Bradley: Deal with It.

mt8thsw9th

anti-SoSHal
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
17,120
Brooklyn
Saints Rest said:
That youtube video led me to this compilation of some of his incredible defensive highlights.  It might include all 10 of the aforementioned DPs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dp8qJAonaE
I tried every single suggestion in the "Posting Youtube videos" to no avail.  Grr.
 
What's most amazing is that people want to waste this one-in-a-lifetime type of defender in RF. 
 

Koufax

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,936
Right field in Fenway is a very large space. Larger, I would say, than center field, which gets smaller as you go over to left field.  In other ballparks it is different.  Yankee Stadium, for example.  Would it be possible for JBJ to play right at home and center on the road?  Why not?
 

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,401
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
Koufax said:
Right field in Fenway is a very large space. Larger, I would say, than center field, which gets smaller as you go over to left field.  In other ballparks it is different.  Yankee Stadium, for example.  Would it be possible for JBJ to play right at home and center on the road?  Why not?
I don't think that an ideal solution. Yes .. RF is huge at Fenway .. But , as mentioned up thread , it's not the size of the field but the number of balls hit into it. So I think you want your best fielder playing CF all the time.

Castillo has the better arm than Betts .. But Betts has better range. And I think range has to to trump arm strength in Fenway. So I put Betts in RF, Bradley in CF and Castillo in Lf.

By the way, if memory serves Evans had excellent range .. For RF. I don't think he could have been a full time CF. he just didn't have the necessary foot speed.
 

CaptainLaddie

dj paul pfieffer
SoSH Member
Sep 6, 2004
36,684
where the darn libs live
The list of players I would trade JBJ for right now is pretty damn short.  It seems like he's reached his potential -- probably won't retire a .900+ OPS guy, but if he can get to .800 with his insane defense he's an elite talent.  I'm so excited to watch him.
 

Rasputin

Will outlive SeanBerry
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
29,421
Not here
CaptainLaddie said:
The list of players I would trade JBJ for right now is pretty damn short.  It seems like he's reached his potential -- probably won't retire a .900+ OPS guy, but if he can get to .800 with his insane defense he's an elite talent.  I'm so excited to watch him.
I'm pretty happy if he gets .750. He hits .800 he's getting my all star votes.
 

nvalvo

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
21,481
Rogers Park
BCsMightyJoeYoung said:
Castillo has the better arm than Betts .. But Betts has better range. And I think range has to to trump arm strength in Fenway. So I put Betts in RF, Bradley in CF and Castillo in Lf.
 
Is this consensus? Castillo makes OOZ plays in the OF at a higher rate than Betts. 
 
Then again, the stats think that Betts has the better arm. So who knows: the samples are still too small for the statistics to be reliable. 
 

Drek717

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 23, 2003
2,542
While the numbers are all still from a pretty small sample size the metrics so far do indicate the best alignment being Betts - Bradley - Castillo.
 
A few examples:
In 994 innings played at CF Betts has 83 out of zone plays.  In 949 innings last year Bradley made 85 plays out of zone.  That is just one example, but across the board you see Betts as a slightly above average CF at this time while Bradley is the best in the entire league, and that is from a pretty decent (but still not big enough for UZR) sample of nearly 1000 innings each.
 
Castillo meanwhile has a whopping 43 plays out of zone in RF this year in only 348 innings.  That is insane and far more than the ratio of innings to out of zone plays for either Betts or Bradley in RF.  He makes the occasional bonehead mistake but I'm sure that will decline the more he gets back into the groove of playing baseball with regularity.  If so he could be nearly as good as Victorino was in 2013.
 
Then you have the observational evaluation where Betts is clearly the most comfortable/daring around walls, the fastest to adapt to a new position, and has the weakest (while still respectable) arm.
 
