Could we become the best outfield in baseball?

Post #21 » by **GYBE** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:17 am

ChicagoTRS wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

I agree...I will take the Houston OF over the Cub...Lee and Pence are top 5 hitting outfielders in the NL.

I disagree. There were over 10 NL OFers better than Lee last year. You could make the case for Pence, but I'm not so sure that high batting average wasn't a little flukish. He doesn't walk enough to maintain a good OBP if his balls aren't landing in play, I wouldn't bank on him being a Top 5 guy either.

SportsWorld · Post #22 » by **SportsWorld** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:13 am

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=f ... dsnational

1. ROCKIES
LF Matt Holliday, CF Willy Taveras, RF Brad Hawpe. Reserves: Ryan Spilborghs, Cory Sullivan.

This is the only N.L. outfield with two 100-RBI guys : Holliday and Hawpe. Taveras has the speed to swipe bases and control the vast gaps at Coors Field .

2. CUBS
LF Alfonso Soriano, CF Felix Pie, RF Kosuke Fukudome. Reserve: Matt Murton.

Pie offers an upgrade on defense but must drastically improve his offense. Fukudome hits line drives and works counts.

3. DIAMONDBACKS
LF Eric Byrnes, CF Chris Young, RF Justin Upton. Reserve: Jeff Salazar.

Young hit 32 homers and stole 27 bases last season but needs to improve his on-base percentage. Upton, 20, must continue to learn on the job but is an up-and-comer. Byrnes provides energy.

Fukudome1 · Post #23 » by **Fukudome1** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:14 am

man that dbacks outfield can be good for years upon years.

Howling Mad · Post #24 » by **Howling Mad** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:42 pm

Big Hitting outfields are for the American League. In the NL you need speed and defense in the outfield.

We have plenty of both.

Ayt · Post #25 » by **Ayt** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:16 am

Its hard for me to see how the Brewers don't have the best OF in the division.

SportsWorld · Post #26 » by **SportsWorld** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:45 am

Ayt wrote:Its hard for me to see how the Brewers don't have the best OF in the division.

LF: Braun (Sucks at defense, great hitter, fast)
CF: Cameron (Solid defense, solid hitter)
RF: Hart (Okay defense, Solid hitter)

That being said:
Soriano>Braun
Cameron>Pie
Fukudome>Hart

Ayt · Post #27 » by **Ayt** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:02 am

SportsWorld wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

LF: Braun (Sucks at defense, great hitter, fast)
CF: Cameron (Solid defense, solid hitter)
RF: Hart (Okay defense, Solid hitter)

That being said:
Soriano>Braun
Cameron>Pie
Fukudome>Hart

How is Soriano better than Braun? LF is one of the easiest positions to play and Braun is a great athlete, so he's at worst average in LF. Offensively, even Soriano in his best season wasn't as good as Braun was last year.

How is Fukudome better than Hart? Have you looked at what Hart did last year? Cubs fans would be so lucky to have Fukudome put up a season like Hart did last season. Its not clear Soriano is even better than Hart.

SportsWorld · Post #28 » by **SportsWorld** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:14 am

Ayt wrote:Its not clear Soriano is even better than Hart.

Umm, Soriano hit .299 last year, Hart hit .295. Soriano hit 33 home runs last year, Hart hit 24. Soriano drove in 70 runs last year, Hart drove in 81. Soriano had a .337 OBP, Hart had a .353 OBP.
If Soriano had not been out 1+ month he would have more RBI's than Hart as well.

trwi7 · Post #29 » by **trwi7** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:27 am

SportsWorld wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Umm, Soriano hit .299 last year, Hart hit .295. Soriano hit 33 home runs last year, Hart hit 24. Soriano drove in 70 runs last year, Hart drove in 81. Soriano had a .337 OBP, Hart had a .353 OBP.
If Soriano had not been out 1+ month he would have more RBI's than Hart as well.

Soriano played 135 games, Hart played 140.

Ayt · Post #30 » by **Ayt** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:28 am

SportsWorld wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Umm, Soriano hit .299 last year, Hart hit .295. Soriano hit 33 home runs last year, Hart hit 24. Soriano drove in 70 runs last year, Hart drove in 81. Soriano had a .337 OBP, Hart had a .353 OBP.
If Soriano had not been out 1+ month he would have more RBI's than Hart as well.

Their PT was similar. Hart played 140 games to Soriano's 135. Hart actually ended up with a lot less plate appearances at 566 for Hart to Soriano's 617.

Post #31 » by **GYBE** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:48 am

Soriano doesn't get many RBI chances since he bats after no one, or the 8th hitter and pitcher. But RBI's are an incredibly archiac way of evaluating a better that they're irrelevant anyways.

Soriano and Hart were very comparable players last year, they were pretty much equal.

trwi7 · Post #32 » by **trwi7** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:56 am

GYBE wrote:Soriano doesn't get many RBI chances since he bats after no one, or the 8th hitter and pitcher. But RBI's are an incredibly archiac way of evaluating a better that they're irrelevant anyways.

Soriano and Hart were very comparable players last year, they were pretty much equal.

It's like judging a pitcher on wins and losses without taking into account a pitchers run support and if the bullpen can hold the lead.

Posey H8er · Post #33 » by **Posey H8er** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:28 am

Speaking of run support, Rich Hill was one of the worst in receiving those last year. That's good news heading into this season.