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When you look at DRS, you see that the Phillies rank poorly in both areas. To what extent can we confirm some impressions regarding the Phillies defense? Rafael Palmeiro won the American League Gold Glove Award in 1999 while playing only 28 games all year at first base, so controversy abounds concerning criteria for Gold Glove Award winners. Hell, he doesnt even have 2018s worst DRS! Its totally fair to question the latter, since the numbers at Baseball Prospectus think the Phillies catchers have been slightly above-average, but I led with DRS, so thats the main focus. Sandwiched around this all-time bad season are two Gold Glove honors in 2009 and 2011. . I never thought of Gomez as a bad fielder, but I guess I never really gave all that much thought to Gomez in the first place. Here, then, is a list of 40 of the worst defensive players in MLB history. Ich-i-ro!' He made his lone All-Star appearance in 2016 and parlayed that into a six-year, $83 million extension in 2017. Its weird to think that he couldnt handle 2B. Truly one of the more despicable people to ever play the game, Kingman could do one thing well hit for power. In today's statistical world, every single player in baseball is measured in terms of different metrics. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. When Gary Sheffield first came up with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was primarily a shortstop. Michael Barrett's caught stealing percentage is pretty horrendous only 22 percent thrown out over his entire career. And this is a plot of the 2018 Phillies playoff odds: As recently as August 7, the Phillies were in first place and 15 games over .500. The infield has been a problem, and the outfield has been a problem, and when the both of those are problems, it can be a lot to overcome. Its one of the few advanced defensive metrics that exists. The Phillies might just land Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, and then theyll have a better lineup. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. However, the Phillies also quickly found out that Samuel couldn't field worth a lick as well. Here, then, is a list of 40 of the worst defensive players in MLB history. Entering Memorial Day in Cincinnati, they had the fewest defensive runs saved in the majors (minus-26), according to Sports Info Solutions, and were tied with the Reds for last in Statcast's outs above average (minus-17). During his 12-year career spent with six different teams, outfielder Pete Incaviglia was hit-or-miss as a hitter, leading the American League in strikeouts twice, and hitting over 20 home runs in a season six times. He was bad wherever teams tried to put him, and that's most evident when you look at his eye-popping 330 career errors. San Diego Padres (2011), Los Angeles Angels (2013), Stats: 1,816 chances, 1,695 putouts, 87 assists, 34 errors. When it was announced at the end of the 2008 season that Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Nate McLouth had captured a Gold Glove Award, many fans wondered if he actually stole it, because there was no indication based on his play that he actually earned it. Meanwhile I NEVER hear ANY ringing endorsements for DRS or UZR. He had to do most of that playing for the Cleveland Indians. In the November 1992 issue of the Baseball Digest, writer Glenn Liebman quoted a teammate of Herman, who said of him, "Babe wore a glove for only one reason. He was good for one error every five games or so, had limited range and his arm waswell, let's just say that accuracy wasn't his strong suit either. He made it in on the fourth try. Just to give some kind of a clue at just how bad Marv Throneberry was as a fielder, former manager Casey Stengel, who Throneberry played for with the expansion New York Mets, said to Throneberry on his birthday, "We was going to get you a birthday cake, but we figured you'd drop it.". "Range factor" isn't a terribly advanced metric it's basically "plays made per game (or per 9 innings)", not difficult to understand but subject to some systematic errors. It doesnt cover everything, but for what it does cover, the Phillies dont look good. Mike Piazza isn't the only Hall of Famer on this list, and his defensive liabilities only make us wonder how he would've stood up among the all-time greatest players (not just catchers) had he been able to throw out more than 23 percent of baserunners. Over the whole season, the Phillies pitching staff ranks third in expected wOBA on contact. For 13 seasons, Pete Browning toiled in the old American Association and National League, playing five positions overall and none of them with any skill whatsoever. While his fielding improved over the course of his career, you can point directly to his early struggles in the outfield as one of the reasons the Oakland A's traded him after three seasons and an average of