and Dansby Swanson in Defensive Misplays & Errors per inning. And on top of that, he makes the great play. He leads all shortstops in Good Fielding Plays.

    Aquino’s 21 Runs Saved, including an MLB-best 17 in right field, are highly impressive because he hasn’t even played a half-season this year. He’s on the list largely because of his throwing arm. Aquino has 12 outfield assists without a cutoff man this season. His arm accounts for 8 of his Runs Saved.

    Varsho, who caught early in the season to fill a need for the Diamondbacks, has been great in the outfield both in right field, where he has 15 Runs Saved (in fewer than 600 innings), and center field, where he has 6. He’s shown very good range and a strong arm. Varsho and Aquino are tied for the outfield lead in Runs Saved.

    Betts also has 16 Runs Saved in right field. He can finish in the top two at the position for the sixth time in seven seasons.

    Last week we asked you for your choice for AL MVD and Royals center fielder Michael A. Taylor won the vote. We’ve narrowed the NL MVD ballot to Hayes, Edman, Arenado, and Rodgers (Twitter only allows four choices). Cast your vote here.

  • Stat of the Week: Who’s the AL MVD (Most Valuable Defender)?

    Stat of the Week: Who’s the AL MVD (Most Valuable Defender)?

    People love debating the MVP races every year. We’re seeing it now, particularly with some who wish to consider the merits of a one-of-a-kind player in Shohei Ohtani versus a player having a one-of-a-kind season in Aaron Judge.

    But what about the race for MVD – Most Valuable Defender?

    You can think of this as an early preview for the Platinum Glove Award announcement in November. We’ll do the American League this week and the National League early next week.

    Michael A. Taylor looks like he’s going to lead all center fielders in Defensive Runs Saved for the second straight season. Since Runs Saved became a stat in 2003, only two center fielders have done that: Torii Hunter for the Twins in 2003 and 2004 and Kevin Kiermaier in 2015 and 2016. He’s thrived for the Royals the last two seasons both because he excels at catching the deep fly ball and because his arm prevents baserunners from advancing at a high rate.

    To hit .173 but still make more than 100 starts in the field means you must be doing something pretty well. Rays infielder Taylor Walls is overcoming his poor offensive numbers with his defensive play. He has 10 Runs Saved at shortstop, 5 at third base and 3 at second base. The combination of versatility and quality that he provides is hard to match and has helped the Rays contend for a playoff spot even during Wander Franco’s long absence.

    Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña has a good case for being most deserving, particularly if we add in consideration for being a rookie replacing Fielding Bible Award winner Carlos Correa.

    Peña co-leads all shortstops in Runs Saved and has been at or near the top of that leaderboard all season. He can become the first first-year player to lead shortstops in Runs Saved. Peña has filled Correa’s shoes in the field more than capably, particularly in how he takes away hits going to his left.

    Baseball-Reference calculates a Defensive Wins Above Replacement based on the player’s Runs Saved total with an adjustment for positional difficulty (shortstop being the most difficult position). They have Walls (2.6 dWAR), Peña (2.5), and Taylor (2.4) as the top three and it’s a very tight race for the lead spot (for those curious, Peña has a slim lead in Defensive Win Shares). You can find the full dWAR leaderboard here.

    Lastly, though they don’t necessarily rank at the very top of the dWAR leaders, three catchers deserve consideration: Jose Trevino of the Yankees, Adley Rutschman of the Orioles, and Cal Raleigh of the Mariners.

    Trevino leads catchers in Runs Saved because his pitch-framing numbers are the best in MLB. Rutschman is an excellent framer and an excellent pitch blocker and is just behind Trevino in Runs Saved. Raleigh stands out for framing and cutting off potential basestealers. He’s also caught more innings than both Trevino and Rutschman.

    One of the cool things about this set of players is that – other than Taylor – it’s not a group you would have predicted to be here had you made any preseason guesses. Past Fielding Bible Award winners Correa, Byron Buxton, Matt Chapman, and Kevin Kiermaier seemed like much more likely options.

    So who’s your pick?

    We put a four-player ballot on Twitter with Taylor, Peña, Walls, and Rutschman (we lopped off Trevino and Raleigh because Twitter gives us only four slots). Cast your vote here, share your take, and let us know who should be the AL MVD.

