Couple of interesting things I found, almost all in a week's time, on the Stat of the Day site especially pertaining to our Rox...
Number 1: Taveras is the only player in MLB history to steal 5 bases and not score a run...that awesome offensive we had last year!
Number 2: And then the next day on the webpage what do they have? We discover that Holliday was on base 6 separate times in a single game and didn't score a run (and didn't hit anyone in)!
And finally...
Number 3: An interesting look at OPS+ (recall that OPS+ is OPS adjusted for the park and the league in which the player played, but not for fielding position. An OPS+ of 100 is defined to be the league average) and field position. The post shows a nice graph showing field positions over the last 50 years and OPS+. I was curious to see how last year's MLB field position OPS+ and the 2008 Rox (by composite so for catcher this is the OPS+ between Ianetta and Torrealba) compared?
For 6 of 9 positions we are above the MLB composite. Where were we hurting? 1B, 2B, and CF. Well we got rid of Taveras but do we think a platoon between Spilborghs, Fowler, and Gonzalez can give us a better offensive position? I hope so. Taveras was awful getting on base last year. Once he reached base (.308 on base percentage last year) he created havoc but I think in retrospect he didn't set the table for the big bats.
Hopefully at 1B we get Helton back and who did have an OPS+ of 100 at the position for 83 games. I don't think Helton can get back to the top (he has a career OPS+ of 141) but I think he can get to average.
And finally at 2B...we get Baker and Barmes...can Barmes continue his resurgence? Barmes did have a 99 OPS+ in 103 games last year which would certainly help the position's offensive numbers.
Overall I think the Rox offense will be OK next year but some part time contributors (Spilborghs, Smith, Koshansky) will need to step up especially in LF after the departure of Holliday.
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