The longest games in Major League history (both leagues) with no chances offered to a shortstop? Find out more. It is important to consider the position when calculating a good fielding percentage. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Lets get started with a few frequently asked questions. Pingback: How Do You Size A Fastpitch Softball Glove: Beginner's Guide. He's a phenomenal defensive player. Interestingly, the best shortstop performance I found for the 2007-08 span, just a hair above Brandon Crawfords +23, was that of Coastal Carolinas Tyler Bortnick. I'm not sure if he played through an injury or if they used quicksand for infield dirt that year at Miller Park, but in the past five years, the second-lowest range factor for a regular-season second baseman was 4.31 plays per nine innings -- by Weeks in 2011. Third basemen in fastpitch need to be great fielders and have strong arms to make the long throw. Now that hes a Ranger, well soon have an idea of how his defensive numbers hold up among pro competition. This one may be a bit surprising as Young was regarded as a solid shortstop and even won a Gold Glove in 2008. His DPR of 0.2 has him in a three-way tie for 10th. They moved him to third base the following season. His UZR is just 2.7 which is 11th-best, but his dWAR slots him as third from the top. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, He's certainly not a guy that you have to worry about, "All right, what's going to happen." 5. He's above Tulo due to a talent-infused blend of composite and component metrics, but there's still no contest between himor the rest of those who rankand the No. Adam Dunn, 1B/LF/RF, 2009 Nationals (minus-43). Shortstops at this level will be missing a few elements of the top shortstop, but they still make plays and contribute in the line-up. These totals may be incomplete (3.6% of all plays from 1914 to 1972 are missing or have incomplete accounts, click link for year and team summary of data completeness) for some players prior to 1973 and even complete seasons may not match the official totals due to errors in both the official totals and the . He's clearly a level up from the Escobars and narrowly tops Kozma in terms of his composite metrics, which is why he falls above them, but his UZR, RF and fielding percentage are underwhelming when compared to the remaining three on this list. From the minute I saw him, he's been making plays like that. DRS tells you how many runs better or worse that player has been relative to the average player at his position. Why is it so important to get my video to college coaches? Statistics That Require the Tracking of Batted Balls Metrics As for his range, BIS graded him particularly weak going to his right. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. How hard do most fastpitch players need to throw? Nick Castellanos, 3B, 2014 Tigers (minus-30). Thank you for writing this article. If his fielding percentage was middle as opposed to dismal, he'd likely move up several spots, but you can't have your shortstop botching every other play, which is why he sits at No. Being versatile is a great thing and having utility in more than one position can help a player. The other positions require similar skills but are less demanding. Why did Ross Tucker start Go Big Recruiting? All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. This was Braun's rookie season when he came up as a third baseman and he was such a disaster there the Brewers moved him to left field in 2008. No-hitter the latest feat in James Paxton's rise, Deal ends Matt Harvey's roller-coaster ride with Mets, Sizing up potential trade fits for Manny Machado, Real or Not? If the key measurables arent there, it doesnt matter how big you are - they will be taking a pass. His dWAR is 0.5, which puts him in a four-way tie for 13th place, and his DRS of one has him in a five-way tie for 12th place. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Of course, theres more to college fielding stats than a talked-up third baseman. He's going to make errors, because he's going to get to more balls that most other guys, but he's not booting one every four or five days. Middle Infielder | Baseball Positional Guidelines | Go Big Recruiting The fielding percentage for National League shortstops in 1974 was .961, and Russell had 724 fielding chances. Andrelton Simmons: MLB's Top Fielder | Tbones Baseball Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Chances Records for Shortstops by Baseball Almanac. But when you look up after a hard-hit ball, and hes standing right there or ranges up the middle to his glove side, hes a very good defender. 1 because not only does he lead UZR, dWAR and DRS, but he leads them by an enormous margin. Just how great is Simmons? If you need to improve your speed, be sure to get in the weight room! Since the Chicago White Sox have become irrelevant, it's easy to forget about Ramirez. I don't think anyone is going to defend Dunn's defense. When it comes to defenseshortstops and beyondthe caliber of Andrelton Simmons' talent is rivaled by few. Alcides Escobar edges out Yunel due to his higher UZR and slightly elevated RF. Simmons was just named the Defensive Player of the Month for June by ESPN. Baseball Almanac invites you to examine fielding average records for shortstops. For batting rate stats, generally a minimum of 3.1 Plate Appearances/G, 1.0 IP/G, 0.67 Gm and Chances/Team Game (fielding), 0.2 SB att/Team Game (catchers), and 0.1 SB att/Team Game (baserunners only since 1951), and 0.1 decision/G for single-season leaderboards generally needed for rate statistics. College, HS Varsity, JV, Frosh, 14U etc. About Sharing Tools. Matt Kemp, CF, 2010 Dodgers (minus-37). Below is a standard softball position chart with numbers for each position. What are the pricing options for Go Big Premium? Did he deserve those Gold Glove Awards? And check out my [Shes Got a Cannon] Softball Overhand Throwing Courses. College pitching coacheswhat do they actually do? Metrics from the days of yore: Fielding percentage. Fielding Percentage (FPCT) = (put outs + assists) (put outs + assists + errors). Statistics: . Young did seem to improve after that, perhaps with better positioning. