Both gave incomplete information about a facet of the game the catcher is only partially able to control, but they were better than stats like range factor and fielding percentage, both of which are beyond useless for catchers. Nationals manager Dave MartinezTurner is obviously a special base stealer, but teams across the league ought to use what he and his Nationals teammates did this weekend as a road map. Martinez looked back at Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, Jacoby Ellsbury and other premier base stealers and saw a simple formula: The best ran all the time, without restraint or consideration of who was hitting behind them.So the manager thought this would allow Turner to do the same because he wouldn’t be in front of Anthony Rendon or Juan Soto and risk taking the bat out of their hands. And they’re pretty patient hitters, so that gives me a chance to steal. There are dangers to stealing bases; the quick acceleration and deceleration involved are a magnet for injury; we’ve seen stars like Mike Trout and Carlos Correa suffer hand injuries while sliding headfirst in the past two years.
Last year Turner led the NL with 43 stolen bases at an 82.7 percent success rate; since 1980, 27 players have attempted 90 steals in a season; 26 … On Opening Day against the Mets, Nationals shortstop Trea Turner stole three bases in three attempts, and then, in Sunday’s series finale, he swiped a fourth bag. But the change in the evaluation of catcher defense presents an opportunity to swing the pendulum in the other direction.Back in the 20th century, there weren’t many objective statistical measures of catcher defense: Wild pitches and passed balls gave some rough measure of blocking ability, while opponent stolen base percentage illustrated a catcher’s ability to control the running game. Turner went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in the National's 8-2 win over the Indians on Sunday.. And while that didn’t slow him against the Mets, the side effects were already there. They really do,” Martinez said after the game. Steve Carlton was one of the best ever at controlling the running game, but that’s incidental to his being one of the best ever at getting hitters out. He led the National League with 43 steals last season, only two behind the MLB leader, Kansas City Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield. Turner did those calculations Thursday in a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets, and the result was three attempts, three steals and an indication of just how long his base-running leash may be.He swiped second after singling off Jacob deGrom in the first, then took second and third after another base hit in the sixth. That’s a big improvement on today’s historically low stolen base attempt levels, but it’s not an ill-considered first-pitch dash for any open bag. In his five-year career, Turner has been a more ambitious and successful base runner in the leadoff spot. With Judge Joe Judge’The Giants’ new head coach has made headlines all offseason for his strange motivational and disciplinary tactics. Trea Turner, Nationals (+200) While the objective is to select one of the handful of favorites near the top of the board, I have a hard time going with anyone but the favorite in the Nationals’ Trea Turner.
When Trea Turner reaches first base, whether by hit, walk or however else, everybody knows.The pitcher, the catcher, the infield, Turner’s teammates, the ushers and vendors and fans filling the park — they all can figure he will try to steal second. “The situation, scoreboard, what’s going on, how do I feel, if I’m reading him right and if this is a good time to go.”Throughout the spring, Martinez considered batting Turner first and Adam Eaton second in the Nationals’ lineup. That’s notable because the 20-year-old Soto, despite being at the age when your average American man could eat a pound of mac and cheese, down a quart of milk, and run a mile without breaking a sweat, doesn’t run that well. But there are lesser examples; on Saturday, the Rays stole three bases off Astros catcher Robinson Chirinos, who is a better hitter than framer, but like his teammate Stassi, is a below-average thrower.
The 34-year-old first baseman hit .304 with a 1.114 on-base-plus-slugging percentage with two outs and runners in scoring position last season. Soto stole just five bags as a rookie, but he took second against a Mets battery of Noah Syndergaard and Wilson Ramos. But his true power was his ability to show that those heroes’ stories didn’t have to be fantasy.A remote version of the ceremony meant better production value and less chaos, which is both a good and a bad thingPost Office Pies chef John Hall of Birmingham, Alabama, stops by to discuss operating restaurants during COVID-19The Giants’ new head coach has made headlines all offseason for his strange motivational and disciplinary tactics. Manager Dave Martinez has suggested 90 stolen base attempts, maybe more, after Turner finished with 52 last year. “Zim has driven in a lot of runs in his career, and we are okay with that.