Bored until the ALDS but don't want to deal with whiny Dodger and entitled Yankee fans... What's your all-time Astros best defense lineup? My take: P - D. Keuchel C - M. Maldonado 1B - J. Bagwell 2B - J. Altuve 3B - K. Caminiti SS - C. Correa LF - J. Cruz CF - J.Marisnick RF - K. Tucker Backup C - B. Ausmus Backup MIF - A. Everett Backup CIF - Y. Gurriel Backup OF - G. Springer
I would really need to think on this but off the top of my head - players to consider. Yuli Gurriel 1B Alex Bregman 3B Adam Everett SS Cesar Cedeno CF Michael Bourn CF Terry Puhl RF
Prime Biggio was probably better than Altuve. I’ll take Everett over Correa. Don’t know enough about the corner OF but I bet there’s a lot of debate there.
Have to choose the year. Neither Altuve nor Maldonado have been good this season and Bagwell was not good after his arm problem got severe. I'd have to go with Pena over Correa, even with the weaker arm. Pena 2.5 dWAR 2022; Correa 2.9 2021, but never higher than 1.9 any other year.
Not Adam Everett? From a 2021 article: Everett played 11 seasons in the Majors and to this day, the only infielder to accrue more dWAR while playing 11 seasons or less is Hall of Famer Joe Gordon.
The answer for SS is clearly the Adam Everett 2006 season. OAA wasn't available during Everett's career but by advanced metrics like Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and UZR/150, Everett blows away Correa's best season and Pena's rookie season. AE 2006: DRS: 34, UZR/150: 25.7 CC 2021: DRS: 20, UZR/150: 3.1 JP 2022: DRS: 15, UZR/150: -9.7
Going back through 2002, I only found two players who ever topped Everett's 34 DRS in a single season: 2017: Andrelton Simmons 41 2015: Kevin Kiermaier 38 Roughly 10 player seasons total topped 30 in that time frame. AE was basically generational amazing at SS.
OF is hard because of changing positions, but if you pick best 3 it is Bourn, Marisnick, and Tucker best I can do right now. P: Keuchel 1B: Bagwell is probably still best. 2B: Bill Doran 3B: Caminiti SS: Everett C: Depends on how you define it, but I'll go with Maldy
Cedeno and Everett without a doubt over a minimum 3 year period. Memory blank. Definitely Adam Everett. For a 4 year stretch, he was as good as any ever. 2003 2.2 dWAR 2004 2.5 dWAR 2005 3.3 dWAR 2006 4.1 dWAR 12.1 WAR over 4 seasons Gold Gloves 2003 Renteria 0.7 2004 Iztuis 2.3 2005 Vizquel 0.8 2006 Vizquel 1.4 !!! ROBBERY !!!
I went back and checked. He was a marvel on the base-paths, but inconsistent in the fielding metrics. I remember him being better.
All I know is what I saw (but I was very young)And 5 consecutive gold gloves. I would need to look at modern defensive stats. I remember reading that those are not kind to Doug Rader despite his gold gloves.
One thing to consider is that plays that look phenomenal for players with limited range (Jeter) could be routine to others (Everett)...
Flip side too. Everett got a lot of flack for flubbing balls that other SS's wouldn't even make an attempt on.
1B- Bagwell 2B- Doran SS- Correa 3B- Caminiti LF- Cruz CF- C. Cedeno RF- Puhl C- Maldy I guess Bregman could replace Caminiti as the steadier 3rd baseman. Caminiti was amazing but he was a bit wild on occasion. Right field is a tough one. Berkman was a good right fielder when he played there. Tucker is pretty good. Reddick, Bell etc. Some good defensive right fielders. CF could also go to Finley or Bourn. Siri obviously is fantastic. Cedeno is pretty legendary and did it for a while so I chose him. Correa edges Everett.