    Most Defensive Runs Saved

    AL Players

    Name Team Defensive Runs Saved
    Michael A. Taylor Royals 20
    Jose Trevino Yankees 18
    Taylor Walls Rays 18
    Adley Rutschman Orioles 17
    Jeremy Peña Astros 16
    Myles Straw Guardians 16

     

    Most Defensive WAR

    AL Players

     

    Name Team Defensive WAR
    Taylor Walls Rays 2.6
    Jeremy Peña Astros 2.5
    Michael A. Taylor Royals 2.4
    Jorge Mateo Orioles 2.2
    Myles Straw Guardians 2.0
    Ramón Urías Orioles 2.0
  • Stat of the Week: What’s Aaron Judge Crushing?

    Stat of the Week: What’s Aaron Judge Crushing?

    Did you see Brewers pitcher Luis Perdomo’s reaction to giving up Aaron Judge’s 59th home run of the season?

    Perdomo made the ultimate mistake.

    First off, he threw Judge a slider.

    Per FanGraphs’ pitch values, which have been tracked for the last 20 seasons (using our pitch data), no hitter has had quite a season against sliders like Judge in 2022. He’s hitting .315 and slugging .723 with 15 home runs in at-bats ending against them this season.

    MLB hitters are batting .215 and slugging .359 when an at-bat ends with a slider this season. Judge’s batting average is 100 points higher than average. His slugging percentage is more than double it.

    Judge has tripled his home run total against sliders from last season in roughly the same number of sliders faced. He hit .320/.580 against sliders in 2018 but managed only 6 home runs against them.

    Secondly for Perdomo, the pitch hung and ended up about as “middle-middle” as you can get.

    Judge has 10 home runs in at-bats ending with middle-middle pitches this season. So does Mookie Betts, who is having a terrific season. But Judge is hitting .477 (21-for-44) on pitches thrown to that area. Betts is at .333 (20-for-60).

    MLB batters are hitting .325 and slugging .596 when at-bats end versus those pitches in 2022. They average a home run every 41 middle-middle pitches. Judge is averaging one every 14 pitches. He’s basically homering at three times the rate of anyone else against them.

    And that’s the story here.

    Judge is on a Triple Crown pace and on track to break Roger Maris’ AL home run record both because he can hit the pitches that very few batters can hit well (admittedly he got an easier one to handle in this instance) and hit the pitches that everyone can hit well, but at an otherworldly level.

  • Stat of the Week: Which Teams Shift The Most?

    Stat of the Week: Which Teams Shift The Most?

    The Dodgers have led the majors in full shift frequency in each of the last four seasons, so they’re going to have some adjusting to do with the implementation of new rules prohibiting such defensive alignments next season.

    A full shift is defined as one in which three infielders are playing on the pull side of second base. Alignments in which two infielders are playing on each side of second base with two deviating significantly from straight-up positioning are known as partial shifts (which will still be permitted in 2023).

    This season, 53% of balls put in play against the Dodgers defense have come against a full defensive shift. That’s a near match for last season (54%), 2020 (55%), and 2019 (52%). The Dodgers made their big jump in shift usage after the 2018 season, a year in which they shifted on 24% of batted balls.

    For all their aggressiveness, the Dodgers are similarly good at turning groundballs and bunts into outs whether they use a full shift, a partial shift, or no shift. In all, they rank 8th in the majors in groundball and bunt out rate and are within striking distance of the Top 5.

    Right with the Dodgers in shift usage this season are the Blue Jays, another team for whom 53% of balls in play have come versus full shifts (for greater specificity, the Dodgers were at 53.0%, the Blue Jays, 52.7%).

    The Blue Jays radically changed their defensive approach this season after using full shifts against only 22% of balls in play in 2021. That 53% number was considerably higher earlier in the season, but it has since tapered off.

    Toronto also changed its defensive look in the outfield. The Blue Jays are the MLB leader in what we call “outfield shifts,” instances in which the Statcast data shows that the three outfielders are positioned at least 110 total combined feet from their average position.

    The Blue Jays have used an outfield shift 412 times this season. The only other team to do so more than 100 times is the Marlins (110).

