Fangraphs: Which Players Make All the Plays

[weams]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/which-defenders-make-the-plays-they-are-supposed-to/

As recently as 2013, saying he was a league-average defender in center would be selling him short. That year, UZR/150 scored him a 15.2. DRS and raw UZR both said 11. That's quite good. But last season, he wasn't league-average, or really anything close to it. That UZR/150 plummeted to -15.3 - a 30-run difference - although since he only played in 104 games, we can use raw UZR, which put him at -9.1. DRS saw it similarly, dropping him to -7.

It's fair to say the change in defensive ranking cost Rasmus two or more wins above re-placement, which, if paired with a league-average bat, is the difference between replacement level and a capable starter.

In fact, if you didn't know better, you might say Rasmus was positioning himself shallower, which would make it easier to come in on the shorter ball while making himself more vulnerable to the deep one.

[25 Nuggets]

On Nick Markakis and Defensive Metrics

This is another good read linked by the article.

If the theory on Rasmus is true, then his case is similar to that of Adam Jones in 2012. Jones stopped playing too shallow and his defensive metrics drastically improved. The same could be said of Rasmus. But if he is ever signed by the Orioles he's playing RF anyway.

[Can_of_corn]

On Nick Markakis and Defensive Metrics

This is another good read linked by the article.

If the theory on Rasmus is true, then his case is similar to that of Adam Jones in 2012. Jones stopped playing too shallow and his defensive metrics drastically improved. The same could be said of Rasmus. But if he is ever signed by the Orioles he's playing RF anyway.

Right, I viewed the information on Rasmus to be good news since it appears to be something easily remedied.