He is certainly a streaky hitter. I've come to simply roll with his valleys because I know the peaks are real. And they're fabulous.
Maybe part of that is having Beni and Betts on either side of him. He certainly doesn't have to come to their rescue often.Looking up his numbers, though, he's not even in the top 10 for center fielders in put outs. Kind of surprising, but maybe just a result of the Sox having a ton of strikeouts.
I think it's mostly just a matter of playing time. His putouts per game are right up there, but JBJ has played between 9 and 16 fewer games than the center fielders ahead of him in putouts.Jackie has been terrific with the glove lately, as has the whole Sox outfield. Looking up his numbers, though, he's not even in the top 10 for center fielders in put outs. Kind of surprising, but maybe just a result of the Sox having a ton of strikeouts.
Well, except for Chris Sale....
Hey guys, apparently players don't hit as well in losses as they do in wins. Who knew?
FWIW... He's at 2.0 bWAR, consisting of 1.2 offense, 0.9 defense. (either rounding is involved or he gave back a run on baserunning?)I think it's mostly just a matter of playing time. His putouts per game are right up there, but JBJ has played between 9 and 16 fewer games than the center fielders ahead of him in putouts.
My observation from last year is that, in contrast to most CFs, Bradley plays to backup most balls hit toward the gaps, rather than to make the play himself. It seems similar this year, but a bit less pronounced.There's gotta be something to his "decline" in defense with how good Betts and Benintendi are. I don't know how (and I still have such a hard time with defensive stats) different ones are used... but if JBJ had shitty slow and poor positioning fielders to either side of him, I can easily imagine him covering more ground and making more plays.
I wonder who plays on either side out of the CF'ers ranked ahead of him in defensive stats....
Interesting question. Starting with the three guys who rank ahead of him in DRS (which likes him a whole lot better than UZR this year):I wonder who plays on either side out of the CF'ers ranked ahead of him in defensive stats....
Wasn't this concept the whole idea behind James' Win Shares ?Interesting question. Starting with the three guys who rank ahead of him in DRS (which likes him a whole lot better than UZR this year):
Buxton -- Max Kepler (+4), Eddie Rosario (+1)
Kiermaier -- Stephen Souza (+4), and a rotating cast of characters in left adding up to +7
Hicks -- Gardner (+7), Judge (+4)
So no, the guys ahead of JBJ (in DRS at least) are not playing with stiffs alongside them. OTOH none of them is playing with a Mookie Betts-caliber defender alongside them, either. I don't think Benintendi is taking plays away from JBJ, but Betts probably is. Anecdotally I feel like I've seen a lot of plays on fly balls in the gap where either of them could have taken it but Betts got there first and JBJ let him have it.