Defensive analyst John Dewan says Pujols was the best fielder in MLB in 2007.
Here's the release:
In the newly released The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2008, fielding analyst John Dewan ranks the St. Louis Cardinals among the top defensive teams of 2007. Dewan ranked all thirty teams using his Plus/Minus System, and the Cardinals finished seventh in the major leagues with a plus/minus score of +36—which means the Cards made 36 more plays than could be expected of the average team.
But the real story was Cardinals first baseman and repeat Fielding Bible Award winner Albert Pujols, who turned in the highest individual total in 2007 with +37. Pujols made 37 more plays than the average major league first baseman would have made if he had handled the same types of balls Pujols handled. As a team, the Cardinals were the best in baseball at handling bunts, but were ultimately done in by their middle infield, which posted an overall plus/minus score of -17.
The Plus/Minus System was developed by Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions. By tracking every play of every major league game, they record detailed information on each play, such as the location of each batted ball, the speed, the type of hit, etc. A player gets credit (a “plus” number) if he makes a play that at least one other player at his position missed during the season; he loses credit (a “minus” number) if he misses a play that at least one other player made. Team plus/minus totals are calculated and ranked by cumulative scores at middle infield, corner infield and outfield, along with rankings on double play efficiency, skill in handling bunts, and throwing.
While the Colorado Rockies set the major league record this year with a .989 team fielding percentage, Dewan believes that, “Fielding percentage is, in essence, a subset of plus/minus. Making all the plays that you’re supposed to make is a tremendous asset. But the No.1 underlying skill needed for great defense is great speed.”
Dewan compares the Plus/Minus System to On-base Plus Slugging percentage, a statistic many believe better encompasses a batter’s true skill set. “In the same way OPS is a comprehensive statistic for offense,” Dewan explains, “the Plus/Minus System is the best statistic for measuring a player or team’s comprehensive defensive skills.”
--B
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Pujols: best fielder in MLB
Pujols: best fielder in MLB
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