Nationals Baseball: Ranking the infield

Friday, March 12, 2021

Ranking the infield

Let's keep moving! What else are we doing with our time? 

First Base

Freeman

Hoskins   

Alonso 

Bell 

Freeman in a perennial MVP candidate and the best fielder in the bunch. This isn't close. Hoskins is a more complete hitter (led the league in walks in 2019) and has more history on his side so he gets my number 2 spot.  Alonso is obviously the biggest slugger but has less than two full seasons in the majors. Even still if he were a super young prospect he might have been 2 but he's not. Bell's 2019 at the plate was as good as what you might expect from Hoskins or Alonso. His 2020 was worse than anything they put up. His history says he's slighty above average.  He also might be the worst fielder. Not a bad player but a clear 4 here.  

Second Base

McNeil

Albies

Segura

Castro

This isn't super clear because McNeil is likely the worst in the field here. But his bat has been so obviously superior (his worst year is better than anyone else here's best) that I have to say it carries the day.  From there Segura, Albies, and Castro are all about the same type of hitter. Albies probably takes it in the field but Segura's no slouch.  Albies' youth also helps him here. Segura is probably going to pencil in as the best hitter by a nose but Albies could get significantly better, Segura won't.  Castro is a lesser Segura at the plate and not great in the field.

ShortStop

Lindor

Turner

Gregorious

Swanson 

How much do you buy into Turner's 2020? Me I see a fast guy who puts the ball in play a lot and sometimes more balls go where they ain't. But for Trea in 2020 it wasn't a high BABIP (well a little but not crazy) as much as a sharp decline in Ks. I don't know. I'm going to go consensus here and go with the every steady Lindor who is one of the best fielders in the game and provides more pop than average, and pop has more value. Trea 2017-2019 fits in obviously at 2. Trea 2020 would be one. I'll say 1.5 for now. There's a pretty big gap here to Didi. Gregorious has become a good hitter in the middle of his career.  He's aging out of SS though. Someone else that needs 2020 to be real is Swanson. He's a very good fielder but hasn't put together a full season of above average hitting yet. These are both starters though unlike our next position

Third Base

Davis

Bohm

Riley

Kieboom

BLEECCCCH. YUCK! What are these guys doing on these teams?! OK it's not that bad but still when you are putting guys in 4th in other places that are really decent major leaguers this is a swing. Davis gets the one spot because he has hit, can hit, and probably will hit, though likely nothing too impressive. Unfortunately he's a hack in the field. Esentially he's Josh Bell but in the NL East 3rd base situation that's first not fourth. Bohm is not good in the field either but compared to the other two prospects here at least he hit some in the majors. Riley, who also can't field, hasn't broken past below average yet in the majors but he does have a lot of pop. Kieboom has been flat out terrible in his time with the Nationals. The best you can say is he's the youngest and as a former (out of position) shortstop, he's almost certain to end up the best fielder in this bunch once he gets used to third. He seemed to be getting it last year. 

You know who's a good third baseman? The Marlins' Brian Anderson. That guy is underrated. Solid fielder, above average at the plate. Does nothing exceptional but no real weakness.  He's the best third baseman in the NL East.

(for the rest of the Marlins - Aguilar would be 4th at first, Isan Diaz dead last at 2nd (can he be 6th?), Miguel Rojas who just had everything go right at the plate in 2020 and is a decent fielder would fit into the Didi/Swanson mix. I'd probably put him 5th because history/age sees him more of a worse Swanson but 3rd would be just as fine if you love recency) 

3 comments:

139 said...

Out of curiosity, where would you rank Maikel Franco against the lot of NL East 3B?

Harper said...

I'd put him 3rd behind Anderson and Davis. It's more fair to say he'd either be 2nd best or 5th behind whatever rookie busts. He's a real Jeckyll and Hyde player. However if you have a weak 2B and need your SS to give them a little coverage over the middle I can see him having a bit more value for your team

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