Was Dee Gordon "Out of Position" Winning GG's at 2B?
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Travis Sawchik is one of my fave Fangraphs writers, and today he's got one that has earned a place in FG's "most popular" articles. Here's the piece.
Getting a few things out of the way here :- ) Gordon states a belief that we have batted around at SSI:
While Gordon was reluctant to leave the infield — he’s never played anywhere else — he does believe it’s more difficult to stand out at second base defensively. “You don’t get any defensive runs saved [DRS] at second,” Gordon notes. “It’s hard to get a lot of stats at second.”
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See the article for more documentation. But Dr. D is firm in his conviction that (1) all the infield shifts, and (2) all the attention to launch angle, hitting the ball over infielders' heads, and (3) other things, mean that you can "hide" a fairly slow 2B like Robinson Cano for quite a while.
Sawchik points out that in 4,500 innings at 2B, Gordon had saved only 13 runs defensively. (?!) But that CF's Hamilton had done much better: in 4,300 innings Hamilton had +47 runs saved and Byron Buxton in 2,200 innings had +31 runs saved.
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I think this is true, that in the age of increased K's, BB's and HR's ... and in the age of increased launch angles ... outfield defense will be much more important that infield defense. And because of shifts this will especially be true.
A cute point: Sawchik pointed out -- intending to compliment Gordon, of course, that he is the 4th-fastest player in the game of baseball. Billy Hamilton, a true freak of nature, is measured at 30.1 feet per second while Gordon "struggles along" at 29.7 feet per second. When Sawchik brought this up, Gordon went into a mock rage:
When this reporter notes the speed-related data, Gordon scoffs. “I don’t believe that,” he says. “I don’t believe that Statcast. Someone, for real, made that up. Someone who cannot run made up that stat.”
What? Doesn’t Gordon believe a measure that verifies his speed?
Actually, that’s not his point at all. Gordon clarifies: “I’m faster than everybody.”
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Good attitude bro' :- )
And Sawchik follows up, accurately in my view,
In an era defined, in part, by the defensive shift — a strategy that hypothetically renders infields even more efficient — range is likely even less important for players on the right side of the infield. It’s harder to mask athletic deficiencies in the outfield — and speed is important in center field at Safeco Field, backing a pitching staff that ranked 29th in ground-ball rate (40.3%) last season. Gordon was a three-win player last season and nearly a five-win player in 2016. He could be even more valuable in center — if he can make the transition.
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One last funny: Gordon will stand in CF with positioning cards in his back pocket. LOL! He will of course start off playing deep, and as his reads get better he will be able to afford moving in a little. But in any case, a deep CF with a 30 ft/sec jet ski under him is going to mow down some gappers.
Yoenis Cespedes makes $29M for the Mets to play CF. Jacoby Ellsbury hauls in $21.1M per year for the Yankees. Adam Jones makes $17M. Dexter Fowler, $16.5M. Andre Ethier is at $15.5M. Charlie Blackmon, $14M. B.J. Upton is at $14M for Tampa. Michael Bourn is at $13.5 for the Phillies.
Dee Gordon will make $11, $13, $14 and $14M the next 4 years to roam CF for the M's. If he bangs out 200 hits a year, steals 60 bases and uses that speed to do far more damage to enemy hitters as a speed-demon OF than he ever could as a shifted 2B, then credit where credit's due. Jerry Dipoto will have pulled a big time rabbit out of his hat.
Here is another Fangraphs article with some juicy Dipoto quotes for yer.
Enjoy,
Dr D