- Mookie Betts, Dodgers shortstop
The thing to remember here is that the measure of success isn't "becoming an elite Gold Glove defender," because while Betts is great, that was never a realistic expectation. As we detailed when the trade happened, it would have been a huge win if Betts could play the position. In other words, being an average shortstop would have been a huge success.
Of course, the numbers don't support that. Statcast's OAA (defense-adjusted outfielder's run average) shows him as slightly below average at -4. However, Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) ranks him as one of the top two defensive shortstops in the league at +5. Some of the discrepancy between the two is probably due to only having one-third of the season's defensive data, but it also gives a sense of how the Dodgers feel about him, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal writes: Dodgers infield coach Dino Eberle said Betts' first three steps to both sides are excellent, and he catches balls that other shortstops can't. Most of his errors came on passed balls, which is because he has to learn the different arm angles at the position.
If we break down Betts' OAA into "catching the ball" and "completing the game," we see that it lines up exactly with what Eberle said. Betts is 0-average in range, which indicates no issues, and he's -4 in completions, which does point to passing balls. (Six of his seven errors came on passed balls.)
This again shows that this is exactly what is expected for a 31-year-old who has played at the position for several years in a full-time capacity for the first time. Betts will almost certainly be a starter at shortstop in the National League in the All-Star Game -- and not just because of his hitting ability.
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- Aaron Judge, Yankees CF
Judge has played 120 career games in center field heading into the 2024 season, so this may not be an entirely new position. But look at his percentage of playing time in center field each year, and remember how uncertain the new-look Yankees outfield defense may look now that Soto and Verdugo are both underrated defensively coming to the Bronx. It has to work, or Trent Grisham, who hits lightly but defends well, may be forced into more routine duties than expected.
But overall, the change has worked well. Rather than being as porous as many expected, the Yankees outfield ranks seventh in above-average outs. That's mostly because both Verdugo and Soto have improved their defense, but also because Judge has been great in center field, currently sitting at a +1 OAA (defense-adjusted outfielder's run average).
But what's most interesting is how he's done it. He didn't do any amazing defense, because he really didn't; he failed in 10 attempts to convert the most difficult opportunities (balls with a 50% or lower probability of catching) into outs. But he's also perfect on the easiest opportunities, pitches with a 75 percent or higher probability of catching them. Sure, there's value in making catches that look great. But just doing the defense you're supposed to do is just as important, if not more important.
More importantly, he's been there. Judge has played center field in 44 of his first 57 Yankees games, a number that would have been higher if he hadn't moved to left field during the few games that Verdugo missed on paternity leave in late April. The change obviously didn't hurt his offense, which remains as fierce as ever. But at age 32, this setup still isn't the ideal long-term arrangement. But for now, it's working even better than expected.
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