    The team’s infield and outfield have combined for 32 Runs Saved this season compared to 27 in 2021. Add in strong work from their pitchers and especially their catchers and the team as a whole ranks 6th in MLB in Defensive Runs Saved this season, up from 15th in 2021.

    The Astros’ defense will be fascinating to watch next season as they’ll have to change their approach a lot. They have full-shifted on 48% of batted balls against them, but that rate jumps to 79% vs left-handed batters.

    The Astros’ shifting has compensated for the age and lack of skill of some of their infielders. The team has gotten negative Runs Saved out of first base, second base, and third base this season, though their shortstop, Jeremy Pena, ranks among the leaders at the position in Defensive Runs Saved.

    Though the Astros rate slightly below average at turning groundballs and bunts into outs in full shifts, it’s likely no one is currently complaining given that they have the best record in the AL and their outfield leads MLB in Runs Saved.

    As for the teams that will have the least amount of adjusting to do, the Rockies rank at the bottom in shift usage, with one used on just 18% of balls in play against them. The Rockies’ rank in the Top 5 in Runs Saved at first base, second base, and third base this season, as their infield has thrived.

    The Guardians (21%), Orioles (22%), Padres (23%), and Yankees (24%) follow the Rockies in least shift usage, with the Yankees inclusion being noteworthy. Their infield leads the majors in Runs Saved this season. They’ve done what’s worked with their personnel and thrived with it.

  • Stat of the Week: The Yankees and 100 Defensive Runs Saved

    Stat of the Week: The Yankees and 100 Defensive Runs Saved

    The Yankees hit a milestone earlier this week when they reached 100 Defensive Runs Saved for the season.

    Now understand that Defensive Runs Saved aren’t like wins or home runs. Your defensive performance can fluctuate and the Yankees did in fact dip below 100 to their current total, 98. They’ll likely finish at or above 100 so long as they keep playing such good defense.

    Four teams have previously reached 100 Runs Saved in a season, most recently the two teams that rank 1-2 in that stat since we began tracking it in 2003 – the 2018 Diamondbacks (125) and the 2018 Brewers (123).

    And while 100 Runs Saved has now proven reachable recently, it’s particularly notable that the Yankees did it.

    The Yankees are currently taking shots from their fan base because of the team’s lackluster play the last two months. But knocking them means ignoring that, on the whole, their defense has been excellent.

    The Yankees ranked 29th in Runs Saved last season with -41. The 139-run improvement year over year is not (yet) the largest in the 20 seasons of Defensive Runs Saved. But it’s close. The Phillies have the mark for the largest single-season improvement, going from -82 Runs Saved in 2018 to 68 in 2019, a jump of 150 Runs Saved.

    Also, the Yankees have obliterated their previous single-season mark for Runs Saved. Their past best was 28 in 2017, which ranked 9th in MLB.

    The Yankees have fielded some rough defensive teams, particularly early in the DRS era. The -41 Runs Saved in 2021 looks pretty good compared to the -120 Runs Saved of the 2005 team. In fact, the Yankees rank 26th in Runs Saved from 2003 to 2021.

    In fairness, the Yankees under Brian Cashman began to prioritize defense a little more in the 2010s, finishing with a positive Runs Saved seven times in a nine-year stretch before a three-year stretch from 2019 to 2021 in which their best result was 1 Run Saved in 2020.

    The remade infield has been a huge key to their success, with the acquisitions of third baseman Josh Donaldson and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa playing a major role along with the resurgence of Gleyber Torres and the continued success of DJ LeMahieu at third base.

    Those four have combined for 35 Runs Saved this season (Anthony Rizzo is at -3 Runs Saved, though he’s been lauded by fans for his throw-handling). The Yankees rank 1st in how often they turn a ground ball or bunt into an out in 2022, 77.4% of the time (a smidge ahead of the Cardinals).

    The Yankees also have one of the best defensive catchers in baseball in Jose Trevino (MLB-best 17 Runs Saved) and a pitching staff whose 14 Runs Saved lead MLB.

    Rookie Oswaldo Cabrera has been an instant defensive sensation even as he’s struggled at the plate. He’s recorded 9 Runs Saved in only 20 games thanks to 5 assists from right field.

