This offseason, Pirates Breakdown will take a look at the ranking of any Pittsburgh Pirates that make the MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now lists. Today we will take a look the rankings for right field.
MLB Network continued their Top 10 Right Now rankings on Sunday night with a feature on the best right fielders in the game. According to The Shredder, MLB Network’s algorithm that uses past performance to forecast the ranking for the upcoming season, Gregory Polanco did not make the “objective” list of the Top Ten Right Fielders Right Now.
It comes as something of a surprise that Polanco was not ranked in the top ten. In just his second full season at the big league level, Polanco increased his home run production from nine in 2015 to 22 last year. This helped to bring his slugging percentage to .463 which was better than his fellow Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders (Starling Marte – .456, Andrew McCutchen – .430). His 86 RBIs were tops on the team as well. He tied Marte for the team lead in doubles with a total of 34.
If there are any offensive areas that Polanco could improve on, it would be his batting average. He has yet to finish a season with a mark higher than .260, and an increase here could make him an even stronger force in the Pittsburgh lineup for next season. His stolen bases have also dropped, from 27 in 2015 to 17 in 2016. He only attempted 23 stolen bases last year, so perhaps it’s just a case of Polanco sacrificing the running game as he becomes more of an all-around hitter.
Of course, it is entirely possible that Polanco’s defense played a part in his absence from this list. Polanco had a negative dWAR last season, as inefficient routes combined with five errors while playing right field may have played a part.
Houses Divided
Of course, others in the program recognized Polanco’s status as an “up-and-coming” right fielder.
MLB Network host and saber enthusiast Brian Kenny ranked him seventh, while analyst and former MLB slugger Carlos Pena had him eighth. The highest ranking among The Shredder or the assembled analysts came from MLB.com Statcast guru Mike Petriello, who assigned Polanco a ranking of fifth.
Sabermetric pioneers Bill James and Vince Gennaro did not have Polanco ranked in their Top Ten.
You can see a bit of Petriello’s rankings and read his reasoning by clicking here.
None Of This Matters
It should be noted that this list was prepared and aired before the Pittsburgh Pirates made the announcement that the defensive alignment in the outfield will be changing next season.
Clint Hurdle announces Pirates expected outfield defensive changes for 2017. pic.twitter.com/FFcEqNaUeV
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 5, 2017
Hopefully Polanco’s transition to left field is a smooth one, although he did log 202.1 innings at that position last season. His fielding percentage was .975 while in left field, which is just a slight drop from the .977 he logged in right field. We’ll see how the season plays out and if Polanco finds himself on the Top 10 list for left fielders next year.
MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Fielders Right Now according to The Shredder:
1. Mookie Betts
2. Bryce Harper
3. Nelson Cruz
4. Giancarlo Stanton
5. J.D. Martinez
6. Jose Bautista
7. Carlos Gonzalez
8. Hunter Pence
9. Josh Reddick
10. Stephen Piscotty
Featured Image Credit – Daniel Decker Photography
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