I've been pro Castillo - Betts - Bradley up until this point but setting aside the metrics due to small sample size and just looking at the counting stats coupled with on-field observations I've flipped.  The current sample has come with enough consistent play that I can recall most of the errors and guess at a meaningful number of the out of zone plays.  In that light it becomes more apparent, to me at least, that Bradley is the best outfielder in all of baseball and should as a result be put into a position to cover the absolute most ground in every direction.  Castillo is looking like a natural fit in Fenway's RF as well.  Meanwhile Mookie is a great natural athlete who is still learning a position, so the easiest to transition, and he has a great natural feel for picking up park dimensions and making jump plays on baseballs, making him a good fit for the confines of LF.  His arm is also accurate at moderate distances but gets wild when he needs to throw further, so the short LF would improve his ability to challenge runners in that way.
 

TimScribble

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
1,474
The last throw in that video is insane. Everything he did was perfect. The catch, the awareness that the runner was going, spin, throw and on the money.
 

SeoulSoxFan

I Want to Hit the World with Rocket Punch
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jun 27, 2006
22,089
A Scud Away from Hell
On his toe-tap swing, I think his twists his ankle so much that his sole is lifted up & facing out towards the infield. Post-fix, his footing is so much more stable and balanced after the follow-through:
 
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

Don't know him from Adam
SoSH Member
Mar 14, 2006
9,419
Kernersville, NC
Drek717 said:
While the numbers are all still from a pretty small sample size the metrics so far do indicate the best alignment being Betts - Bradley - Castillo.
 
A few examples:
In 994 innings played at CF Betts has 83 out of zone plays.  In 949 innings last year Bradley made 85 plays out of zone.  That is just one example, but across the board you see Betts as a slightly above average CF at this time while Bradley is the best in the entire league, and that is from a pretty decent (but still not big enough for UZR) sample of nearly 1000 innings each.
 
Castillo meanwhile has a whopping 43 plays out of zone in RF this year in only 348 innings.  That is insane and far more than the ratio of innings to out of zone plays for either Betts or Bradley in RF.  He makes the occasional bonehead mistake but I'm sure that will decline the more he gets back into the groove of playing baseball with regularity.  If so he could be nearly as good as Victorino was in 2013.
 
Then you have the observational evaluation where Betts is clearly the most comfortable/daring around walls, the fastest to adapt to a new position, and has the weakest (while still respectable) arm.
 
I've been pro Castillo - Betts - Bradley up until this point but setting aside the metrics due to small sample size and just looking at the counting stats coupled with on-field observations I've flipped.  The current sample has come with enough consistent play that I can recall most of the errors and guess at a meaningful number of the out of zone plays.  In that light it becomes more apparent, to me at least, that Bradley is the best outfielder in all of baseball and should as a result be put into a position to cover the absolute most ground in every direction.  Castillo is looking like a natural fit in Fenway's RF as well.  Meanwhile Mookie is a great natural athlete who is still learning a position, so the easiest to transition, and he has a great natural feel for picking up park dimensions and making jump plays on baseballs, making him a good fit for the confines of LF.  His arm is also accurate at moderate distances but gets wild when he needs to throw further, so the short LF would improve his ability to challenge runners in that way.
This is the type of information I hope the team is looking at when making their decisions. Sure, the sample size isn't huge for Castillo, but I agree that the best alignment going forward is Betts - JBJ - Castillo.
 

The X Man Cometh

New Member
Dec 13, 2013
390
Its hard to put a number to this, but I can't be the only one who thinks that Betts' apparent intelligence and learning ability could make him a weapon in front of the green monster?
 
Common wisdom is that LF in Fenway is athletically easier. Isn't the flip side that it is mentally harder? Isn't that what we just saw with Hanley Ramirez out there? And if that is the case.... are we underappreciating the scarcity of a trait we need in our left fielders?
 
We'll see how Betts in LF goes the rest of the way but I can see him, for reasons unrelated to having "CF range", being a notable positive there.
 