    And though the Yankees aren’t running away with the AL East as they once were, they are running away with the Defensive Runs Saved lead.

    The Yankees entered August with 65 Runs Saved, one run better than the Dodgers. But they’ve pulled away since then, with 33 Runs Saved. The Dodgers, with 74 Runs Saved, are now 24 behind the Yankees.

    That puts the Yankees close to another milestone as well. The largest margin between the top two teams in Runs Saved in a season is 30 runs, with the 2016 Cubs besting the Astros, 107-77.

    That Cubs team is remembered for something much bigger than that. That’s the Cubs team that won the World Series for the first time since 1908. Those Cubs and the 2008 Phillies are the two teams to lead the majors in Runs Saved and win the World Series.

  • Stat of the Week: August’s Defensive Player of the Month

    Stat of the Week: August’s Defensive Player of the Month

     

    This is not a misprint. Reds outfielder Aristides Aquino has 19 Defensive Runs Saved in 389 innings this season.

    Aquino tied for the MLB lead with 9 Runs Saved in August and won our voting for MLB Defensive Player of the Month for August.

    What differentiates Aquino, and helps him record so many Runs Saved in such a short period of time, is his throwing arm. People keep testing it. He has 10 outfield assists this season, all without the help of a cutoff man. Five of them have been on plays at the plate, including one against the Giants on May 28 that ended a one-run win.

    Aquino had 5 assists in August, including this one, which prompted an “oh wow!” from Phillies broadcaster John Kruk. Kruk had good reason for his exclamation. Statcast clocked the throw at 99 MPH.

    Aquino’s 8 Outfield Arm Runs Saved (a stat that considers both throw-outs and baserunners held) are the most in MLB this season.

    Aquino didn’t have any particularly dazzling catches this month, but the value of those he did make adds up. Among his better ones were this one against the Brewers and this one against the Phillies, which of course had an assist tacked on to it.

    Aquino’s 19 Runs Saved are tied for the most of any player at any position this season. He’s tied with Taylor Walls of the Rays, who has played more than 900 innings this season, and Tommy Edman of the Cardinals, who has played more than 1,000.

    Among those Aquino beat out for Player of the Month were shortstops Walls and Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Yankees, and catchers Adley Rutschman of the Orioles and Cal Raleigh of the Mariners.

    Walls led all shortstops with 9 Defensive Runs Saved (we wrote about him in another recent article). Kiner-Falefa totaled 7 Runs Saved in his best month of the season (albeit one that ended with an error that drew the ire of Yankees fans on Wednesday night).

    Rutschman led catchers with 7 Runs Saved in August. He’s tied for third in our pitch-framing metric (Strike Zone Runs Saved), fourth in catcher block rate (preventing wild pitches and passed balls) and his 12 Runs Saved this season trail only Jose Trevino’s 15 among catchers. This is made all the more impressive given that Rutschman didn’t make his MLB debut until May 21.

    Raleigh, in his second year, had 6 Runs Saved in August and has matched Rutschman’s 12 Runs Saved this season. He’s second in Strike Zone Runs Saved and tied for third in Stolen Bases Runs Saved.

  • Stat of the Week: Albert Pujols Finishing With A Flourish

    Stat of the Week: Albert Pujols Finishing With A Flourish

    As of July 9, the Albert Pujols farewell tour had been a dud. He was hitting .198 with a .624 OPS.

    But over the last six weeks, the Cardinals designated hitter and occasional first baseman has looked much more like he did in his prime.

    Since July 10, he’s hitting .393 with 10 home runs and 20 RBI in 84 at-bats entering Thursday’s game with the Cubs. Pujols has been particularly destructive against left-handed pitching. He’s 14-for-23 (.609) with 7 home runs against lefties since August 10.

    What Pujols has done over the last six weeks is reminiscent of what David Ortiz did in his final MLB season in 2016 (1.021 OPS, 127 RBI). Ortiz and Ted Williams in 1960 (1.096 OPS, 29 home runs) are the standard setters for farewell seasons.

