Love it. The stuff about the Astros' poor defense seems suspect, though. I'm not sure how UZR calculates its Range component, but it seems like the Astros' frequent use of shifts would jack with those ratings. Lots of balls end up going through the 3B hole where Matt Dominguez should be, for instance, making it seem like Dominguez has poor range.
Everything about Keuchel suggests he's legit, maybe not quite this good, but he is clearly a solid rotation guy at least. His K rate last season wasn't far off from this season, so it hasn't come completely out of left field. His LD% is down 6%, and his infield fly% is up 7%, so it backs up that he is generating softer contact. And I don't care what the metrics say, Dominguez is a plus defensive 3rd baseman.
Baseball Reference rates his defense good, while Fangraphs does not. I would not call Dominguez's range great, but he's sure handed and has great arm strength & accuracy on his throws. What I know for sure is he's the best fielding 3B the Astros have had in a long time. Much better than CJ, Ensberg, Wigginton, Lamb, Caminiti, Truby, Berry, Spiers or Blum. Castilla is the only one who was as good if not better. And FWIW, Villar has been good defensively. He was bad last year, but he has been an entirely different player in the field this season.
He looks like the real deal. His slider has gone from non-existent to his best pitch. Batters do not want to get behind in the count against him allowing Keuchel to get swings on his sinker early in count even if it is down or just a bit outside.
Slow down there. Cammy won 3 gold gloves. He was the total package from a fielding and throwing standpoint. That said, Dominguez is a plus fielder. But he's not in Ken's class yet.
"Oh, hai" But really. Ken is considered one of the better third basemen in the past 30 years, let alone the Astros.
Jeter has 5 Gold Gloves. They are a joke. Not to mention he received all 3 playing for San Diego. I'm pretty much referencing his 2nd stint, as I don't recall his 1st stint. He wasn't good in the field at that point.
Absolutely agree. He was if anything better in Houston defensively than he was in San Diego. But his juiced offense as a Padre gave him more of a spotlight that highlighted his already-excellent glove. I saw him play many times, and his gold gloves were no joke. He was much less impressive during his second stint as a Stro. I'll give you that. He was also 36 at the time and struggling with injuries.
cammy was incredible his first time through. And was not during his 2nd. I thought Castilla's defense had fallen off from his Colorado days. Good, but not great while here...by my eye/memory test
ha was thinking the same. good for keuchel...i had written him off sometime btwn his rookie year and last year. happy to have been wrong, and cool to see someone learn and progress
Cammy received a standing ovation in his first career at bat based on two All-Star defensive plays he made in the first two innings.
The first go round was before I really started watching. BR stats show him as having some great defensive seasons in his younger days. What I remember about Castilla was great at barehanding and throwing those slow rollers to get the runner.
