Foreword: It needs to be noted that defensive statistics really did not start coming into their own until 2002. Statistics before this time therefore are more-so a guesstimate looking at more premature stats. They are not completely off-base, but they are not as strong as those from 2002 onward. And as always, ALL defensive stats need to be looked at it that way.

 

1) Juan Pierre's 2003

Defensively: +3 runs (1433.1 inn)

Offensively: +98 runs (746 pa)

Total: +101 runs

Playing 162 games means a lot. And that is exactly what Juan Pierre did. He was not the best defensive CFer, and he was not the best offensive CFer. But by playing everyday, his 2003 lead to the best season for a CFer in a Marlin's jersey.

 

2) Juan Pierre's 2004

Defensively: -1 run (1439 inn)

Offensively: +101 runs (748 pa)

Total: +100 runs

It only took one season for Pierre's defense to degrade to below average. And while offensively it was his best OPS season, his SB totals and especially CS% took a huge hit, basically negating his OPS bonus compared to 2003.

 

3) Devon White's 1996

Defensively: +7 runs (1200.2 inn)

Offensively: +82 runs (611 PA)

Total: +89 runs

1996 is the forgotten season of Marlin players. Kevin Brown put up a 1.89 ERA. Sheffield put up a 1.089 OPS. And Devon White put together one of the best year for a CF. Arguably the best defensive center fielder of his generation, he certainly had lost a step by the time he reached Florida. Still, he was able to put up a well-above average defensive season, worth nearly a run on his defense alone, and an extremely solid offensive season.

 

4) Preston Wilon's 2000

Defensively: -10 runs (1362.2 inn)

Offensively: +92 runs (674 PA)

Total: +82 runs

Part of why this is Preston's best season was the amount of PAs he received. It was not his best fielding season, nor was it his best hitting season, but because he was able to play 161 games, he was able to rack up the runs.

 

He was the best hitting CFer in Marlin's history, even though he probably shouldn't have been playing there in the first place. Still, his 2002 wasn't that bad defensively, meanwhile he really racked up the runs offensively.

 

5) Chucky Carr 1993

Defensively: +15 runs (1181.1 inn)

Offensively: +66 runs (613 PA)

Total: +81 runs

The best defensive CFer in Marlin's history wasn't too good with the bat, but man could he field and steal bases. 1993 was far and away his best season, both in the field and at the plate.

 

6) Juan Pierre's 2005

Defensively: -4 runs (1383 inn)

Offensively: +83 runs (718 PA)

Total: +79 runs

With Pierre's OBP dropping all the way down to .326, he was worth 2 less wins than his other two seasons as a Marlin. Still, playing 162 games and stealing 57 bases at a good clip means something.

 

7) Cody Ross's 2008

Defensively: +7 runs (866 inn)

Offensively: +53 runs (398 PA)

Total: +76 runs

Cody "should" be #1. At the rate he was going at, he would have if he had the same inn and PA as those above him. Look at the end of this post to see what I mean. Alas, that isn't the case, so his season falls all the way down to #7.

 

8) Preston Wilson's 2001

Defensively: -6 runs (1049.1 inn)

Offensively: +74 runs (513 pa)

Total: +68 runs

His best defensive season out-weighed by his second-worse offensive season.

 

9) Preston Wilson's 2002

Defensively: -12 runs (1178.2 inn)

Offensively: +76 runs (582 PA)

Total: +64 runs

His second worse defensive season and worst offensive season, just a .758 OPS. In other words, easily his worst season as a Marlin.

 

10) Preston Wilson's 1999

Defensively: -10 runs (896.1 inn)

Offensively: +66 runs (434 PA)

Total: +56 runs

By far Preston's worse defensive year but also his best offensive year, finishing the season with a .852 OPS. Compared to his 2000, he would have scored 6 more runs on offense with the same rate, but also would have costed 5 more runs on defense, basically mooting what a higher games played would have done.

 

11) Chucky Carr 1994

Defensively: +11 runs (880 inn)

Offensively: +44 runs (478 PA)

Total: +55 runs

Chucky got worse

 

12) Chucky Carr 1995

Defensively: +10 runs (735.1 inn)

Offensively: +37 runs (365 PA)

Total: +47 runs

Chucky got worse...again

 

13) Todd Dunwoody's 1998

Defensively: +1 run (873.2 inn)

Offensively: +46 runs (462 PA)

Total: +47 runs

Yeah....

