The College Football Playoff field is set: the semifinal games on December 29 will feature No. 1 Alabama against No. 4 Oklahoma, and No. 2 Clemson against No. 3 Notre Dame. All four teams have had interesting storylines at quarterback, while also dominating in other facets of the game. Using…
Adrián Beltré’s highly-successful MLB career ended last week when he announced his retirement after 21 seasons and more than 2,900 games. Beltré’s career began at age 19, but it took off in 2004 when he hit .334/.388/.629 with 48 home runs. That launched a career that finished with 477 home…
With the baseball postseason over, it’s time to immerse ourselves in the NFL and NBA. If you haven’t paid close attention to this point, or are just curious for some interesting analysis, the Bill James Online Power Ratings are here to help. NFL Bill James Online Power Ratings Team 1.…
By MARK SIMON Baseball moves quickly these days. Free agency is already upon us, with some highly-coveted names in this year’s market. But who are the free agents who will be most coveted for their defense? Thirty-year-old second baseman DJ LeMahieu won his third career Gold Glove (he finished a close second…
This is the second of a two-part series on the top candidates for The Fielding Bible Awards, which will be announced next week. Part I can be found here. The Fielding Bible Awards are voted on by a panel of 12 experts, who can vote based on visual observations and subjective…
For the next two weeks, this space will feature a multi-part series on the top candidates for The Fielding Bible Awards, which will be announced the week of October 29. The Fielding Bible Awards are voted on by a panel of 12 experts, who can vote based on visual observation…
By Mark Simon With the 2018 regular season concluded, let’s look at the leaders in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman finished as the overall leader with 29. Chapman dominated all season, with his work being particularly outstanding on balls hit down the third base line. The next-closest third…
When a promising position player gets called up from the minors, you almost never hear about his defensive prospects unless they are extreme in one direction or the other. At Baseball Info Solutions, we use Minor League Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) as a tool to expand fans’ knowledge of the…
This month, two of baseball’s promising young pitchers—Shohei Ohtani of the Angels and Michael Kopech of the White Sox—learned that they will likely need Tommy John surgery due to torn ulnar collateral ligaments in their throwing arms. While Ohtani remains in the Angels’ lineup as a hitter, Kopech’s debut season…
In a crowded group of highly-talented center fielders, it has been tough for Adam Engel to stand out from the rest. But in August he did. He’s our selection as the MLB Defensive Player of the Month. Engel finished the month with eight Defensive Runs Saved, the most by any…
