The best infield in the AL

Image by SD Dirk via Flickr

 

The Oakland A’s sit 61-62 through 123 games, 8 games behind division leading Texas – a position much better than bettors might have wagered in March, but far from exciting.  Their young starting rotation has garnered quite a bit of attention, their infield defense deserves even more of the spotlight – without question, this is the league’s best defensive infield.

At first base, Daric Barton’s 6.1 UZR is good for 2^nd in the AL (behind only Justin Morneau – though Morneau has missed a significant portion of the season’s 2^nd half) and his range factors lap the rest of the field.

Name	Team	Pos	Inn	Plays	RZR	OOZ	RngR	ErrR	UZR
Justin Morneau	MIN	1B	688	86	0.878	16	6	2.7	9.4
Daric Barton	OAK	1B	1026	103	0.851	48	8.5	-2.6	6.1
Casey Kotchman	SEA	1B	750	85	0.794	20	1.5	2.5	3.6
Kendry Morales	LAA	1B	448	51	0.850	12	3.3	0.2	3.6
Lyle Overbay	TOR	1B	1030	105	0.833	31	2.2	0.2	2.8

 

Adam Rosales has filled in admirably as Mark Ellis has missed significant portions of the season with injuries – Ellis has consistently been one of the AL’s best second basemen, and Rosales has delivered similar numbers.  Together, the tandem would rank as the league’s best defensive second basemen, individually they are 3^rd and 4^th, respectively.

Name	Team	Pos	Inn	Plays	RZR	OOZ	RngR	ErrR	UZR
Orlando Hudson	MIN	2B	802	200	0.833	29	8.3	1.6	8.8
Dustin Pedroia	BOS	2B	667	161	0.861	13	3	1.6	6.3
Adam Rosales	OAK	2B	393	98	0.875	5	1.5	2.2	5.2
Mark Ellis	OAK	2B	652	168	0.866	11	0.6	2.4	4.4
Mike McCoy	TOR	2B	67	18	1.000	4	3.1	0.4	4

 

On the hot corner, Kevin Kouzmanoff has started 116 games and sports a league best 10.6 (and his strong 20009 campaign defensively would indicate that the 2010 numbers are anything but an aberration). 

Name	Team	Pos	Inn	Plays	RZR	OOZ	RngR	ErrR	UZR
Kevin Kouzmanoff	OAK	3B	1028	176	0.772	40	6.8	2.8	10.6
Adrian Beltre	BOS	3B	1055	173	0.749	59	9.9	-0.8	9.2
Evan Longoria	TBR	3B	1088	166	0.755	33	6.9	0.2	8.4
Nick Punto	MIN	3B	344	76	0.844	15	2.7	3.8	6
Danny Valencia	MIN	3B	413	78	0.804	10	2.8	1.9	5.2

 

At shortstop, Alexei Ramirez has been a revelation for the White Sox and should coast to his first gold glove (though the voting for those can be so unpredictable it wouldn’t be shocking to see Ramirez miss out), but Cliff Pennington has had a strong first year as Oakland’s starter, 4^th in UZR amongst qualified starters in the AL.

Name	Team	Pos	Inn	Plays	RZR	OOZ	RngR	ErrR	UZR
Alexei Ramirez	CHW	SS	1050	287	0.834	56	10.7	0	12.4
J.J. Hardy	MIN	SS	617	151	0.858	27	5.2	3.1	7.8
Ramon Santiago	DET	SS	527	128	0.853	29	6	-0.4	5.6
Nick Punto	MIN	SS	233	53	0.869	14	5.8	-0.9	5.2
Cliff Pennington	OAK	SS	980	271	0.824	37	3.9	-2.3	3.9
Alex Gonzalez	TOR	SS	740	210	0.808	40	1.1	1.5	3.4

 

Billy Beane will be busy this off-season, and the infield is no exception.  Pennington and Barton are now just beginning their careers. Kouzmanoff is under team control for a few more seasons and should be extended or offered arbitration.  Mark Ellis may be the most challenging decision – the A’s hold a $6M club option (with a $500k buyout).  Ellis’ defense is unquestioned, but he’s a lifetime .250 hitter with a penchant for DL trips.  Adam Rosales is probably not the starting second basemen on a championship team, but he could prove more than adequate as a replacement for Ellis, with near approximate defense and similar hitting numbers. The $6M saved might be better of put in the Carl Crawford fund.

As a baseball fan, however, here’s hoping that Beane and the A’s keep the league’s best defensive infield behind the young (and very promising) starting staff for a few more years.