approximately -20 total zone runs allowed in that span. So all the metrics agreed that he just didn't have much range in this year. Many regard defense to be the most important attribute for the catcher position, and that certainly can't be argued. Well, he hadn't played the position much before that and isn't exactly quick to begin with, so it's easy to assume he combined a lack of range with a lack of experience. And even just at FanGraphs, theres also UZR. Gary Sheffield very well could be the most underrated hitter of all time. Luzinski's misplay of a line drive to left field in the 1977 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers triggered what Phillies' fans call "Black Friday.". Chuck Knoblauch had a pretty amazing career on paper. The DH is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Baseball Info Solutions tracked him with 30 good plays and 39 misplays and it's worth noting that ultimate zone rating had him at minus-23 runs and total zone at minus-31 runs. Fielding Runs Fielding measures obviously have a lot of controversy surrounding them. Teams: Chicago White Sox (1990-2005), Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008), Toronto Blue Jays (2007-08), Stats: 8,487 chances, 7,910 putouts, 497 assists, 80 errors. Nimble is one thing; actually being able to field is another matter entirely. worst defensive runs saved all time ingredient in ice cream that causes diarrhea 3, 2022 how old was zacharias janssen when he died on worst defensive runs saved all time Theres broad consensus that errors are not a reasonable method of measuring a players complete defensive contribution and DRS and UZR (for any of their failings) are superior methods of measuring overall defensive contribution, particularly when reviewed together. It's one reason why Long had a .978 career fielding percentage playing center field with 21 errors. The table shows that only two players appear on both lists (Simmons and Hardy), exemplifying that there is a difference in what the two statistics measure. Matt Kemp, CF, 2010 Dodgers (minus-37). But for now, just focus on the Phillies. Kirby Puckett, CF, 1993 Twins (minus-29 runs), This one seems a little odd considering Puckett had won a Gold Glove the previous season. 7. Gomez's range factor was actually higher than the MLB average, 4.63 to 4.58, and his fielding percentage was fine, so I'm not quite sure why he rates so poorly. The last third baseman to put up equally putrid numbers was Ryan Braun in 2007 (-32 in comparable innings). We all have at least one great "Oh, Manny!" Theres no reason for them to have a bias. Yes, this era of non-traditional defensive alignment has made things ever more complicated. Jolley committed 44 errors in just four seasons, and was once credited with three errors on the same play, having the ball actually go through his legs twice on the same batted ball. Theyll have a roster good enough to hang around. 2011 Best: 4.7 runs by Johnny Damon, 2011 Worst: -4.8 runs by Albert Pujols. No, the formulas havent remained consistent and identical over the past decade and a half. More importantly, Vzquez has the trust of his pitchers. Offerman's defense was so bad the Dodgers traded him to the Royals after his first All-Star season, in 1995. In theory, the Phillies might not end up in last place. In one sense, the offseason might be easy. Chris Gomez, SS, 1997 Padres (minus-33). He also was one of the worst fielders ever to be jammed onto a lineup card. For many years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Senators, Frank Howard was one of the premier power hitters in the game, leading the league twice in home runs and swatting 382 during his 16-year career. That honor belongs to Eddie Taubensee. In other words, theyve been even worse than just Outs Above Average would indicate. I thought it would be about Gleyber Torres. But we don't. I thought this article was going to be about Miguel Andujar, Still got a ways to go to enter the stars who really shouldnt be playing that position anymore division. For example, a fielder who catches a 25% Out Probability play gets +.75; one who fails to make the play gets -.25. Martin had a horrendous -52 total zone runs allowed for his career, with a -39 mark in left field, where he started almost 843 games. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. And yet, Phillies pitchers have ranked 26th in baseball in actual wOBA allowed, while Braves pitchers have ranked third. He also was among the league leaders in passed balls and errors committed by a catcher on a regular basis. Just take a look at the photodoes that look like a man who's confident he can field that grounder? The Padres made the playoffs with Gomez playing shortstop in 1996 and 1998, so they apparently didn't think he was awful there. Note: We used a combination of metrics such as Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR), Total Zone Runs (an estimate of runs saved or given up in the field), errors and fielding percentage to produce this lineup. I offer up the attached video for analysis. Dahlen still holds the record for total chances by a shortstop, and oftentimes led the league in putouts and double plays as well. Where Meyer was truly terrible was in the field. His defensive WAR and total zone runs allowed are bad, but not as bad as they probably should be. Defensively, sabermetricians use such terms as dWAR, UZR, Rtot (Total Zone Total Fielding Runs Above Average) along with many others. FIELDING BIBLE EXCERPTS Jeter vs. Everett (by Bill James) Molina is to Pudge as . Teams: New York Mets (1966, 1968-71), California Angels (1972-79), Houston Astros (1980-88), Texas Rangers (1989-93), Stats: 857 chances, 220 putouts, 547 assists, 90 errors. In 2009, he did make a high number of good fielding plays (48), according to Baseball Info Solutions, although that was countered by 33 misplays. Teams: New York Yankees (1999-2003, 2013-2014), Texas Rangers (2004-05), Washington Nationals (2006), Chicago Cubs (2007-13), Stats: 5,823 chances, 3,456 putouts, 2,198 assists, 169 errors. "You are going to see Mark start out at third base in the spring. It may be a bit unfair to include long-time shortstop Bill Dahlen on this list. Teams: Louisville Eclipse/Colonels (1882-89, 1892-93), Cleveland Infants (1890), Pittsburgh Pirates (1891), Cincinnati Reds (1891-1892), St. Louis Browns (1894), Brooklyn Grooms (1894), Stats: 3,439 chances, 2,490 putouts, 535 assists, 414 errors. However, he does hold the all-time record for most errors lifetime with 1,080, and once committed 86 errors while playing for the Chicago Colts in 1895. [/fn] They're the mirror image of Runs Created, the metric Bill James developed . Defensive metrics aren't as foolproof as some other numbers, so let's dig deeper into what may have caused these poor ratings. He didn't make his major league debut until he was 26 years old and ended up pitching in the majors until he was 40 years old. Slow of foot, Kingman was simply awful in the outfield, posting a lifetime .957 fielding percentage and -32 Rtot. Hobson committed a whopping 43 errors at the hot corner in 1978, finishing the season with an .899 fielding percentage, one of the lowest at any position for a full-time player in the modern era. Its something for them to figure out moving forward, assuming they dont figure Hoskins range will improve. Teams: Boston Red Sox (1975-80), California Angels (1981), New York Yankees (1982), Stats: 1,918 chances, 595 putouts, 1,183 assists, 140 errors. They did, however, cost him being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But while he looks bad Devers is definitely the better fielder, and it isnt even close. In 2009 while playing for an awful Nationals team that lost 103 games, Dunn started 83 games in the outfield and 66 at first base. It was because Thomas, a former tight end at Auburn, said he didn't feel involved with the game and focused on hitting when he was DH. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. As you can see, the Royals are, quite literally, at the bottom of this list. First baseman/outfielder Brad Hawpe went down last year in June and required Tommy John surgery. So spare me. Frank Howard could've had a lengthy career as an NBA power forward. He came up just 11 starts shy of getting 100 career starts at all three spots. Jason Giambi was the 2000 American League Most Valuable Player while with the Oakland Athletics, then cashed in with a seven-year, $120 million contract with the Yankees in 2001. Hawpe managed to survive getting the axe over this stretch by posting his best seasons at the plate. and his 32% strikeout rate last season was among the worst in MLB. Whatever the Phillies have done right, DRS hasnt seen it. However, Howard's defense was anything but power. Im certain thats a part of it. Props to the six-time All-Star for receiving $1.19 million every July 1 from the New York Mets from 2009 to 2035 as part of a bizarre contract. It's not hard to see why he made all those mistakes. Stats: 3,940 chances, 3,684 putouts, 208 assists, 48 errors. If you've ever had the pleasure of watching Edwin Encarnacion play, you know the three-time All-Star will make you hold your breath when he's in the field. It was a league custom. Join our linker program. This was Braun's rookie season when he came up as a third baseman and he was such a disaster there the Brewers moved him to left field in 2008. Wayne Gross finished his career with -19 total zone runs allowed for his time at third base, where he went over 20 errors in three of his first four seasons with the Oakland Athletics. Overall, things have worked out okay, but they havent worked out well enough to win, and win consistently. Knoblauch makes the list for throwing problems that dogged his career starting in 1998, where he inexplicably came down with one of the more famous cases of the "yips" or "Steve Sax Syndrome" in baseball history. Part of Manny Ramirez's appeal was somehow his struggles in the field. While Madlock's career fielding percentage may look comparable to other third basemen during his time, fielding percentage never tells the whole story. