Defense. Defense. Defense.

[Chuck]

 

[Chuck]

They say up the middle defense is what's important. Note that 13 of those DRS (defensive runs saved) were from 2B/SS, three from CF. 

[wopphil]

I know Velasquez’s offense numbers have been really bad, but it does seem he has been much better with the bat of late. And in the limited time I have watched him play defense, he seems to be an excellent defender. I am starting to come around to him as the best option at short. 

[Chuck]

31 minutes ago, wopphil said:

I know Velasquez’s offense numbers have been really bad, but it does seem he has been much better with the bat of late. And in the limited time I have watched him play defense, he seems to be an excellent defender. I am starting to come around to him as the best option at short. 

Yeah his only out last night was crushed to CF, but Kevin Kiermaier is one of the best outfielders in the game and he made a great catch on it. 

[failos]

Walshy’s error was clutch though.

[AngelfanIndiana]

Renifro even looked good on defense last night

[WicketMaiden]

22 minutes ago, AngelfanIndiana said:

Renifro even looked good on defense last night

Renifro sounds like a 1970's wig rental service. 

[bloodbrother]

Such a huge turnaround. THey started off the season a bit rough the first 7-10 games in the field, but have really picked it up since then.

[tdawg87]

You guys followed @Inside Pitch on twitter you'd know just how important defense is.

[Angel Dog and Beer]

2 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

You guys followed @Inside Pitch on twitter you'd know just how important defense is.

What about his OnlyFans account? 

[Angelsjunky]

[Second Base]

The defense was helped tremendously when they cut Upton. Having Marsh and Ward in the corners does wonders. And every option they have at 2B and SS is a good defender. 

Normally such uncertainty would sink the team's offense, but Ward's breakout, Trout, Ohtani, Rendon and Walsh all being healthy and Marsh stepping up had negated that. 

I think the last big thing I see is speed. Speed doesn't slump and they currently boast good speed in 6 spots of their lineup. That is a lot of pressure on opposing defenses and opposing pitching to control the run game or stopping them from taking the extra base. 

[failos]

50 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Hell yeah

[DCAngelsFan]

30 minutes ago, Second Base said:

The defense was helped tremendously when they cut Upton. Having Marsh and Ward in the corners does wonders. And every option they have at 2B and SS is a good defender. 

Normally such uncertainty would sink the team's offense, but Ward's breakout, Trout, Ohtani, Rendon and Walsh all being healthy and Marsh stepping up had negated that. 

I think the last big thing I see is speed. Speed doesn't slump and they currently boast good speed in 6 spots of their lineup. That is a lot of pressure on opposing defenses and opposing pitching to control the run game or stopping them from taking the extra base. 

People who thought we should keep Upton b/c of his "offensive upside" failed to see how many runs - games? - he cost us last season.

Marsh I knew would be great - but I had no idea of how good a defender Velasquez would be - his DRS is "5" (tied for 7th in the league), has a 0.7 defensive bWAR - and yeah, his offense is terrible, but I'm happy to have him there full-time.

Good point on team speed- both speed on the bases, and speed covering ground defensively collectively - it has them creating (more) outs on defense, and avoiding them on offense - name of the game, really. 

 

[HanfordGuy]

2 hours ago, WicketMaiden said:

Renifro sounds like a 1970's wig rental service. 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, DCAngelsFan said:

People who thought we should keep Upton b/c of his "offensive upside" failed to see how many runs - games? - he cost us last season.

Sounds good....

....Unfortunately at best it's been a wash in LF because Adell in his 127 defensive innings there managed to put up a DRS figure of -4.  Had he been afforded the same number of defensive innings as Upton last year, his DRS would have been a -21.  How bad is a -21??  Upton in his entire career managed a combined -27 DRS.

Pretty much all the gains have been in the IF and CF where Mike Trout has gone from a -4 in 295 innings to a positive 3 in 211 innings -- that's been significant. Ridding themselves of Upton most definitely improves the defense, just not to the degree people believe due to Adell's defensive shortcomings while out there.  

Heres the kicker.... The 2022 Angels are actually sporting a lower FLD% and worse UZR/150 this season than in 2021, which would argue that the issue then and the improvement now is almost entirely due to improved positioning.

Where did we see this being said the last two years?

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

Sounds good....

....Unfortunately at best it's been a wash in LF because Adell in his 127 defensive innings there managed to put up a DRS figure of -4.  Had he been afforded the same number of defensive innings as Upton last year, his DRS would have been a -21.  How bad is a -21??  Upton in his entire career managed a combined -27 DRS.