Yossarian

New Member
Jan 22, 2015
89
I think they're trying these alignments out now to determine comfort level as much as anything.  What if, for example, Castillo is totally fine with the cavernous RF in Fenway but gets gun-shy in front of the Monster?  Or Betts, learning a new outfield position after just having switched to the OF last year, isn't as comfortable in the corners as he is in center?  I'm making those examples up, but my guess is the front office and coaching staff is doing this now--as opposed to just spring training--to figure out how the players react when the proverbial live bullets start flying.
 

Koufax

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,936
Last night on the pregame show, Torey Lovullo said that he is trying out all three outfielders in all three positions to ascertain the best long term fit.  The point made upthread about CF getting the most balls hit to it is pretty important (assuming that it is true).  If a lot more balls go to center than to right, then I suppose JBJ in center is what should happen.  Right field at Fenway needs a strong arm.  Mookie needs to play in a position where he won't injure himself running into walls.  I'm not sure what the leads to.  All I know is that this is a good problem to have.
 

Saints Rest

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Two things that got me to wondering/admiring about JBJ from the video I posted a few posts upthread:
  1. He seems to have a unique ability to adjust his routes on the fly.  Over and over, it seems as though he takes off after a ball, pauses midway to reconnoiter, then takes off on a slightly new vector to catch the ball.  He seems to be able to do this in any direction.  I seem to recall a lengthy discussion years ago about this in a broader sense in the fact that OF's rarely every go straight from starting point to catching point on a straight line, but JBJ's routes often seem to have two distinct arcs rather than one gentle one.
  2. It strikes me as unusually uncommon how many guys he doubles up off first base.  I imagine this is due to a combo of his unbelievable (literally) ability to catch a seemingly uncatchable ball, combined with his cannon of an arm.  Can anyone else remember anyone else who doubled so many men off first -- or more concretely, is there a place where that sort of unique situation can be quantified?
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
SoSH Member
Jul 10, 2007
18,783
The wrong side of the bridge....
CaptainLaddie said:
The list of players I would trade JBJ for right now is pretty damn short.  It seems like he's reached his potential -- probably won't retire a .900+ OPS guy, but if he can get to .800 with his insane defense he's an elite talent.  I'm so excited to watch him.
 
I think we might need to calm down a little. Right now he's sporting a .363 BABIP and .287 ISO, neither of which seem within a country mile of sustainability. He would have to reduce the K rate somewhat, or turn out to be a power hitter on a level that no one foresaw, for .800 to be a realistic long-term target. Even with 30 doubles, 20 HR and a 12% walk rate, with a 25% K rate he'd need a BABIP of .328 to make an .800 OPS, which seems like asking a lot for a guy who hits the ball in the air so much. Even if he can get the K rate down to 22%, he needs a .310 BABIP with those power and plate discipline numbers to make .800.
 
If we're willing to settle for .750, I think it's a lot easier to come up with projected component numbers that don't seem too exuberant. And at .750 he's still a very good player.
 
Mostly, I just love the fact that we're having this conversation.
 

Idabomb333

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 5, 2007
202
Koufax said:
Last night on the pregame show, Torey Lovullo said that he is trying out all three outfielders in all three positions to ascertain the best long term fit.  (snip) All I know is that this is a good problem to have.
Completely recognizing that this is impractical because we're talking about people and not machines, and outfield distances are large, etc... Suppose that all 3 players felt comfortable in all 3 positions, and none showed signs of getting messed up by switching around from 1 game to the next. I think it would be really interesting to look at how situations, including ball park, pitcher, batter, runners, and maybe even count could affect a determination of where each OF should be for a given pitch. For example, I think JBJ should be in CF most of the time, but maybe there are circumstances where he should be in RF at Fenway because there's a runner on 2nd with no one out and the batter is a lefty pull guy. Given the Sox proclivity for IF shifts, they must have a lot of data about batted ball trajectories for all of those combinations of factors. OF rearrangement with these guys could be another possible use of that data, theoretically.