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Might not be an absolute but they do always seem to be either the catcher or pitcher. College Baseball Scouts Have Guidelines, Yet All Guidelines Can Be Broken, College Baseball Talent Does Not Fit Into A Neat Hierarchy. At the college and professional levels, it is about .970 and above. Join our linker program. Pitchers are #1 in the softball scorebook, and theyre in control of the pace of the game. Data. Sullivan of MLB.com, Texas manager Ron Washington had this to say about Andrus: He has been outstanding. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The position numbers go in order, starting with the pitcher as #1, however the shortstop is out of order and is labeled #6 instead of #5 all other positions go naturally in order from pitcher to catcher, around the infield, then into the outfield. MLB Leaders - AL Fielding Pct by Shortstop | NBCSports So all the metrics agreed that he just didn't have much range in this year. anything but a shortstop!) Defensive metrics aren't as foolproof as some other numbers, so let's dig deeper into what may have caused these poor ratings. 6. Fielding percentage: .977 (five-way tie for 11th). It's a combination of control, cat-like reflexes and pure athleticism. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, divided by the number of total chances (putouts + assists + errors ). They make the plays, but don't have the best range. In an interview with Eduardo Encina of the The Baltimore Sun in 2012, Baltimore manager Buck Showalter had this to say about Hardy: Hes making two or three plays every night and it was so impactful. All rights reserved. Its a tough position to be in coaching your kid. While none of Escobar's statistics put him among the top tier in any category, his composite metrics speak for themselves. But sound fundamentals and covering good ground are hallmarks of an elite shortstop, and in those areas, Andrus is still a work in progress. He thus had 28.02 expected errors. In 2009, he did make a high number of good fielding plays (48), according to Baseball Info Solutions, although that was countered by 33 misplays. Data Provided By Teammate and fellow infielder Jose Iglesias can make some superstar plays up the middle, but his move to the hot corner is a testament to Drew's reliability. In 2009 while playing for an awful Nationals team that lost 103 games, Dunn started 83 games in the outfield and 66 at first base. I also see players and parents fall into the trap of playing too many positions at the high school level, where scouts may not be sure where they fit in. College Baseball Recruiting Guidelines | What Coaches Look For Sunday Notes: Bill Haselman Recalls the Brawl That Almost Broke Cal's Streak, Effectively Wild Episode 2000: We Thought of More Things We Like About Baseball, The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1169 Sunday FAAB ft. Michael Govier, Starting Pitchers Arent Leaning On Their Best Pitches, I looked at some notable defensive performances among college third basemen. Beyond that, he needs to pick bad throws, be a great, large target and read throws well to get outs on every throw he can from other infielders. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Here's how Drew shakes up in comparison to others at his position: Drew's UZR of 5.4 puts him in seventh place among qualifying shortstops, while his dWAR of 0.6 and DRS of two put him at 12th and 11th, respectively. College softball coaches evaluate a player's athleticism based on arm strength and accuracy, speed, fielding range and the ability to hit for . Im very good but he always puts his daughter up! Get ready to play college softball by training like a college softball player. A batting average may be sacrificed for a great leader in the field. Dunn recently confirmed his retirement and I'll miss a guy who had a unique career in major league history. What is considered a good fielding percentage often varies based on the position, but a good fielding percentage in high school baseball is about .940 and above. The league's lowest fielding percentages typically come from shortstops and third basemen, who must deal with a wide array of tricky ground balls and tough throws across the diamond. With all of the hype around the St. Louis Cardinals and their sizable crop of potential All-Stars, Pete Kozma either goes unnoticed or else is pegged as one of the weakest players on the team. Volpe has proven himself to be a big-league defender and a legitimate threat on the base paths. *Many detailed statistics are based on play-by-play accounts accumulated by Retrosheet. Anyway, Young had come up as a second baseman and moved to shortstop in 2004 and in 2005 he made 4.41 plays per nine innings versus the MLB average of 4.60 (his fielding percentage was about . Right fielders are most commonly known for their very strong arms. