JBJ Going Beast Mode On The Media

[Red(s)HawksFan]

- In that scenario Napoli leaves and Hanley moves to 1B - the 2016 OF is Betts/JBJ/Castillo. That would be the best defensive outfield the Red Sox (Rice/Lynn/Evans notwithstanding - can't comment on Duffy/Speaker/Hooper although reputation has it they were outstanding) have ever had - and probably the best in baseball.

 
Probably fodder for its own thread, but why does it seem to be a given that a Betts/JBJ/Castillo outfield would be stellar defensively?  JBJ's defensive prowess is unquestioned, but Betts is a converted infielder and Castillo hasn't really had a chance to demonstrate anything good or bad.  I guess the assumption is speed = good defense?  They may cover a great deal of ground, but I'm not sure I'd put them above some relatively recent combos like Ellsbury/Crisp/Drew and even the ultra short-lived Ellsbury/Cameron/Drew.

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

 
Probably fodder for its own thread, but why does it seem to be a given that a Betts/JBJ/Castillo outfield would be stellar defensively?  JBJ's defensive prowess is unquestioned, but Betts is a converted infielder and Castillo hasn't really had a chance to demonstrate anything good or bad.  I guess the assumption is speed = good defense?  They may cover a great deal of ground, but I'm not sure I'd put them above some relatively recent combos like Ellsbury/Crisp/Drew and even the ultra short-lived Ellsbury/Cameron/Drew.

 
 
Well - given the the front office seems to view all of these guys as CFs one can infer - perhaps incorrectly - that they would make outstanding corner OFs.
 
You are correct though - just supposition at this point.

 

[Minneapolis Millers]

Hard to say Castillo would match Drew in RF, even if he is faster.  Drew got great jumps and had a strong and accurate arm.  But Betts appears to have a slightly better arm than Ellsbury, and JBJ certainly has a much better arm than Crisp, so it's not just a speed comparison. 
 
Overall, though, I'd agree; those OFs would be comparable.  Of course, the Ells/Crisp/Drew OF didn't last long and wasn't particularly durable, so (knocking on wood), a Betts/JBJ/Castillo trio could prove more reliable...

 

[Drek717]

Hard to say Castillo would match Drew in RF, even if he is faster.  Drew got great jumps and had a strong and accurate arm.  But Betts appears to have a slightly better arm than Ellsbury, and JBJ certainly has a much better arm than Crisp, so it's not just a speed comparison. 
 
Overall, though, I'd agree; those OFs would be comparable.  Of course, the Ells/Crisp/Drew OF didn't last long and wasn't particularly durable, so (knocking on wood), a Betts/JBJ/Castillo trio could prove more reliable...

I don't see the benefits behind moving Castillo to RF myself.  Bradley has a great arm and is more a reads over speed defender, so would fit well in Fenway's tricky and spacious RF.  Meanwhile Castillo is very fast and his small sample of good looking defense was largely built on how quickly he can run down flies.  That would seem to play best in CF where we maximize the ground he's asked to cover.
 
Betts in LF obviously because he's got the weakest arm, but he'd be acceptable by LF standards and would have Crawford/Gardner levels of range in LF.

 

[Rasputin]

 
Probably fodder for its own thread, but why does it seem to be a given that a Betts/JBJ/Castillo outfield would be stellar defensively?

Because we saw them play and they are tremendous athletes.

We saw Betts' deficiencies and they were all the result of not having played much outfield. Bad routes, not so friendly with the walls and other fielders. A little experience is going to do him a lot of God.

We didn't see as much of Castillo, but anyone who can even be considered for center is going to be able to play left field in Fenway well.

 

[Pilgrim]

I don't see the benefits behind moving Castillo to RF myself.  Bradley has a great arm and is more a reads over speed defender, so would fit well in Fenway's tricky and spacious RF.  Meanwhile Castillo is very fast and his small sample of good looking defense was largely built on how quickly he can run down flies.  That would seem to play best in CF where we maximize the ground he's asked to cover.
 
Betts in LF obviously because he's got the weakest arm, but he'd be acceptable by LF standards and would have Crawford/Gardner levels of range in LF.

Around 40% of fly balls are distributed to the CF area compared to 30% each for the corners. Whatever value a good arm in right has, it pales in comparison to having a CF with great range. If Bradley is ever an everyday player, he needs to be in CF.

