2023 Defense Thread

[interloper]

Austin Hays:

• Lowest OAA of all ML outfielders with -3
• #91 of 91
• No other outfielder has more than -2

Remember when he was going to be our CF of the future? 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/outs_above_average?type=Fielder&startYear=2023&endYear=2023&split=no&team=&range=year&min=q&pos=of&roles=&viz=hide

Edited April 10, 2023 by interloper

[Pickles]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

Austin Hays:

• Lowest OAA of all ML outfielders with -3
• #91 of 91
• No other outfielder has more than -2

Remember when he was going to be our CF of the future? 

Are the people who openly acknowledge that it takes like 2 years for defensive stats to normalize really criticizing Hay's defense based on 7 games using defensive stats?

[interloper]

1 minute ago, Pickles said:

Are the people who openly acknowledge that it takes like 2 years for defensive stats to normalize really criticizing Hay's defense based on 7 games using defensive stats?

He was 117 out of 123 last year. He is a bad defensive outfielder. 

Edited April 10, 2023 by interloper

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, Pickles said:

Are the people who openly acknowledge that it takes like 2 years for defensive stats to normalize really criticizing Hay's defense based on 7 games using defensive stats?

I did notice that his sprint speed is in the 76% after being 61% last year.  He appears to be in good shape and moving well.

[Pickles]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

He was 117 out of 123 last year. He is a bad defensive outfielder. 

So the stats were able to get an accurate read on the effect of the new left field in one year when it takes 2 years for defensive stats to stabalize?

The eye and scouting test does not support the idea he's a bad outfielder.

He was not as good last year as he was in prior seasons, so that's something to watch going forward, but it's very unfair to say he's a bad defensive outfielder.

[interloper]

Just now, Pickles said:

So the stats were able to get an accurate read on the effect of the new left field in one year when it takes 2 years for defensive stats to stabalize?

The eye and scouting test does not support the idea he's a bad outfielder.

He was not as good last year as he was in prior seasons, so that's something to watch going forward, but it's very unfair to say he's a bad defensive outfielder.

The eye test absolutely supports the idea that he's a bad defensive outfielder to me. I'm not saying he's a butcher out there like Mark Trumbo or something. But he's not good, and I hope Hyde eventually grows the pair necessary to put him on the bench whenever the team decides to give a young guy an extended look. 

[Pickles]

Just now, interloper said:

The eye test absolutely supports the idea that he's a bad defensive outfielder to me. I'm not saying he's a butcher out there like Mark Trumbo or something. But he's not good, and I hope Hyde eventually grows the pair necessary to put him on the bench whenever the team decides to give a young guy an extended look. 

But he's better than all the young guys, so if he's bad, then what are they?  He's a better defensive outfielder than Stowers and Vavra.  That's undoubtable.

[interloper]

Just now, Pickles said:

But he's better than all the young guys, so if he's bad, then what are they?  He's a better defensive outfielder than Stowers and Vavra.  That's undoubtable.

I think I disagree with that statement honestly. He's got a nice arm though, so there's that. 

[Pickles]

2 minutes ago, interloper said:

I think I disagree with that statement honestly. He's got a nice arm though, so there's that. 

I question your eyes then.

[interloper]

Just now, Pickles said:

I question your eyes then.

We'll see as the season goes along I guess. We have no idea what Stowers can do out there because we never see him play. He made a great catch at the wall the other day, really doubt Hays gets to that. 

[Pickles]

14 minutes ago, interloper said:

We'll see as the season goes along I guess. We have no idea what Stowers can do out there because we never see him play. He made a great catch at the wall the other day, really doubt Hays gets to that. 

I'm willing to keep an open mind on Hays 'defense.  I thought he was a real weapon LF two years ago.  Even in the first half of last year, at one point he was leading the AL in outfield assists, he was solid.  He slipped in the second half- in the field and at the plate.  

I'd like to see him healthy and fresh before I was willing to concede that degradation in performance was permanent.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, interloper said:

We'll see as the season goes along I guess. We have no idea what Stowers can do out there because we never see him play. He made a great catch at the wall the other day, really doubt Hays gets to that. 

Hays has played poorly so far this year in the field, but I think it’s been a bit fluky.  He’s a solid defender.  

The catch Stowers made was very good, but to be honest, I think he made that play look a little tougher than it was.  He’s a little shaky judging exactly where a ball is going to land and often has to make last second adjustments that make plays look tough.  If his routes and reads were a little smoother, he’d catch balls more easily.  

Here’s the play in question.  Again, I’m not disputing it was a very nice catch.

https://www.mlb.com/video/kyle-stowers-leaping-catch

 

[Aristotelian]

2 hours ago, interloper said:

We'll see as the season goes along I guess. We have no idea what Stowers can do out there because we never see him play. He made a great catch at the wall the other day, really doubt Hays gets to that. 

That was a classic play that was made tough due to poor route and awkward mechanics (backpedaling). Hays would have camped under it and caught that one 10/10 times.

[glenn__davis]

Hays overruns yet another catchable game in the 1st inning of the game on 4/10. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, glenn__davis said:

Hays overruns yet another catchable game in the 1st inning of the game on 4/10. 

At least it shows he still has the speed needed.