Diamond Tools: Infield Arms
Strong, accurate infield throws can mean the difference between ending an
inning or surrendering runs. They are particularly important for prospects
hoping to someday play behind Brandon Webb. Inside, we rank the top five
Diamondback prospects in terms of the strength and accuracy of their throwing
arms.
=====
Frankly, the Arizona Diamondbacks' infield defense was terrible last season.
Orlando Hudson (uncharacteristically) and Stephen Drew each posted the worst
Revised Zone Rating (percentage of plays made on balls hit to their zone) at
their positions among all starting middle infielders. Mark Reynolds "only"
finished sixth worst in RZR among major league third basemen, but ranked
first in errors at any position at 34, first in throwing errors at any
position at 18, and last in fielding percentage at any position at .904.
This simply doesn't cut it when the ace of the Diamondbacks' staff induces
more ground balls than any other pitcher in baseball and a greater percentage
of ground balls than any other major league starter. It's amazing that
Brandon Webb was able to finish second in Cy Young balloting when his
infielders let him down time and time again, and if the Diamondbacks don't
shore up the defense behind him, he will have little reason to give the
Diamondbacks a hometown discount in upcoming contract negotiations.
Enter the prospects. While the Diamondbacks do not have any infield
prospects ready to make an impact in 2009 (save for Joshua Whitesell at first
base), several could factor into the 2010 equation. The Diamondbacks will
exercise their club option on Webb for 2010, and if no deal has been reached
by then, a commitment to infield defense could persuade him to stay. On the
other hand, he's a near-lock for a Cy Young Award with a good defense behind
him, so it may behoove the Diamondbacks to negotiate a deal before installing
an improved infield defense.
The arm, of course, is only half of the defensive equation, and far more
important for third basemen and shortstops than it is for second baseman. It
hardly matters at all for a first baseman. But it does have some key
functions. A third baseman with an exceptional arm can dissuade against
bunting for a base hit. A shortstop with a plus-arm can play closer to the
bag , as they will be able to throw runners out going deep into the hole to
their right. A second baseman with a good arm will turn more double plays
than one with a weak arm.
Here are the FutureBacks infield arm rankings, taking into account both the
strength and the accuracy of the prospects' throwing arms. Listed along with
each player is their 2008 positional breakdown with some rudimentary fielding
metrics (RFg = Range Factor per games played, or putouts plus assists divided
by games).
===============================================================================
1. Pedro Ciriaco (SS: 87 G, 250 A, 20 E, 44 DP, .949 FP, 4.30 RFg) (2B: 38 G,
141 A, 3 E 30 DP .985 FP, 5.34 RFg)
Ciriaco has held the title of "strongest infield throwing arm in the
organization" for years, but this is the first season that he has been able
to throw it accurately with any consistency. He had been able to beam it
over towards first base no matter what position his body was in - lying on
the dirt, running towards the hole, on one knee - due to his freakish gun.
Unfortunately, he should not have thrown the ball in many of those
instances, either because he was rushing when he had plenty of time or
because he had no real chance to make the play. Although his accuracy still
grades as below average, it is no longer horrendous, as he is more
consistently setting his feet and angling his body properly for his throws.
The strides that he has made this season give us the hope that he will
continue to improve and one day flash one of the most impressive infield arms
in the majors.
2. Yunesky Sanchez (SS: 100 G, 277 A, 14 E, 62 DP, .969 FP, 4.33 RFg) (2B: 16
G, 44 A, 1 E, 9 DP, .987 FP, 4.63 RFg)
Sanchez made the jump from Low-A to Double-A this year and caught a lot of
people by surprise. Not only did he show that he could handle Southern
League pitching, but he improved on an already solid foundation of defensive
prowess. He did not commit an error in his first 20 games in the field and
only made one miscue in his final 38 contests. There was a rough patch in
June in which he committed an error in six consecutive games, but that was
likely either a fluke or else he may have been battling through a minor
injury at the time. Sanchez wields an arm that is both strong and accurate,
and should be ready to play shortstop in the big leagues sooner than Ciriaco.
3. Taylor Harbin (2B: 87 G, 240 A, 7 E, 51 DP, .983 FP, 4.52 RFg) (SS: 43G,
120 A, 13 E, 25 DP, .937 FP, 4.51 RFg)
Harbin essentially has the same combination of solid arm strength and good
accuracy from second base that Sanchez exhibits from the shortstop position.
Harbin can play shortstop as well, but there his arm strength grades out as
just average. That's just fine, as there is obviously a greater immediate
need for second baseman than shortstops in the organization right now. In
fact, don't be surprised if Harbin pulls a Yunesky and skips over Hi-A to
work as the BayBears' primary second baseman in 2009. That would put him in
position to possibly take over the major league reigns in 2010, as the
D-backs appear to be looking for a mere stopgap in the 2009 season.
4. Antonio Sepulveda (SS: 33 G, 91 A, 21 E, 12 DP, .870 FP, 4.27 RFg) (2B: 10
G, 23 A, 2 E, 4 DP, .958 FP, 4.60 RFg)
Sepulveda's arm is as strong as Ciriaco's is, but probably just as erratic as
Ciriaco's was at the same age. Sepulveda supposedly doesn't turn 17 until
New Year's eve, but even if that isn't 100% accurate, he is very talented,
very young, and very raw. At just 5'9" and 150 pounds, you have to wonder
how Sepulveda manages to get the ball all the way to the first baseman, much
less whip it there at a higher velocity than 95% of professional infielders.
The key for him may be to put a little less effort into his throws,
sacrificing some of the velocity for a bit of accuracy. Minor league field
coordinator Jack Howell named him the Most Improved Position Player during
Instructs, and considers his arm to already rank as the best in the system.
We're comfortable ranking him fourth now, realizing that he could jump up to
#1 if he continues to progress.
5. Clayton Conner (3B: 12 G, 21 A, 7 E, 0 DP, .811 FP, 2.50 RFG)
Like Sepulveda, Conner gets ranked here entirely due to arm strength. He is
still honing his defensive craft, and the fact that he missed most of the
2008 season with injuries certainly did not allow for much improvement. Most
of the strides that he made defensively came last fall during Instructs, but
they were enough for Conner to make a few spectacular plays this April. He
only turned 22 in October. Therefore, much like his raw power, he still has
time to turn that raw arm strength into a plus tool. He has the strongest
hot corner arm in a system lacking great defensive third basemen, though Kyle
Greene has the potential to overtake Conner next year.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 140.112.5.3
Diamondbacks 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章