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. Data Provided By Its fine to love one position more than the others, but in the competitive world of travel, varsity and collegiate fastpitch, it just may not be realistic that a player can start at that position as they rise. And we'd talk about it for days. Dante Bichette, LF, 1999 Rockies (minus-34). Here's the rundown: Simmons is unparalleled here. Learn more. For shortstops who were in the field for 800 or more balls in play (roughly 33 games) in both 2007 and 2008, the year-to-year correlation was approximately 0.29. (My recollection of Kirby, as well: He played a deep center field, which allowed him to make those famous leaping catches at the wall; he also may have played deeper as a way to play the high bounces off the Metrodome turf. Weeks has never had a good defensive reputation and in 2012 he started 152 games at second base and made just 4.08 plays per nine innings compared to the league-average range factor of 4.77. I kept looking and I didn't find one for me, so I knew I didn't make the team. Many thanks to him. Fielding stats for college shortstops | The Hardball Times Segura's RF is an outstanding 4.78, which has him siting in fourth in that cateogry. Athleticism, knowledge of the game, and leadership skills are necessary for shortstops at this level. Coach Dan Blewett, Pingback: Softball Batting Power: 5 Ways to Increase It, Pingback: Two Pitch-Calling Mistakes that Cause High Pitch Counts - Elite Baseball Performance, Pingback: How to Create High-Velocity Softball Throwing Mechanics, Pingback: 5 Easy Ways Softball Players Can Throw Harder - Coach Dan Blewett. update=copyright.getFullYear(); W. Clayton Kershaw (3-1) L. Tylor Megill (3-1) We've added a page to show the statistical impact of MLB's rule changes for the 2023 season. But I try and make a hard play look routine. While having a fast 60 time is important, college coaches will also look for an agile middle infielder that can cover a lot of ground laterally, this is often referred to as range. If his fielding percentage was middle as opposed to dismal, he'd likely move up several spots, but you can't have your shortstop botching every other play, which is why he sits at No. While most middle infielders are on the shorter side and scrawny, Tulo is listed at 6'3", 215 pounds. Sports averred that "he manages the defensive wizardry of a player three inches and 20 pounds smaller." But yes, they're essentially the same player. Pro/Con of going online for senior yr and not playing hs ball. Los Angeles Dodgers. His fielding percent (a metric looking at putouts, assists, and errors) at shortstop is top of the league at 1.000. To get started, check out my video on the softball positions as they break down into different bins of player types. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Small players will NOT get recruited to play in college as a first baseman. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted 5. My son will be playing in Left Fielder for the first time, but to play I want him to be able to understand all the other positions. First, it is somewhat subjective. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, stability Kozma has injected into the Cardinals' infield, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He's clearly a gifted athlete and is a treat to watch, so I'd say the future is brighthe just needs to polish up the dull spots. However, Green did, and his 07 performance was in line with the more recent numbers. As seen in the accompanying video, he's got great instincts and can think well on his feet. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. year and team summary of data Here's how Ramirez measures up: Ramirez has a UZR of 4.0, which slots him ninth among qualifying shortstops, and his dWAR of 1.1 (tied for fourth place) does him one better. He's finishing plays. Many of the best amateur glovemen are shortstops, and almost as soon as they appear on scouts radars, the debate begins as to whether they can stick at the position. Some players have the mindset of I only play third base! 24-year However, its not really the case any more that they have the strongest arm on the entire teamthey mightbut the shortstop and third baseman also have tremendously strong arms. For shortstops who were in the field for 800 or more balls in play (roughly 33 games) in both 2007 and 2008, the year-to-year correlation was approximately 0.29. All-Time Greats: Stan Musial, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, Oscar Charleston, Ken Griffey Jr, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, . All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. His DPR of -0.2 is below-average at 17th in the league. Real or Not? Frankie Crosetti and Honus Wagner are the only two shortstops to ever play a game on Opening Day and not receive a single chance at shortstop. A Division I middle infield recruit will generally run between a 6.5 and a 6.8 60 yard dash. Over 21 games at shortstop (number one in the AL), his dWAR is 0.5-good for third in the AL. Ramirez's RF of 4.05 is the 15th-highest, showing that he's not quite as nimble as he was in his prime, but he proves to be adept at turning two, as his DPR of 1.6 is the best in the league among shortstops. Second baseman have to be very quick and agile defenders and have