 

14) Alfredo Amezaga's 2007

Defensively: +7 runs (643.2 inn)

Offensively: +35 runs (448 PA)

Total: +42 runs

The second best defensive center fielder the Marlins have had in their history, his defense just could not counter-measure his horrible offense.

 

15) Moises Alou 1997

Defensively: -1 run (462.2 inn)

Offensively: +30 runs (227 PA)

Total: +29 runs

When Devon White went down with an injury, it was Moises Alou who got the bulk of the playing time. And he, surprisingly, was extremely effective in the field. While some might not count him as 1997's center fielder since he only got 462.2 inn and Devon finished with 120 more inn, I think his production still deserves him a place on this list. However, I REALLY doubt his defense would have upheld given more playing time.

 

16) Alfredo Amezaga's 2006

Defensively: +3 runs (529 inn)

Offensively: +26 runs (378 PA)

Total: +29 runs

Reggie Abercrombie likely should count as 2006's center fielder since he had more playing time. But even with less time played, Amezaga still was better than the failed experiment known as Reggie.

 

If we then subject these statistics to a rate of 1150 inn and 600 PA:

 

Cody Ross's 2008: 89 runs

Devon White's 1996: 87 runs

Juan Pierre's 2003: 81 runs

Juan Pierre's 2004: 80 runs

Preston Wilon's 2001: 80 runs

Chucky Carr's 1993: 79 runs

Preston Wilon's 1999: 79 runs

Moises Alou's 1997: 77 runs

Chucky Carr's 1995: 76 runs

Preston Wilson's 2000: 74 runs

Chucky Carr's 1994: 69 runs

Preston Wilon's 2002: 67 runs

Juan Pierre's 2005: 66 runs

Todd Dunwoody's 1998: 61 runs

Alfredo Amezaga's 2007: 59 runs

Alfredo Amezaga's 2006: 48 runs

 

So Juan Pierre had the best "total" runs. But last year Cody Ross had the best rate of creating runs in the history of Marlin's baseball. I find it rather humorous that we went from Juan Pierre (arguably the best CFer we've had) to Amezaga (The worst CFer we've had) to Cody Ross (who put together arguably the best season a CFer has had). Talk about going from peak to low to peak.

 

I'm also too lazy to do it, but I think it's safe to say that when it comes to total runs created in a player's career with a Marlin's jersey on, it would be:

 

1) Juan Pierre

2) Preston Wilson

3) Chucky Carr

Nice work Johnny, interesting read. Out of curiosity, where did you get your data? I was kind of confused because, for instance, I looked up Cody Ross' 2008 on Fangraphs and it has him down for 8.6 batting runs and 13.2 fielding runs, and you have him at +53 and +7, so obviously you used a different system. Could you explain how you came up with these numbers?

Yeah, I was wondering what you used from offensive numbers.

 

Good stuff though.

Fan Graphs is based off an average. Mine is just a strait +runs created.

 

RC was either from BP or, in cases like Cody and Alfredo where they played multiple positions, calculated myself.

Any post that mentions Chucky is great in my book. Nice research, Johnny.

Nice list Nny for a long off season. But sometimes I think you have far too much time on your hands.

Nice list Nny for a long off season. But sometimes I think you have far too much time on your hands.

We all do that's why this season needs to start already. :banghead

This is a good post, but I'd like to add a couple things.

 

You call Devo arguably the best CFer of his generation, yet you say that Chuck Carr was the best defensive CFer the Marlins had. This could be attributed that Devo was older and had less range at the time, but I do find it sad that guys like Chuck Carr were never appreciated for what they did defensively because they weren't very good offensive players. Carr was a freak defensively.

 

Also, I don't agree that Amezaga was a great defensive CFer in 2007. He made great catches, yes, but I've watched a lot of Marlins games from the cheap seats in the upper deck, and it's amazing how much better more instinctive OFers like Ross and Abercrombie played CF. They didn't make the highlight reel catches, but that's because they were in position at the right time to not be forced to do so. Abercrombie would catch balls standing still that Amezaga would have to dive for. Still, nobody mentions him as a great CFer while Amezaga is.

