The San Diego Padres’ desire to win was evident in the offseason. After locking up the likes of Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. with mega-contracts, San Diego added Xander Bogaerts, 31, to the shortstop position.
It cost a whopping $280 million. But there were concerns. There were plenty of options at shortstop, including Ha Sung Kim (28), who was one of three finalists for the National League (NL) Gold Glove last year.
Nevertheless, Bogaerts is proving why San Diego signed him. MLB.com, the official MLB website, highlighted Bogaerts’ defense on Saturday.
The former Silver Slugger and 706 career home run hitter is an outstanding hitter, but his talent at shortstop is not lost on the rest of us. “Through two and a half months, Bogaerts has proven himself defensively,” MLB.com writes, “He ranks fourth in OAA (Outs Above Average), Statcast’s measure of outs against average. He hasn’t committed an error since April.”
“Shortstops don’t typically get better with age, but Bogaerts seems to be an exception. In large part, it’s because he’s embraced his strengths.”
He didn’t get high marks for his defense, which he overhauled. “Changing a lot of things is risky, but two summers ago, Bogaerts didn’t like the metrics that were indicative of his defense and decided to take a risk,” MLB.com reported, adding that his Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), a measure of how well his defense prevented runs, dropped from -13 to -5 in mid-2021.
“That means it was +8 (after the second half), but nobody saw that,” Bogart said. Because people just look at the final number,” he said, “so I thought last year I was very excited to see if it was real.”
The Padres believed in Bogaerts’ defensive 토토사이트 value. That’s why they signed him, even with a glut of shortstop options. According to MLB.com, “There were too many shortstops on the roster. Kim is an elite shortstop who still plays second base,” and “The Padres are paying him to play shortstop on a team full of shortstops. The strategy has paid off. The Padres’ lineup of five shortstops is thriving. Ha Sung Kim is the best second baseman, worth OAA 7. Jake Cronenwirth and Machado are two of the best corner defenders. Fernando Tatis Jr. is doing a great job in right field.”
Ha Sung Kim needs no introduction. Despite moving to second base, he’s been one of the best this season. His win percentage over defensive replacements is first in both leagues, at every position. He is praised locally as well as by his manager. That makes Bogart’s signing all the more remarkable.
“In some ways, the Padres are one of the best defensive units this season,” MLB.com said, “and Bogaerts’ transformation is a key part of that.”
