Fw: [情報] The 10 best infields

看板Royals作者uglyduck92 (醜小鴨92)時間12年前 (2012/01/03 21:54)推噓0(0推 0噓 0→)

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※ [本文轉錄自 MLB 看板 #1F0g3y4n ] 作者: Westmoreland (Westy) 看板: MLB 標題: [情報] The 10 best infields 時間: Tue Jan 3 14:32:25 2012 1. Texas Rangers There were moments during the postseason when it seemed as if nobody could get a ball through the left side of the Texas infield between Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus. There is a perception within the organization that the defensive dominance of the guys on the left side of the infield helped second baseman Ian Kinsler improve as well. "I think when you play with guys like that, it's going to naturally raise your level of concentration," said one Texas evaluator. There is no perfect defensive stat, no rock-solid way to evaluate the best and worst infielders. But the Rangers fare well in one advanced measure: Among second basemen, Kinsler ranked third in UZR 150. Beltre ranked second among third baseman. Elvis Andrus ranks in the Top 10 too. Beltre and Kinsler are elite offensive players at their respective positions, and Texas hopes that Andrus -- who, at age 23, has already played in two World Series -- will begin to blossom as Jimmy Rollins did. Mitch Moreland is penciled in as the Texas first baseman for now, but his name has come up in trade talks. Rival executives also wonder if eventually the Rangers will emerge in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes. Without Fielder, Texas has the best infield in the majors. With him, well, the Rangers' infield would be among the best we've seen in decades. 2. Cincinnati Reds Joey Votto is arguably the best hitter in the National League, and he's a special defensive player as well. Brandon Phillips is the best all-round second baseman, with Gold Glove Awards to show for it. Third baseman Scott Rolen is a borderline Hall of Fame candidate, and if that sounds crazy, compare his resume to that of Ron Santo, who will be inducted next summer: Seasons: Rolen 16, Santo 15 Games: Rolen 1,946, Santo 2,243 Hits: Rolen 2,005, Santo 2,254 Homers: Rolen 308, Santo 342 OPS: Rolen .860, Santo .826 OPS+: Rolen 123, Santo 125 Gold Gloves: Rolen 8, Santo 5 Rolen had shoulder surgery in August to clean out scar tissue, and the word is he is feeling much better and is greatly encouraged by his range of motion. The significant question about the Reds' infield is at shortstop, where Zack Cozart is expected to take over in 2012 after a brief audition was cut short by injury. 3. New York Yankees The best days in the careers of Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are behind them, and scouts now view them as well below subpar defensively. But Jeter had a resurgence offensively in the second half of last season, and Rodriguez has his moments. The right side of the Yankees infield is manned by Robinson Cano -- the second baseman everybody would love to have -- and Mark Teixeira, who consistently contributes strong defense and power. 4. Boston Red Sox There is a lot of uncertainty on the left side of the Boston infield, given the shortstop issues and the fact that Kevin Youkilis has averaged just 120 games a year during the past three seasons; he seems to fuel the chances for injury with his steer-wrestling style of defense. But the right side of the Boston infield is staggeringly good, offensively and defensively, with Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia. 5. Los Angeles Angels Albert Pujols takes over at first base, and Howie Kendrick will hold down second base; they are the anchors of the Angels' infield. Erick Aybar is a good (but not great) shortstop, and we don't yet know who will play third base for the Angels. 6. St. Louis Cardinals Lance Berkman takes over at first base, Rafael Furcal returns to shortstop, and the Cardinals are hopeful that Daniel Descalso is ready, at age 25, to be an everyday second baseman. This could be the year that David Freese establishes himself as one of the best third basemen in the sport after his breakout October. 7. Philadelphia Phillies This group slides down the list because Ryan Howard isn't due back until midseason at the earliest and the Phillies have been quietly looking for a way to dump Placido Polanco. Chase Utley rebounded from what was feared to be career-threatening injuries and was among the better players at his position, and Jimmy Rollins is still regarded as one of the most consistent defenders in the sport. Ty Wigginton should get a lot of playing time in 2012 in Philadelphia's infield as well. 8. Tampa Bay Rays Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist are the building blocks for the Rays' infield. But beyond them, Tampa Bay has some questions to answer, as it continues to look for solutions at first base and shortstop. 9. Washington Nationals It's hard to know what the composition of this infield will be in two or three years, or maybe even next year. Some rival executives strongly believe that Washington will be the eventual landing place for Fielder. Between Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinosa, Mike Morse, Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon, the Nationals have a lot of options. 10a. Kansas City Royals Alcides Escobar might be the best defensive shortstop in the majors, and within a few years, Eric Hosmer seems destined to be one of the game's best players, period. Watch him play and he reminds you a lot of Votto in his at-bats and in his athleticism, although he is probably more aggressive than Votto on defense. The Royals were encouraged by how third baseman Mike Moustakas finished the season, batting .283 in August and .352 in the final month of the season. Johnny Giavotella hit .247 in his first games in the big leagues last season as the Royals' new second baseman. This group ranks 10th now, but it's rising -- quickly. 10b. Chicago White Sox The White Sox have problems, but their infield is, generally, among the least of their worries. Alexei Ramirez and Paul Konerko anchor a group that should get better at second base and third base. This will be an important year for Gordon Beckham, who is 25 years old and has probably used up his mulligans. 10c. Colorado Rockies You start with Troy Tulowitzki, who is to shortstops what Roy Halladay is to starting pitchers, and the rest is gravy. Todd Helton will share some of the first base at-bats with Michael Cuddyer, and an everyday third baseman must emerge. Others in the running: The Toronto Blue Jays, who could build something that will last around Brett Lawrie; the Cleveland Indians, depending on the development of Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis; the Miami Marlins, who could have a dynamic infield if Hanley Ramirez embraces the shift to third base and rebounds offensively. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 118.160.196.80