Chris Johnson - NL Batting Leader
- Thread starter GovClintonTyree
- Start date
sturg33
I
Who do you think are worst defensive third basemen's in MLB today? And why?
sturg33
I
Everyone always says Freeman is amazing at picking, and I agree. But is he that much better than just about everyone else in MLB? I very rarely see first basement NOT pick balls in the dirt, and going back in Braves time, Laroche, Tex, Kotchman, etc were all considered "amazing" pickers. It seems that most MLB first basemen can pick balls in the dirt, as they should.
I have no clue because I don't watch these players and I don't buy into the defensive metrics 100%. I ust don't believe that Chris Johnson is an all time bad defensive player.
sturg33
I
OK, so when we say Chris Johnson is arguable the worst defender in MLB, and you say we are wrong... You're just assuming, then?
I know the point you are getting at but if you want to just blindly believe defensive metrics then thats fine. I just disagree. Chris Johnson has not been a bad defensive third baseman this year and that is all I care about.
That's fine if you have a better backup plan. Getting one is going to cost a ton in either trade value or cash and would potentially weaken us somewhere else. I know some would like to find a true replacement for Chipper, but that's really not possible.
GovClintonTyree
<B>Vencer a Los Doyers</B>
Right. Even if you paid CJ $5-7m the next two years, it'd be pretty hard to find a better deal than an .850 OPS with adequate defense.
Wren hosed Towers. Not necessarily on Upton, but on Upton/CJ.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Adequate defense is too kind. Polanco has adequate defense. Johnson is a bad defender. that is like saying Dan Uggla has adequate defense.
GovClintonTyree
<B>Vencer a Los Doyers</B>
Yup. I'd say Uggla is adequate defensively. Last year he was quite good. He turns the double play as well as anyone. Looks to me like his range to his right isn't very good. Left is pretty good, arm is good. He doesn't hurt you. I think players should play the toughest position they can play, competently.
When you're saying "this guy will make 94 plays out of 100, and this guy will make 96," I think you're better off not trying to analyze a differential that isn't there, or has very low predictive value.
So, believe it or not, I do not buy into the defensive metrics that say this guy is worth this many runs or games above replacement, and that guy is negative runs against replacement. The next week or month that guy makes a play and this guy doesn't. Can you measure? Yes. But it's crude and even the so-called objective indicators are very subjective.
Last year in the first have, Michael Bourn had a higher WAR than Matt Kemp in the first half, because of DWAR. That's a silly result. Freddie Freeman was negative DWAR. That's silly, too.
I'm kind of neutral on Johnson now.
At first I wanted to get a real 3B just because he botches a lot of balls at 3rd.
His bat though, it's very consistent and I don't see his AVG or approach dropping off unless the summer fatigue of a 162 game season happens.
At first I wanted to get a real 3B just because he botches a lot of balls at 3rd.
His bat though, it's very consistent and I don't see his AVG or approach dropping off unless the summer fatigue of a 162 game season happens.
Orphan Black
Approaching Buddy Hernandez Territory
I'm sorry, but I just don't get the complaint about his defense. He's adequate. That's all he needs to be. If he wasn't adequate he wouldn't be playing there.
sturg33
I
Adequate by who's standards?
By your standards, or by league average standards? If we judge him against his peers, he is not adequate at all.
Dude can hit though
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
I think that adequate by some standards is that he's not the total worst defender ever.
Orphan Black
Approaching Buddy Hernandez Territory
Adequate is being able to play in MLB at third. He doesn't cost the team a ton of runs there, and sure he's made a couple of bad plays, but for the most part he's been adequate.
I can't say whether he's been average, but he seems average to me from what I've seen.
GovClintonTyree
<B>Vencer a Los Doyers</B>
I agree. And now he's hitting .338. And two of those hits tonight were huge.
Runnin
Well-known member
Uggla and Johnson both have adequate defense. Not great, maybe not even good, but adequate. The fact that they are still in the lineup of a 1st place team proves it.
Orphan Black
Approaching Buddy Hernandez Territory
In this case adequate means "enough to meet the needs of a situation"