Post by seaver41 on Mar 8, 2007 15:16:15 GMT -5
Great infields are often the cornerstones of great teams. Not only do they provide half of the starting eight and therefore a substantial segment of a lineup's production, they are also critical to the defensive side, and, as such, must be above-average with the gloves.
Great infields hit for average and hit for power -- and not just from the corner spots, either -- and they have above-average speed. Defensively, they are Gold Glove-caliber at two spots, at least, and have above-average range.
Find a team with an All-Star infield and, more often than not, you'll find a team with playoff potential.
To find the great infields of 2007, we asked various people around baseball to rate each team's infield as part of MLB.com's "Best of 2007" series, limiting the appraisals to only the four starters. The quartets were judged on an all-around basis heading into the 2007 season.
With those limitations, such up-and-coming infields like Milwaukee's, Arizona's, Cincinnati's and San Diego's missed the cut, though all drew high marks for potential. And a trio of veteran infields -- those of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles -- garnered support but failed to crack the top five.
The rest are the picks for the best of 2007:
5. Texas Rangers
In a couple of years this youthful unit could be the gold standard of infields. Gold Glove first baseman Mark Teixeira (.282, 33 homers, 110 RBIs last season) and shortstop Michael Young (.314, 14, 103) are budding superstars. Third baseman Hank Blalock (.266, 16, 89) hasn't produced as well the last two seasons as he did in 2003 and 2004 when he was an All-Star, but he is still above average and only 26 years old. Some scouts feel 24-year-old second baseman Ian Kinsler, who hit .286 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs in 423 at-bats as a rookie in 2006, is a future All-Star. This foursome averaged .288 with 19 homers and 89 RBIs in 2006 and only Young, 30, is over 26 years old.
4. St. Louis Cardinals
Gold Glove first baseman Albert Pujols on one corner and seven-time Gold Glove winner Scott Rolen on the other -- two sluggers who not only play their positions extremely well, but who also combined for 71 homers and 232 RBIs last season. If shortstop David Eckstein (.292, two homers, 23 RBIs in 123 games last season) and second baseman Adam Kennedy (.273, four homers, 55 RBIs for the Angels last season) can reprise the success the tandem enjoyed with the Angels in 2002, the Cards' middle infield might vault to the top.
3. New York Yankees
First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz (.283, four homers, 43 RBIs for Kansas City last season) joins a unit that includes second baseman Robinson Cano (.342, 15, 78), shortstop Derek Jeter (.343, 14, 97) and third baseman Alex Rodriguez (.290, 35, 121). Mientkiewicz doesn't have much power, but he gives the Yankees three starters on the infield who have won Gold Gloves. This quartet will hit (a combined .318 last season) and play above-average defense. Age could be an issue -- only Cano is under 31 -- but, overall, the Yankees' infield should be among the best in baseball again this season.
2. New York Mets
An interesting blend of veteran power on the right side and future superstars on the right side, the mixture for the Mets results in an infield that averaged .289 with 25 homers and 93 RBIs per man last season. First baseman Carlos Delgado's average dropped 36 points last year from his 2005 average, but he also contributed 38 homers and 114 RBIs. Delgado has hit 30 or more homers each of the last 10 years and driven in 100 or more runs eight of the last 10 years. Second baseman Jose Valentin (.271, 18, 62), bounced back big to the tune of 100-point improvements in his batting average and slugging percentage last season. Shortstop Jose Reyes (.300, 19 homers, 81 RBIs, 64 stolen bases) and third baseman David Wright (.311, 26, 116) are only going to get better.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
There isn't a general manager in baseball who wouldn't take this foursome's 2006 numbers right now: .302, 31 homers, 95 RBIs per man. The scary thing for opponents is these guys, particularly second baseman Chase Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard, are just getting started. Howard (.313, 58 homers, 149 RBIs), Utley (.309, 32, 102), Jimmy Rollins (.277, 25, 83) and newly acquired Wes Helms (.329, 10, 47) should put up similar numbers in 2007.
Great infields hit for average and hit for power -- and not just from the corner spots, either -- and they have above-average speed. Defensively, they are Gold Glove-caliber at two spots, at least, and have above-average range.
Find a team with an All-Star infield and, more often than not, you'll find a team with playoff potential.
To find the great infields of 2007, we asked various people around baseball to rate each team's infield as part of MLB.com's "Best of 2007" series, limiting the appraisals to only the four starters. The quartets were judged on an all-around basis heading into the 2007 season.
With those limitations, such up-and-coming infields like Milwaukee's, Arizona's, Cincinnati's and San Diego's missed the cut, though all drew high marks for potential. And a trio of veteran infields -- those of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles -- garnered support but failed to crack the top five.
The rest are the picks for the best of 2007:
5. Texas Rangers
In a couple of years this youthful unit could be the gold standard of infields. Gold Glove first baseman Mark Teixeira (.282, 33 homers, 110 RBIs last season) and shortstop Michael Young (.314, 14, 103) are budding superstars. Third baseman Hank Blalock (.266, 16, 89) hasn't produced as well the last two seasons as he did in 2003 and 2004 when he was an All-Star, but he is still above average and only 26 years old. Some scouts feel 24-year-old second baseman Ian Kinsler, who hit .286 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs in 423 at-bats as a rookie in 2006, is a future All-Star. This foursome averaged .288 with 19 homers and 89 RBIs in 2006 and only Young, 30, is over 26 years old.
4. St. Louis Cardinals
Gold Glove first baseman Albert Pujols on one corner and seven-time Gold Glove winner Scott Rolen on the other -- two sluggers who not only play their positions extremely well, but who also combined for 71 homers and 232 RBIs last season. If shortstop David Eckstein (.292, two homers, 23 RBIs in 123 games last season) and second baseman Adam Kennedy (.273, four homers, 55 RBIs for the Angels last season) can reprise the success the tandem enjoyed with the Angels in 2002, the Cards' middle infield might vault to the top.
3. New York Yankees
First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz (.283, four homers, 43 RBIs for Kansas City last season) joins a unit that includes second baseman Robinson Cano (.342, 15, 78), shortstop Derek Jeter (.343, 14, 97) and third baseman Alex Rodriguez (.290, 35, 121). Mientkiewicz doesn't have much power, but he gives the Yankees three starters on the infield who have won Gold Gloves. This quartet will hit (a combined .318 last season) and play above-average defense. Age could be an issue -- only Cano is under 31 -- but, overall, the Yankees' infield should be among the best in baseball again this season.
2. New York Mets
An interesting blend of veteran power on the right side and future superstars on the right side, the mixture for the Mets results in an infield that averaged .289 with 25 homers and 93 RBIs per man last season. First baseman Carlos Delgado's average dropped 36 points last year from his 2005 average, but he also contributed 38 homers and 114 RBIs. Delgado has hit 30 or more homers each of the last 10 years and driven in 100 or more runs eight of the last 10 years. Second baseman Jose Valentin (.271, 18, 62), bounced back big to the tune of 100-point improvements in his batting average and slugging percentage last season. Shortstop Jose Reyes (.300, 19 homers, 81 RBIs, 64 stolen bases) and third baseman David Wright (.311, 26, 116) are only going to get better.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
There isn't a general manager in baseball who wouldn't take this foursome's 2006 numbers right now: .302, 31 homers, 95 RBIs per man. The scary thing for opponents is these guys, particularly second baseman Chase Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard, are just getting started. Howard (.313, 58 homers, 149 RBIs), Utley (.309, 32, 102), Jimmy Rollins (.277, 25, 83) and newly acquired Wes Helms (.329, 10, 47) should put up similar numbers in 2007.