I have no illusion that the Sox or anyone will ever do that, but is there a good way to dig into whether there is theoretical value in a plan like that?

In more realistic terms, I think the fact that all 3 guys look capable of playing anywhere in the OF is valuable in part because it means the backup OFs can be guys whose value comes mostly from hitting and who only need to be defensively tolerable in LF. We don't need to make sure there's a backup CF on the bench, because we have 2 in the starting lineup. It may be that the best value guys for the bench can also play good defense, but we won't be limited by the need to have a good defensive OF on the bench. We can go for the best overall value backup without regard to OF positioning.
 

Al Zarilla

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
58,871
San Andreas Fault
Koufax said:
Last night on the pregame show, Torey Lovullo said that he is trying out all three outfielders in all three positions to ascertain the best long term fit.  The point made upthread about CF getting the most balls hit to it is pretty important (assuming that it is true).  If a lot more balls go to center than to right, then I suppose JBJ in center is what should happen.  Right field at Fenway needs a strong arm.  Mookie needs to play in a position where he won't injure himself running into walls.  I'm not sure what the leads to.  All I know is that this is a good problem to have.
Good to look at multiple choices, but I'd just soon he didn't waste time with Rusney in CF. To me, that's clearly JBJ, because he's great at all three, or :
Mookie because of his experience and success in CF all year. To me, look at:
 
CF: Mookie, JBJ (really have enough "data" here. Both can handle it).
LF: Mookie, Rusney. Both pretty new to it.
RF: Rusney, JBJ. Plenty of data here.
 
To me, Mookie is out for RF because of his arm, so that pretty clearly, to me, makes it:
 
LF: Mookie
CF: JBJ
RF: Rusney
 
Bit of a shame that Mookie's development all year in CF is "wasted" though. So, they might lean toward Mookie in center and JBJ in right because of that, but then could Rusney get the "Monster yips"  in left? This is not simple, and, again, I wouldn't waste time with Rusney in center. 
 

Drek717

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 23, 2003
2,542
Savin Hillbilly said:
 If we're willing to settle for .750, I think it's a lot easier to come up with projected component numbers that don't seem too exuberant. And at .750 he's still a very good player.
 
Mostly, I just love the fact that we're having this conversation.
I think for next year the realistic expectations should be:
Betts - .280-.290 BA, .330-.340 OBP, ~.450 SLG, or a fringe .800 OPS player who adds value on the basepaths with about 20 SBs on the season at a better than 75% success rate, and finally above average to plus OF defense.
 
Bradley - .260-.270 BA, .330-.340 OBP, ~.400-.425 SLG, for a mid-700's OPS, solid base running that doesn't cost value and maybe adds a little, and elite defense.
 
Castillo - I think his current career line is actually fairly reasonable, .290 BA, .330 OBP, .435 SLG.  Maybe a little less BA and a little more pop, s more like .285/.330/.445 or so, a higher end .700's OPS complimented by 10-15 SBs with only 3-4 CS and very good defense in RF.
 
If the Red Sox can get an aggregate OPS of .775 from these three guys and they all play 130+ games next year we'll see the OF go from a year and a half long problem to a source of strength, and that is before you factor in just how good they'll be together defensively.
 

The X Man Cometh

New Member
Dec 13, 2013
390
Saints Rest said:
 
Two things that got me to wondering/admiring about JBJ from the video I posted a few posts upthread:
  1. He seems to have a unique ability to adjust his routes on the fly.  Over and over, it seems as though he takes off after a ball, pauses midway to reconnoiter, then takes off on a slightly new vector to catch the ball.  He seems to be able to do this in any direction.  I seem to recall a lengthy discussion years ago about this in a broader sense in the fact that OF's rarely every go straight from starting point to catching point on a straight line, but JBJ's routes often seem to have two distinct arcs rather than one gentle one.
  2. It strikes me as unusually uncommon how many guys he doubles up off first base.  I imagine this is due to a combo of his unbelievable (literally) ability to catch a seemingly uncatchable ball, combined with his cannon of an arm.  Can anyone else remember anyone else who doubled so many men off first -- or more concretely, is there a place where that sort of unique situation can be quantified?
 
