Quote:
Originally Posted by Déjà Bru
No, I would say, subjectively (i.e., without extensive statistical analysis), that the best all-around player is the best [position] player. (Again, not including pitchers.)
Yet, interestingly, when I looked up the definition of "position player," I found this, causing me to change my viewpoint slightly:
In baseball, a position player is a player who on defense plays as an infielder, outfielder, or catcher. This is generally all players on a team except for the pitcher, who is considered separate from the position players; in the American League, there is also a designated hitter, who bats but does not play any defensive positions.
So here, chew on this: I had forgotten about the DH but now I claim:
1) While pitchers are judged with a different set of parameters, they contribute only defensively. Offensively, they are liabilities or rendered null by the DH rule.
2) Players who are predominantly DHs (you choose what "predominantly" means) cannot be the best players on their teams either. They lack the means to prove themselves defensively and therefore are not all-around players.
The best players on baseball teams are usually the ones that make the highest contribution all-around: offense and defense. This does not mean that a pitcher or a DH cannot be considered the MVP if he has a spectacular season that makes up for his one-sided contribution, especially if no position player has distinguished himself as an all-around player.
But LeMahieu has, in my opinion. That is my assertion. What is your say?
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I try not to refer to "position players" - though I often fail since that terminology has been imbeded so thoroughly in my brain. I prefer pitchers and non-pitchers as, obviously, pitcher is a position - and a few players who do both.
All players, IMO, should be judged the same, on the number of runs they produce. It matters not whether they add a run offensively or subtract a run on defense (pitching included)
To me, the best all-around player is the one who, through a combination of offense and defense, is the best player. That's where the "all around" comes from - a consideration of both a player's strengths and weaknesses; DH's and pitchers included.
If we want to talk about players who excell in all facets of the game (the five tools), or, at least, who aren't liabilities in one area, then we can just state it like that; "That DJ LeMahieu is really good in all facets of the game as opposed to that Aaron Judge who just hits bombs" (Note: per FanGraphs, LeMahieu outhit Judge over the last two seasons while Judge was actually the better defensive player. And Judge was the better player per PA).
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.as...ate=2020-12-31