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

I don't see the benefits behind moving Castillo to RF myself.  Bradley has a great arm and is more a reads over speed defender, so would fit well in Fenway's tricky and spacious RF.  Meanwhile Castillo is very fast and his small sample of good looking defense was largely built on how quickly he can run down flies.  That would seem to play best in CF where we maximize the ground he's asked to cover.
 
Betts in LF obviously because he's got the weakest arm, but he'd be acceptable by LF standards and would have Crawford/Gardner levels of range in LF.

 
OMG, this again? The idea was a dubious one even when the alternative in center was Mookie or Sizemore, but at least then there was a surface logic to it. When you're comparing JBJ to Castillo, it makes zero sense. Bradley has an arm, yup. So does Castillo. Bradley is a "reads" defender, where Castillo is more of a pure speed guy? Welcome to the park with perhaps the most complicated CF and the most spacious RF in baseball.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Some video of Bradley's new swing at the end of this video (after Craig and Nava).  Not that I know anything about this, but it does look shorter and more direct.
 
Still does a weird thing with his front toe but it's pretty minor now.
 
 
http://youtu.be/uKdImgX6rNU

 

[JimBoSox9]

He didn't really have so much of a 'hitch' last year (which isn't wrong but I really think of that more as specifically the hands) as he had two loads.  He'd step, land, and then close his hips just a twitch before going forward.  A little twist back towards the catcher immediately before activating his hands.  He's kept that part, but totally done away with the large early step.  Somewhat reminds me of JD Drew now with the tentative front foot and the herky-jerky lower body on the swing.

 

[67WasBest]

That toe tap, as a timing mechanism sure beats that highly elevated knee he was using last year. Many less moving parts, so he can correct in mid swing more easily. Now let's see it in action.

 

[SoxInTheMist]

eh.  It looks like it's still there to me in the video.  His right leg still caves in slightly in a motion that is not how other hitters "load up".  It's a tick that does nothing but get in the way of the rest of his swing.   Any slight extraneous movement is going to be hugely exploited at the major league levels.  
 
I like JBJ.  I really wish he could clean up his swing.  There's lots of players who had weird movements in their swing but all of the successful ones were able to get from the odd movement back to the same loaded hitting position.  JBJ's tick delays his ability to get there.

 

[Plympton91]

Count me in the camp that is pulling hard for JBJ to gain his stroke and to prove it in Boston this year.  I'm fascinated by a Betts, Bradley, Castillo (l to r) outfield alignment as a game changing weapon.  The route to that alignment has been stated already.

According to Bill James' best SABR estimates, run production is 48 percent of the game and run prevention is 52 percent of the game. What fraction of run prevention do you assign directly to the pitcher on the mound? What fraction of what is left do you assign to infield defense? That leaves you with whatever fraction you claim would be "game changing" about that outfield defense alignment.

I'll take Hanley Ramirez's potential for 30 HR's over Bradley's potential for 30 diving catches.

 

[67WasBest]

According to Bill James' best SABR estimates, run production is 48 percent of the game and run prevention is 52 percent of the game. What fraction of run prevention do you assign directly to the pitcher on the mound? What fraction of what is left do you assign to infield defense? That leaves you with whatever fraction you claim would be "game changing" about that outfield defense alignment.

I'll take Hanley Ramirez's potential for 30 HR's over Bradley's potential for 30 diving catches.

I don't remember Hanley not being on the team.  Pretty sure if you followed the logic, he was at 1B. 
 
Were you bored and felt an overwhelming need to write something?

 

[Plympton91]

I don't remember Hanley not being on the team.  Pretty sure if you followed the logic, he was at 1B. 
 

If Hanley is adequate in the OF, there's no reason to move him to 1B though. You don't rotate people to lesser parts of the defensive spectrum to find at bats for 5th outfielders. Now, if JBJ can get his slash line up to something closer to the 340/ 390 we were led to expect, as opposed to his current career line in 500 plus plate appearances (not a small sample) of 270 /280 that would be a different story.

Someone did a great post on this at the end of last year or over the winter. Players who start their careers at the plate as poorly as Jackie Bradley tend to remain poor throughout their (mostly short) careers.