 
Here's a little query fun:
 
From 2000-2015, there have been 417 outfielders who have played 1000 innings or more. This includes corner outfielders.
 
Sorted by Innings per Assist, Jackie Bradley is 13th out of 417. Or he has collected one assist every 88 innings. The active players who are ahead of him are Leonys Martin (81 innings per!), Aaron Hicks, and Jeff Francouer (both also 88 innings but with a smaller decimal place. The closest active players behind him are Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Bautista, Jake Marisnick and Yasiel Puig. 
 
Over the same period, sorted by Innings per Double Play Started, Jackie Bradley is 1st out of 417, having started one double play every 158 innings. Next closest is 199.9 and closest active player is Jake Marisnick at 224.4. So he is in a league of his own in that regard.
 

Koufax

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,936
It's possible that all the versatility that is being developed will help in games where, for one reason or another, one of the three is not in the lineup.  If for example JBJ is out, Mookie can slide to center; if Rusney is out, he can go to right; if Mookie is out and they are playing in the Toilet, maybe Rusney can go to left, leaving the easier field to the 4th outfielder.
 

Saints Rest

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
The X Man Cometh said:
 
 
Here's a little query fun:
 
From 2000-2015, there have been 417 outfielders who have played 1000 innings or more. This includes corner outfielders.
 
Sorted by Innings per Assist, Jackie Bradley is 13th out of 417. Or he has collected one assist every 88 innings. The active players who are ahead of him are Leonys Martin (81 innings per!), Aaron Hicks, and Jeff Francouer (both also 88 innings but with a smaller decimal place. The closest active players behind him are Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Bautista, Jake Marisnick and Yasiel Puig. 
 
Over the same period, sorted by Innings per Double Play Started, Jackie Bradley is 1st out of 417, having started one double play every 158 innings. Next closest is 199.9 and closest active player is Jake Marisnick at 224.4. So he is in a league of his own in that regard.
 
But is there a way to sort by at which base the second out is recorded?  There have always been OF's with guns who have littered the MLs with guys gunned out at home or third: Dewey, Ichiro, Winfield, etc, etc.  But JBJ seems very different in my memory in terms of doubling guys up at 1B.
 

Al Zarilla

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
58,871
San Andreas Fault
Drek717 said:
I think for next year the realistic expectations should be:
Betts - .280-.290 BA, .330-.340 OBP, ~.450 SLG, or a fringe .800 OPS player who adds value on the basepaths with about 20 SBs on the season at a better than 75% success rate, and finally above average to plus OF defense.
 
Bradley - .260-.270 BA, .330-.340 OBP, ~.400-.425 SLG, for a mid-700's OPS, solid base running that doesn't cost value and maybe adds a little, and elite defense.
 
Castillo - I think his current career line is actually fairly reasonable, .290 BA, .330 OBP, .435 SLG.  Maybe a little less BA and a little more pop, s more like .285/.330/.445 or so, a higher end .700's OPS complimented by 10-15 SBs with only 3-4 CS and very good defense in RF.
 
If the Red Sox can get an aggregate OPS of .775 from these three guys and they all play 130+ games next year we'll see the OF go from a year and a half long problem to a source of strength, and that is before you factor in just how good they'll be together defensively.
Bradley is showing a lot more pop than your .400 - .425 SLG. estimate. I certainly don't expect his current .574 for a full season, but, if betting man, I'd go with something in between. 
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
One reason to put JBJ in RF is to give him a chance to gun down a slow runner at first after what looks like a base hit. :)
 

Koufax

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,936
He seems to have developed an artist's approach to hitting doubles off the Wall.  It doesn't take huge power to reach it, and he's got some juju going there.  His speed is giving him doubles off the wall where others would have to settle for singles.
 

