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Post by The Town Sports Cards on Jan 17, 2013 11:15:43 GMT -5
According to Fangraphs Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) stat for 2012, for catchers between 400 and 500 Innings caught, Montero had a -5 DRS. Other similar players are Laird:-5, Lobaton:-4, Torrealba:-7, R. Hernandez:-7, Doumit: -6, Mesoraco: -4, Lavarnway (in only 219 innnings): -4. So while Montero clearly isn't a good defensive catcher, he sure lines up with guys who used to be, currently are, or project to be everyday catchers. You make it out to sound like every other pitch to Montero would end up at the backtstop.
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Post by James Dunne on Jan 17, 2013 11:52:10 GMT -5
According to Fangraphs Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) stat for 2012, for catchers between 400 and 500 Innings caught, Montero had a -5 DRS. Other similar players are Laird:-5, Lobaton:-4, Torrealba:-7, R. Hernandez:-7, Doumit: -6, Mesoraco: -4, Lavarnway (in only 219 innnings): -4. So while Montero clearly isn't a good defensive catcher, he sure lines up with guys who used to be, currently are, or project to be everyday catchers. You make it out to sound like every other pitch to Montero would end up at the backtstop. Montero was dead last among all American League catchers in Total Zone Total Fielding Runs at -8. In the majors, only Rod Barajas (who looks totally done and played twice as many innings) and John Baker were worse at -9. According to Jeff Sullivan's review of Pitch f/x data, the Mariners ranked second to last behind Pittsburgh (again, Barajas) at turning expected strikes into called strikes. www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/getting-and-not-getting-the-calls-final-2012-results/ Building on that, Matthew at Lookout Landing dug deeper, and found that Montero costs Mariners pitchers 1.43 strikes per game, significantly worse than Jaso or Olivo, neither of whom are defensive aces. www.lookoutlanding.com/2012/11/16/3651804/a-look-at-catchers-and-others-pitch-framing-performanceIf anyone can find if Sullivan posted an analysis by catcher, please post it here. I couldn't find one, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and I'd be interested in it. Mike Fast had the definitive study on this in 2011, but he got hired by the Houston Astros. I know my eyes can deceive me, and that some awkward looking catchers can be quite good defensively. But with Montero, he looks so bad, the stats vary between "below average" to "downright terrible" and the fact that he really does have All-Star upside with the bat at any position indicate that it's time to end the catcher experiment.
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