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Sanchez made 15 errors behind the plate in 2019. The Phillies team defense has let them down, and as the headline suggests, theyre on the verge of establishing a new record. His Rtot and dWAR numbers certainly suggest that a minor league replacement player would have put up a better defense at first than Giambi, known to have limited range and mobility, and hands that were not exactly soft in nature. Yet theres a chance that doesnt happen, and, even if it does, there are defensive improvements worth thinking about. The point should really be that Andujars not all that close to having the worst DRS of the last five yearshes not even in the top five. My next thought was 'I hope they don't hit it to Sax. However, defensively he never seemed to really be in the right place. The glove would last him a minimum of six years because it rarely made contact with the ball. The really strange thing about Bill Madlock's career is teams didn't try to fit him into an easier position to play, like right field. Thomas was primarily a designated hitter during his career. Dunn recently confirmed his retirement and I'll miss a guy who had a unique career in major league history. But defense on the diamond wasn't Howard's strong suit. Orioles fielders have combined for negative-84 runs of defensive value compared with the average team, per the advanced stat defensive runs saved. Go back to PFT. But there is *some* evidence. How did Duane Kuiper play 10 seasons in the majors? 3. It's a darn good thing that outfielder Ruben Sierra could hit a little bit, because he certainly wasn't kept around for his defense. The official scorer of the game took pity on Jolley, actually only giving him two errors. Doug Flynn's 1980 Gold Glove is one of those times. Youll recall they were the team that, in spring training, experimented with swapping left and right fielders based on the handedness of the hitter. You know what the Rangers thought of that Gold Glove? He had poor range -- 1.77 plays per nine innings compared to the 2.00 MLB average -- and also tossed in 13 errors. Outs Above Average (OAA) is the cumulative effect of all individual plays a fielder has been credited or debited with, making it a range-based metric of fielding skill that accounts for the number of plays made and the difficulty of them. Teams: Chicago White Sox (1986), Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-91), New York Mets (1992-95, 1999), Baltimore Orioles (1995-96), Florida Marlins (1997-98), Los Angeles Dodgers (1998), Atlanta Braves (2000), St. Louis Cardinals (2001), Stats: 5,144 chances, 3.045 putouts, 1,869 assists, 330 errors. On the flip side, the worst fielders usually finish around -15 or -20 Defensive Runs Saved. 32 friggin upvotes. It's true that this. Sheffield was only marginally better in terms of numbers in the outfield, and considering where he was numbers-wise before he got there, that's not saying much either. Bogaerts rates six runs worse than average, 23rd among 24 qualified shortstops. Do you have a blog? Vaughn's best year was in 1918, when he won the Triple Crown, which was also coincidentally the year he posted a career-high .967 fielding percentage. He was a five-time World Series champion. In both 2013 and 2015, Burnett had -5 defensive runs saved, but ironically, those were arguably his best. Which isn't totally fair because he was a decent hitter most of the time and had a .253 batting average. Ryan was simply abysmal as a fielder, once committing 30 errors in four seasons while with the California Angels. These are the worst glovemen of all time at every position. However, only 7-time All-Star Salvador Prez and first-time All-Star Omar Narvez are in the Top 6 in Total Runs for catchers. And yet Phillies non-pitchers have a combined wRC+ of just 98, which is two points below average. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1992-99), San Diego Padres (2000), Seattle Mariners (2000-01), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003), Stats: 1,810 chances, 1,700 putouts, 54 assists, 56 errors. Andujar, not so much. Smith had great speed and would often get a great jump on the ball, only to bobble it several times once he actually got there. Dante Bichette, LF, 1999 Rockies (minus-34). Jeff made Lookout Landing a thing, but he does not still write there about the Mariners. Thats what the table is showing you. It wasn't his worst, either. In 2006, Dunn led the NL in errors as well, that time as an outfielder. Teams: Rockford Forest Citys (1871), Philadelphia Athletics (187275), Chicago White Stockings/Colts (187697), Stats: 25,160 chances, 22,572 putouts, 1,612 assists, 976 errors. Maybe thats worth talking about another day. There are two easy ways to explain Nolan Ryan's low number of chances over 27 seasons in the majors he's the MLB career leader in both walks and strikeouts. Smith was often in the right place at the right time. * Indicates MLB All-Star. Anyone who uses his noggin to aid in a home run definitely deserves a spot on this list. Which kind of overshadows the fact that he's been shoehorned into all three outfield spots, first base and third base throughout his career trying to find the right fit to mask his shortcomings fielding the ball. The power that Kingman generated with his body hindered him greatly in the field. So let me see: Wins will not factor into a Cy for Snell, assuming he gets it. Offerman was statistically one of the worst shortstops in history. Theyd be exceptionally slim if the Phillies had a good defense, and, well, they dont. usa cycling masters road national championships 2021 lore olympus is bad declaration of voluntary surrender of driving licence 41 victor street, boronia heights; what happened to clifford olson son; frank lloyd wright house for sale; most nba draft picks by college in one year; worst defensive runs saved all time His total zone runs allowed of -89 and his defensive wins above replacement of -8.7 are some of the worst in history at third base. Thanks for setting me straight. Sorry, the RF variance is not enough to claim 1) Devers is better (certainly not offensively) and 2) Andujar has the worst DRS Evah, as you suggest. Farewell to a Mariners legend. In fact, he was suspended for the last two months of the 1889 season for his drinking. Spahn still holds the MLB career record for wins for a left-handed pitcher with 363, was a 17-time All-Star and led the National League in wins eight times. Top 100 Players All-Time Top 100 Players . install package source. No-hitter the latest feat in James Paxton's rise, Deal ends Matt Harvey's roller-coaster ride with Mets, Sizing up potential trade fits for Manny Machado, Real or Not? The other part is defense. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Cmon man. He might be standing out there, sweating a little more than everyone else, not as locked in as you want, overthinking it. Hill's play in the field inspired jokes among his teammates and coaches, including being compared to a fish trying to survive on dry land. But the two-time American League Most Valuable Player was really bad in the field. Gleyber will be fine. And teams have done a really good job at that. Through a 17-year career that isn't over quite yet, Jason Giambi has one a Most Valuable Player Award and clubbed 428 home runs. Data Provided By Kingman wasn't much better at first base, where his slow footwork often left him entangled on the bag in awkward positions and routine grounders were a complete adventure. While Vaughn once uttered "it ain't about the money" during contract negotiations with the Boston Red Sox, for Vaughn, it wasn't about the defense, either. Kemp also had just three assists in 2010 compared to 14 in 2009 and 11 in 2011. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? In calculating DRS, points are either added or subtracted to a fielder's rating depending on whether or not they make a play on a ball that is hit towards them. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Frequently Asked Questions about Plus/Minus and Runs Saved", "Ryan wins Fielding Bible Award at short", "Position Player WAR Calculations and Details", "What is a Fielding Percentage (FPCT)? Officially, the Braves have sewn up the NL East, after having completed a four-game weekend sweep of the Phillies. He was marginally better at second, and even a little better at first, but his original time at shortstop was certainly memorable for all the wrong reasons. Sanchez, who relies on unbelievable power at the plate to change games, improved on blocking pitches in 2019. Grieve's -76 total zone runs allowed for his career is truly horrendous. In baseball statistics, defensive runs saved (DRS) measures the number of runs a player saved or cost his team on defense relative to an average player. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Outs above average also had Devers as a . During the eight-year career of utility-man Curt Blefary, he was given the nickname "Clank" by former teammate Frank Robinson, who claimed that the nickname represented the imaginary sound that the ball made when it banged against Blefarys glove. Was he really that bad? In left field, he made 1.80 plays per game while teammate Josh Willingham -- hardly known as a plus fielder himself -- made 2.17. Yet UZR doesnt have information for pitchers or catchers. Check. That's because the 6-foot-1, 255-pound left fielder's struggles in the field overshadowed his work at the plate. Let's get "Bobby Bonilla Day" out of the way at the jump. But they happened. Puckett's defensive metrics don't match up to his reputation -- he won six Gold Gloves -- as Baseball-Reference grades him out as 14 runs below average for his career. His defensive WAR is one of the highest you'll find in this lineup. Devers was credited with minus-13 defensive runs saved, basically neck-and-neck with the Phillies' Alec Bohm for the worst third baseman in the majors. worst defensive runs saved all timefee concession letter due to covid 19. world record of blood donation by single person. The Cubs moved Soriano to the outfield after he signed an eight-year, $136 million contract, but that did little to curb his defensive struggles. Santana looked to be a fine hitter, and so the Phillies made room by bumping Rhys Hoskins to the corner outfield. As an outfielder, Bobby Bonilla was passable, and his offense generally took precedence for any deficiencies. For once (anyone who mjakes a comment like that has a problem with it). McLouth was pretty much below average playing in the outfield his entire career. When Juan Samuel first debuted for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1983, he quickly became known for a solid bat and tremendous speed, stealing 72 bases and leading the league in triples in his rookie season. If you've ever loved baseball, at any level, you know the guy when you see him. Despite winning. Could be the new position. cafe under the spire newcastle; worst defensive runs saved all time. However, the managers and coaches who vote for Gold Glove Award players each year routinely ignore analytics. Infield Defense by Runs Saved Per 1000 Innings. It's a shame the rule wasn't in place earlier; the DH position was truly made for Howard. He played for 13 teams (12 franchises), more than any position player in MLB history, even winning a World Series with the Phillies in 2008. January 25, 2018. He does write here, sometimes about the Mariners, but usually not. Throughout his career, Encarnacion has managed to make the most basic of fielding plays turn into an adventure, leaving fans breathlessly anticipating what will happen when the ball is hit his way. Boston Herald reporter Sean McAdam once said of Lugo, "The next base hit Lugo takes away will be the first. Defensive runs saved, a measurement developed by Baseball Info Solutions, paints an even harsher picture. Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-64), Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1965-72), Detroit Tigers (1972-73), Stats: 4,793 chances, 4,412 putouts, 277 assists, 104 errors. And JDMs 124 RBI will mean absolutely nothing in an MVP conversation. The Padres were third-to-last in the majors in defensive efficiency (percentage of balls in play turned into outs), so a lot of Padres defenders ended up with poor ratings in 1997. Dave Kingman was bad at three different positions, posting double-digit error seasons at third base, first base and left field, and he was average at the other position he played, right field. Adrin Beltr recorded the most defensive runs saved in Major League Baseball during the 2003-2021 seasons. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? It certainly didn't help that he couldn't bash a ball like Piazza, either. But Anson could hit (.334 lifetime batting average), and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. Known as much for his flamboyant style on the mound and his singing (he was into merengue), Lima also was an awful fielder. I dont care about what the knuckle dragging announcers talk about. Picciolo, who was the Angels' bench coach for four seasons, died in 2018 at 64 years old. Santanas been a useful first baseman, and Hoskins has been a useful left fielder. Browning was a raging alcoholic who regularly played games drunk. In all fairness, Adam Dunn could've made this list at several different positions, we just picked left field because that's where he had the most starts. Previously, Baseball-Reference used Sean Smith's Total Zone Rating for all seasons. . He won four World Series titles, was a four-time All-Star, American League Rookie of the Year and even won a Gold Glove award in 1997. Make a guess now (Note: Baseball-Reference uses fielding runs below average, which can be drawn from two different sources depending on the year. Fastballs were Ryan's forte; ground balls weren't. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? It's safe to say that Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Edwin Encarnacion is not a reincarnation, so to speak, of Brooks Robinson. But here's the thing you need to remember: .312 lifetime batting average, 555 home runs, 2,574 hits and 1,831 RBI. Kansas City lacks an above-average position anywhere on the infield . "Range factor" isn't a terribly advanced metric it's basically "plays made per game (or per 9 innings)", not difficult to understand but subject to some systematic errors.