Fishy1

Head Mason
SoSH Member
Nov 10, 2006
5,870
Savin Hillbilly said:
 
I think we might need to calm down a little. Right now he's sporting a .363 BABIP and .287 ISO, neither of which seem within a country mile of sustainability. He would have to reduce the K rate somewhat, or turn out to be a power hitter on a level that no one foresaw, for .800 to be a realistic long-term target. Even with 30 doubles, 20 HR and a 12% walk rate, with a 25% K rate he'd need a BABIP of .328 to make an .800 OPS, which seems like asking a lot for a guy who hits the ball in the air so much. Even if he can get the K rate down to 22%, he needs a .310 BABIP with those power and plate discipline numbers to make .800.
 
If we're willing to settle for .750, I think it's a lot easier to come up with projected component numbers that don't seem too exuberant. And at .750 he's still a very good player.
 
Mostly, I just love the fact that we're having this conversation.
 
The jump in K% is fascinating. He's striking out twice as much as he was at AAA this year -- that's pretty remarkable. I understand that having to face major-league starters, and especially relievers, makes the job tougher, but the jump in K% is usually between 5-10%, not 10-15%. Even guys who come up and fail spectacularly, like our good friend WMB don't see jumps in K% like this. Strikeout artiste Carlos Peguero's K-difference was even less than JBJ's:  just 11% (30-41%). Jorge Soler's was about 10% or so. 
 
The difference is also usually lower for guys who don't, you know, strike out that much. While JBJ once was (and now is again) a guy who struck out in bunches, at AAA this year he had nearly an identical K rate to Mookie from last year. Something to do with him getting into a lot of 2 strike counts, maybe? I'm thinking of at-bats like last night against Betances where his only chance (hell, anybody's only chance) was to swing at that second slider over the plate. Instead, he took it in what the game thread universally decried to be a terrible decision, and ended up chasing 99 mph heat up. Or maybe something about the new stride is allowing him to drive fastballs and changeups better, but is leaving him susceptible to breaking stuff?
 
This is more of an observation than anything else, and I'm wondering if someone has any insight, even if that insight is just that I'm batting at ghosts.
 

JimBoSox9

will you be my friend?
SoSH Member
Nov 1, 2005
16,667
Mid-surburbia
Saints Rest said:
But is there a way to sort by at which base the second out is recorded?  There have always been OF's with guns who have littered the MLs with guys gunned out at home or third: Dewey, Ichiro, Winfield, etc, etc.  But JBJ seems very different in my memory in terms of doubling guys up at 1B.
 
If you watch the last video, this seems like an SSS fluke; a couple of guys taking off for second with a full head of steam on balls where they no business doing so.
 

Rovin Romine

Johnny Rico
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
23,688
Miami (oh, Miami!)
JimBoSox9 said:
 
If you watch the last video, this seems like an SSS fluke; a couple of guys taking off for second with a full head of steam on balls where they no business doing so.
 
I'm sure there have been some underestimations of JBJ's range.  If he establishes himself as a legitimate elite OF in the minds of most players, there are going to be some guys who hesitate or won't be as aggressive on the base paths.
 
That makes me wonder if reputation hinders OF assists and DPs?   I mean, you'd be a fool to try to stretch a single to a double on some guys.   But in the box scores that would just show up as an OF single - the fielder gets no credit for their arm/reputation.  So is there a sweet spot in a fielder's career where baserunners are "suckered" into making outs before the fielder's reputation is established and baserunners start being extra-cautious/conservative?
 

Ribeye

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
794
Eddie Jurak said:
One reason to put JBJ in RF is to give him a chance to gun down a slow runner at first after what looks like a base hit. :)
Oh man, can you imagine?  Would it be like having a full time pseudo shift?  Has that happened...I mean where a RFer throws out a man at first after a line drive hit?
 