value on the bases. Undoubtedly, voters remembered the spectacular plays, but there was nothing in the numbers that suggested Kemp had above-average range and he was making a large number of miscues at the same time. Fielding percentage, essentially, measures a player's ability to make a proper catch or throw, taking into consideration the number of opportunities a defender has to make a play. Shortstop - Wikipedia Is it true that the coachs daughter is normally a pitcher? Originally, in the early years of baseball, the shortstop was the fourth outfielder. Baseball Info Solutions tracked him with 30 good plays and 39 misplays and it's worth noting that ultimate zone rating had him at minus-23 runs and total zone at minus-31 runs. A good shortstop is always in need for a college coach and for programs at this level its no different. The Padres made the playoffs with Gomez playing shortstop in 1996 and 1998, so they apparently didn't think he was awful there. What position is right for a young fastpitch player? And because I'm a traditionalist, good old fielding percentage has its time of day here and was considered as much as the component metrics. Each position on the field is designated with a 1-9 number. College Softball Recruiting Guidelines | What Coaches Look For His dWAR is only 0.2, bad enough for 21st, and his DRS is -2 (18th). Universal Fielding Percentages | Articles | Bill James Online League Year-By-Year Fielding--Averages. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Copyright 1999- Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Jeter, at minus-33 runs, was BIS's worst-rated shortstop over that two-season span; Ryan, at plus-45, was the best. I dont think scouts generally talk about Beckham as a liability in the fieldjust a guy who cant stick at shortstop. Second baseman in softball are typically great defensive players but often lack a strong throwing arm. Alexei Ramirez can be considered a veteran at this point, but he's still pretty spry. At least thats what Ive experienced. 7. His RF puts him among the top-tier shortstops in that category, and that's something you can't really teach. In that same Abraham article, Boston Red Sox manager John Farell praised Drew for what he's brought to the team: Hes in many ways a very dependable defender. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Sure, there are some opportunities to range either way and make throws from deep in the hole, but when guys make contact, one of two things happens: It gets by you (and it would get by anybody, because its going that fast), or its a hot shot you can reach. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Totals are Below. All stats are per team game. Before we get going, check out this video about throwing speed by age for fastpitch players. Its important to understand the positional numbers so that a proper scorebook can be kept and players understand the lineup and dugout card. The most consistent part has been making the routine play. With that in mind, lets turn our attention to shortstop defense. Jean Segura has a UZR of zero, which slots him in 18th place. The 30-year-old has the most full innings played of all shortstops in the majors with 763. 1 in anything, but Florimon does so in range with an RF of 5.59 (first). Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by the number of innings or games played at a given defense position. Playing the part of Everett is Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan, Everett's spiritual successor as a weak hitter with a phenomenal glove. 8. Farewell to a Mariners legend. Gomez's range factor was actually higher than the MLB average, 4.63 to 4.58, and his fielding percentage was fine, so I'm not quite sure why he rates so poorly. Who checks out my video and profile at each college? Kemp also had just three assists in 2010 compared to 14 in 2009 and 11 in 2011. It measures the number of successfully fielded balls (putouts and assists) divided by the number of opportunities (putouts, assists, and errors). That can be attributed to a good amount of added strength, using his body more efficiently in the box and employing a more direct bat path consistently. The formula is simple: the total number of putouts and assists by a defender, divided by the total number of chances (putouts, assists and errors). The primary reason for Kozma sitting below the top four is the gap in composite metrics. Gary Sheffield, 3B, 1993 Padres/Marlins (minus-31). I appreciate your content. In an interview with Mark Simon of ESPN (found in the preceding link), Braves general manager Frank Wren had this to say about the phenom: To go along with great hands, arm and athleticism, he has excellent awareness on the field. Since 2002, the site uses defensive runs saved; prior to that, it uses total zone. Theres little question he was one of the top available prospects with the bat, but it will be interesting to see how his glove measures up in the pros. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Much like Derek Jeter, there has been a lot of divisiveness over the years about Kemp's defense. He's still a fairly young 26, so it's definitely plausible that his other stats could improve as he moves into his prime. Ryan doesn't make the cut for several reasons, the first being that his UZR is unforgivable. He's a bit better in his role as half of a double-play combo, as his DPR of 0.2 has him in a three-way tie for 10th. Top middle infielders are evaluated first from a defensive standpoint, and then from an hitting standpoint. Your email address will not be published. The Tragedy of Derek Jeter's Defense - Grantland It can certainly contribute to the discussion, but until a few more years go by and we can combine the data with professional records for these college players, we dont know just how worthwhile it is. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. His latest injury is a broken rib that he suffered in the second week of June, and while he may return soon, staying on the field has never been his strong suit. Hardy makes it into the top four due to the current number of weighty third-place standings he holds. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Component advanced metrics: Range Factor (RF) and Double Play Runs above average (DPR), 3. Career Fielding Percentage: .978 League Average all: .985 Career dWAR: -10.5 Career Rtot: -110 For many years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Senators, Frank Howard was one of the. Fielding Percentage M. Olson 1B ATL Matt Olson 1B ATL 24 : 24 : 195 . The left fielder does not need to have an amazing arm because throws arent terribly long. Here are the top shortstops right now in baseball, in ascending order. Key NCAA Rule Change for Recruiting Communications. Again, only players above the BIP threshold are included; the numbers include two seasons worth of data, and are regressed based on playing time. On a broader scope, however, he's just average. Puckett's defensive metrics don't match up to his reputation -- he won six Gold Gloves -- as Baseball-Reference grades him out as 14 runs below average for his career. The throw from right field to third base is very long, hence the need for good arm strength. Fielding percentage: .985 (tied for eighth). Drew has a RF of 4.32, good enough for 10th place. A third defensive metric that I'll mention in the piece below is ultimate zone rating, available at FanGraphs. But I probably won't miss his defense. He put up nearly equal sterling performances in his last two college seasons. All orgs will receive a full list. Kirby Puckett, CF, 1993 Twins (minus-29 runs), This one seems a little odd considering Puckett had won a Gold Glove the previous season. Major League Fielding Year-by-Year Averages | Baseball-Reference.com In an interview with Tyler Mason of Fox Sports North, Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan noted Florimon's natural talent: The one thing that we've always talked about with Florimon, he's got every skill you're looking for out of a shortstop, but it's a matter of finishing the plays. Third basemen dont have to move as much compared to the SS or 2B, so they can be bigger bodied. This was Sheffield's final season as a third baseman and he made 34 errors while fielding .899. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Data Provided By Great infielders at the highest level of baseball have a fielding percentage of . Fielding percentage: .989 (tied for second). I enjoyed reading your write up Coach Dan Blewett, youre doing a good job. But, that doesnt mean first base is not a difficult position its easy to play an average first base, but its NOT easy to be great at it. What is a decent fielding percentage for a shortstop? The fact that the two names at the top are both from D II schools may give us pause. What is a decent fielding percentage for a shortstop? Ramirez's recent onslaught of errors is cause for concern, but the rest of his numbers still put him among the premier shortstops in the game. near the top. Because the catcher must control and corral the pitcher, he has to be physically and mentally quick. Yet, playing lots of positions with average skill isnt better than playing a few really well. From his simpler stats alone, it appears that he's deserving of his own slide. The Designated Hitter is a player who only hits, and hits in place of the pitcher. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Shortstops with career .271/.340/.493 lines don't grow on trees, and we're projecting him to be better than that this year. The 2008-09 correlation was a bit weaker, but still above 0.25. They dont have to be big and hit for power, so they are often smaller players. Buster Olney ranked his top 10 team defenses in his blog post Thursday, which got me thinking about bad defense. His reward? Andrus' has a shockingly low RF of 3.78, which puts him at 24th (26 qualify). Range factor - Wikipedia Versions for all ages with a 14-Day Free Trial. Its both important to be well-rounded AND strong at 1-2 positions, but here are some common mistakes made by softball families. Catchers need a strong arm, so if you need to work on your throwing (for any position, really) check out my free throwing webinar below. No, they're not related. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. It's hard to top this list's No. Last year, he was actually recognized by American League managers as the best defensive shortstop in the AL, and in an interview with T.R. Tulowitzki's RF of 4.89 is third-best among qualifying shortstops. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. The prototypical elite middle infield recruit can hit for a high average as well as steal a lot of bases and occasionally hit for power. Do you have a blog? As seen in the accompanying video, Florimon has quick hands and is generally speedy. Typically the centerfielder, because she will have to run down fly balls in both the outfield gaps. Nobody will dispute this rating.