    Pujols’ 10 home runs came in a 25-game span. Since 1901 (as far back as public play-by-play data allows us to search), Pujols and Barry Bonds are the only two players to hit that many home runs in that number of games after turning 42.

    As Pujols’ career enters its final weeks, here’s where he stands on baseball’s all-time lists.

    • 693 home runs (5th)
    •  2,188 RBI (2nd)
    • 3,359 hits (9th)
    • 6,153 total bases (2nd)

    The only question left among his statistical accomplishments is whether he has enough time to reach 700 home runs. He could catch Alex Rodriguez, whose 696 home runs stand 4th all-time. Pujols is also the rare player who can say his top comparable in Similarity Scores is … Willie Mays.

    As far as accolades go: Pujols has won 3 MVP awards and two World Series titles. He’s also won MLB awards named for Hank Aaron (best hitter), Roberto Clemente (sportsmanship and community involvement), and Lou Gehrig (representing Gehrig’s character and integrity).

    And as we look ahead to Pujols’ final games, we can look back too. We should remember that one reason that Pujols was able to accumulate such numbers was because of a hamstring injury that Bobby Bonilla suffered prior to the start of the 2001 season, which put him on the injured list. That allowed Pujols to make the Opening Day roster. He never played in the minor leagues again.

    Bonilla often gets celebrated in baseball circles because of the contractual agreement he had with the Mets that has him paid annually long after he retired. Perhaps he should be heralded for his role in Pujols’ career too.

    Lastly, you know how much we love defensive excellence here, so we do have to tip our cap to how Pujols played first base. Pujols has 137 Defensive Runs Saved at the position since we started tracking the stat in 2003. Mark Teixeira ranks 2nd with 92. Anthony Rizzo is the nearest active player there with 68.

    As has often been the case with Pujols, there’s nobody close to doing what he could do.

  • Stat of the Week: Michael Harris Sparks The Braves

    Stat of the Week: Michael Harris Sparks The Braves

    By MARK SIMON

    The Braves are 50-21 with 21-year-old rookie center fielder Michael Harris II in the starting lineup this season.

    That’s a 114-win pace over 162 games and particularly impressive given that when Harris was recalled, the Braves were 22-24.

    He’s started in all but one Braves game since making his MLB debut on May 28 and is hitting .287 with a .325 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. That makes him one of the leading candidates for NL Rookie of the Year.

    The Braves had a team OPS of .702 and were averaging 4.2 runs per game prior to his recall. Since May 28, their OPS is .802 and they’re averaging 5.3 runs per game. We pointed out their impressive offense in a Stat of the Week two months ago and they’ve largely sustained that success.

    This is all pertinent given that Harris, who grew up near Atlanta, just signed an eight-year contract extension worth $72 million (club options could make it a 10-year deal). He will be a long-term core player along with other teammates with lengthy deals, including Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson.

    What’s so impressive about Harris is the completeness of his game. He can hit, hit for power, run, field, and throw.

    He already has 12 home runs, matching the combined total he had in 144 games at in the minor leagues in 2021 and 2022. He’s 13-for-13 in stolen base attempts after telling us last season that he was working on getting better jumps on the bases.

    Harris ranks 7th among center fielders with 5 Defensive Runs Saved. Even with the Braves leading the Mets 13-1 on Monday night, Harris wasn’t afraid to crash into the wall to make a catch. He also had several strong throws against the Mets in their previous series.

    As Harris gets more experience, one thing to watch for is that he’s a pitch-chaser. Since his recall only three players have a higher chase rate than his 44%. He’s struck out 65 times and walked only 10.

    But Harris has shown a comfortability at the plate when in adverse counts. Eight of his 12 home runs and 14 of his 28 extra-base hits have come with two strikes. And in a limited sample with runners in scoring position, he’s hit .389 with only nine strikeouts in 54 at-bats.

    He’s also bounced back from a 2-for-24 slump in July when it looked like the league might have figured him out a little bit. He’s hitting .307 with an .863 OPS in his last 25 games.

    With no Freddie Freeman, the 2022 Braves are a bit different from the 2021 World Series champs. Yes, they still have the stars mentioned earlier in this piece, but that team was floundering until Harris came up. There are many ways a player can spark a team. Harris has done so in just about every one of them.