GreenMonster49

Well-Known Member
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
644
It happens a couple of times a year, on average. It helps to have a pitcher at bat, because the outfield will generally play in and the batter will generally not be all that fleet.  (Dan Haren hit into two 9-3 outs last year.)
 
BP (2013) compilation of 9-3 outs since 1990: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22109
 
(Bonus assist: Sean Casey once got thrown out by a left fielder, albeit on a 5-7-3 play: http://m.mlb.com/video/v6207005/mlb-network-remembers-casey-out-at-first)
 

Ribeye

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
794
Those are fantastic.  Thanks guys.  Alot of those batters were booking it as fast as they could, too...it's not like they were dogging it to first.  Albeit, that's a low bar for "booking it" when it comes to Josh Beckett...
 

21st Century Sox

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 19, 2006
762
Looks like JBJ to CF is likely this season still.....
 
Pete Abe reporting -  Lovullo said that "more sooner than later, Betts would play RF or LF"
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
21st Century Sox said:
Looks like JBJ to CF is likely this season still.....
 
Pete Abe reporting -  Lovullo said that "more sooner than later, Betts would play RF or LF"
 
Lovullo was only referring to the plan of giving each of the three outfielders time in each of the three positions over the next few weeks.  Obviously, part of that is giving Mookie starts in LF and RF, but also giving not just JBJ but also Castillo starts in center.  I don't think it was meant to be any kind of definitive statement on permanent outfielder deployment.
 

geoduck no quahog

not particularly consistent
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Nov 8, 2002
13,024
Seattle, WA
I think this was mentioned upthread. Fly Balls hit to outfield: 2010 - 2012 (not pop-ups or grounders)
 
LF: 29%
CF: 43%
RF: 29%
 
That's about 100 more CF put outs / season / per team than corner positions (according to those stats), I would have thought it was more.
 
I also remember when RF was the position to bury poor outfielders because there were more RHH in baseball than LHH. I guess that's no longer true.
 
In any case - this is a clear case for putting your best fielder in CF, regardless of ballpark. The Red Sox are currently blessed with 3 speedy Center Fielders, 2 of which have plus arms - which works out nicely for Fenway. (BTW, no one considers Bett's arm to be Ellsburian)
 

kieckeredinthehead

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 26, 2006
8,635
Projected to a 600 PA season, JBJ's stats since being called up in July come out to 30 HR, 66 doubles, 18 triples, 150 RBIs, 156 R and 18 SBs. Combine that with elite defense and he could be a valuable piece.
 

Rasputin

Will outlive SeanBerry
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
29,421
Not here
kieckeredinthehead said:
Projected to a 600 PA season, JBJ's stats since being called up in July come out to 30 HR, 66 doubles, 18 triples, 150 RBIs, 156 R and 18 SBs. Combine that with elite defense and he could be a valuable piece.
A Most Valuable Piece even.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
kieckeredinthehead said:
Projected to a 600 PA season, JBJ's stats since being called up in July come out to 30 HR, 66 doubles, 18 triples, 150 RBIs, 156 R and 18 SBs. Combine that with elite defense and he could be a valuable piece.
 
Since (and not including) his 5-6 with 3 2B and 2 HR game, he's at a mere .347/.418/.714.  Projected through 162, that would be 29 HR, 67 2B, 10 3B, 105 RBI, and 20 SB/0 CS.  But 162 Ks.  
 

j44thor

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
10,961
Eddie Jurak said:
 
Since (and not including) his 5-6 with 3 2B and 2 HR game, he's at a mere .347/.418/.714.  Projected through 162, that would be 29 HR, 67 2B, 10 3B, 105 RBI, and 20 SB/0 CS.  But 162 Ks.  
 
So he would tie the MLB doubles record set in 1931, not too bad I guess.  Wonder if we can still get a reliever for him?