This is a good post, but I'd like to add a couple things.

 

You call Devo arguably the best CFer of his generation, yet you say that Chuck Carr was the best defensive CFer the Marlins had. This could be attributed that Devo was older and had less range at the time, but I do find it sad that guys like Chuck Carr were never appreciated for what they did defensively because they weren't very good offensive players. Carr was a freak defensively.

 

Also, I don't agree that Amezaga was a great defensive CFer in 2007. He made great catches, yes, but I've watched a lot of Marlins games from the cheap seats in the upper deck, and it's amazing how much better more instinctive OFers like Ross and Abercrombie played CF. They didn't make the highlight reel catches, but that's because they were in position at the right time to not be forced to do so. Abercrombie would catch balls standing still that Amezaga would have to dive for. Still, nobody mentions him as a great CFer while Amezaga is.

 

You do bring up a very good point, however I wouldn't say players get more rep for their defense than others because of their offensive talents, but rather because they're in the league for longer.

 

When it does come to Devo I still say he's better than Carr, both in their primes (When comparing them in a Marlin's jersey, we're talking about a mid-30's Devo v.s. a mid-20's Carr). But that doesn't change that Carr was still greatly under appreciated. The issue though is, Carr was only a starter for 3 major league seasons, and was out of the majors before he hit 30. Devo had an illustrate 17 season career. It's a lot easier to judge a 17 year career.

 

When then brings us to Alfredo. And actually brings up somebody I didn't even think about until your post: Eric Reed. Reed could very well be the best defensive CFer we've seen, even passing Chucky. But since he only played 100 inn, it's a lot harder to be able to display those kind of things.

Nice list Nny for a long off season. But sometimes I think you have far too much time on your hands.

 

I quit my job and right now just chilling with the money I had saved up. So yes, I do haha.

This is a good post, but I'd like to add a couple things.

 

You call Devo arguably the best CFer of his generation, yet you say that Chuck Carr was the best defensive CFer the Marlins had. This could be attributed that Devo was older and had less range at the time, but I do find it sad that guys like Chuck Carr were never appreciated for what they did defensively because they weren't very good offensive players. Carr was a freak defensively.

 

Also, I don't agree that Amezaga was a great defensive CFer in 2007. He made great catches, yes, but I've watched a lot of Marlins games from the cheap seats in the upper deck, and it's amazing how much better more instinctive OFers like Ross and Abercrombie played CF. They didn't make the highlight reel catches, but that's because they were in position at the right time to not be forced to do so. Abercrombie would catch balls standing still that Amezaga would have to dive for. Still, nobody mentions him as a great CFer while Amezaga is.

 

Come on guys. Lets keep it clean. No bad words, please.

BTW for those who may be curious Koolaid had a good winter league season. Led the league in SBs and was always amongst leaders in homers. He played excellent defense and was deemed to be the life of the clubhouse...However He had to surge to finish the season with a .220 AVG and just cant get his Ks down. The Team he played for won the league championship and had the chance of replacing him for the playoffs but refused to do so because of his leadership

BTW for those who may be curious Koolaid had a good winter league season. Led the league in SBs and was always amongst leaders in homers. He played excellent defense and was deemed to be the life of the clubhouse...However He had to surge ti finish the season with a .220 AVG and just cant get his Ks down. The Team he played for won the league championship and had the chance of replacing him for the playoffs but refused to do some because of his leadership

 

For what it was worth I always thought he was a quality guy and he seemed to work very hard. That didn't help him hit major league pitching though. The dude just lacked the one tool that everybody forgets about- contact.

Good stuff NNY. Devon White was my personal favorite as I love a great defensive CF patrolling the triangle in JRS so smoothly. To me there is not much more exciting in baseball than watching an elite guy play that position; which is why I'm doubly excited about Maybin.

Not to Act like a little kid but

 

JP was a f***ing BEAST with us and he won a Championship

for the right price he'd be nice to have on the bench still hits pretty average and can steal bases