Pretty much all the gains have been in the IF and CF where Mike Trout has gone from a -4 in 295 innings to a positive 3 in 211 innings -- that's been significant. Ridding themselves of Upton most definitely improves the defense, just not to the degree people believe due to Adell's defensive shortcomings while out there.  

Heres the kicker.... The 2022 Angels are actually sporting a lower FLD% and worse UZR/150 this season than in 2021, which would argue that the issue then and the improvement now is almost entirely due to improved positioning.

Where did we see this being said the last two years?

I don't remember.  

[Angels 1961]

Defense has been outstanding but do not forget Angels speed. Halo speed has put pressure on other teams defense.

[ScottM]

In a lineup this deep, Velasquez has to be in there every day. He's a game changer defensively. 

[DCAngelsFan]

2 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Sounds good....

....Unfortunately at best it's been a wash in LF because Adell in his 127 defensive innings there managed to put up a DRS figure of -4.  Had he been afforded the same number of defensive innings as Upton last year, his DRS would have been a -21.  How bad is a -21??  Upton in his entire career managed a combined -27 DRS.

Pretty much all the gains have been in the IF and CF where Mike Trout has gone from a -4 in 295 innings to a positive 3 in 211 innings -- that's been significant. Ridding themselves of Upton most definitely improves the defense, just not to the degree people believe due to Adell's defensive shortcomings while out there.  

Heres the kicker.... The 2022 Angels are actually sporting a lower FLD% and worse UZR/150 this season than in 2021, which would argue that the issue then and the improvement now is almost entirely due to improved positioning.

Where did we see this being said the last two years?

Yes, replacing a bad Upton with a bad Adell was pretty much a wash - at least there was the notion that Adell would get better ....

but what we have *now* in Marsh, Trout, and Wade is far better defensively than what we had with Upton, and, anyway, my point remains that there are times you can sacrifice a little offense for much better defense and come out ahead.  I may be wrong - but at least I don't have that heartburn of last year watching Upton repeatedly almost-but-not-quite-getting-to ball after ball in LF.  

As for positioning - hmm, dunno, kinda sounds familiar . . ?  

IIrc, you and Dochalo made compelling cases last season about terrible positioning - to the point where I think you stopped watching the feed 'cuz it was too frustrating.  

But I'll have to take your word for it that positioning this year is much improved - I don't doubt it, I just can't prove it.  

 

[Inside Pitch]

30 minutes ago, DCAngelsFan said:

Yes, replacing a bad Upton with a bad Adell was pretty much a wash - at least there was the notion that Adell would get better ....

but what we have *now* in Marsh, Trout, and Wade is far better defensively than what we had with Upton, and, anyway, my point remains that there are times you can sacrifice a little offense for much better defense and come out ahead.  I may be wrong - but at least I don't have that heartburn of last year watching Upton repeatedly almost-but-not-quite-getting-to ball after ball in LF.  

As for positioning - hmm, dunno, kinda sounds familiar . . ?  

IIrc, you and Dochalo made compelling cases last season about terrible positioning - to the point where I think you stopped watching the feed 'cuz it was too frustrating.  

But I'll have to take your word for it that positioning this year is much improved - I don't doubt it, I just can't prove it.  

No question the overall mix now is better, or that Upton was no longer a viable defensive OFer.  It's just nuts that Adell was actually worse, but I agree, at least with him the tools argue he should improve. I still believe he will -- but boy was it brutal.

Yep, I stopped watching games while looking at the statcast data.  Way too frustrating.  It's a lot better this year, even just the eye test.  And while I can't prove it with the data we have currently, I'd argue that the big reason for Trout's improvement ties into his having Marsh and Ward around him.  I'm sure he was cheating to one side or the other in order to try to compensate in previous seasons.

Marsh's first step and the way he positions himself under a ball are textbook.  The defense has been fun to watch.

[ten ocho recon scout]

10 hours ago, Angel Dog and Beer said:

What about his OnlyFans account? 

Need to find that post @Lou caught where @Dochalo said he loves D to answer that question.

[Lou]

1 hour ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Need to find that post @Lou caught where @Dochalo said he loves D to answer that question.

.

.

On 5/4/2022 at 11:31 PM, Dochalo said:

I wasn't a believer.   But damn.  Dat dude can hit.  Like Howie Kendrick in the minors hit.  With plate discipline.  I love D, but f it.  put him at second and figure it out.  

 

On 5/5/2022 at 2:28 AM, Lou said:

This is proof that even the best of us sometimes forget where we are.

 

[Docwaukee]

I still love D.  

and I hate all of you

[HanfordGuy]

31 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

I still love Dee.  

and I hate all of you

*fixed*