Curtis Granderson made a great throw from right field in yesterday’s game, albeit a close call, to throw out a runner tagging up from third. It was his eighth outfield assist, placing him 11th in all of baseball among outfielders in that particular stat. That’s the total he had the entirety of 2014. It’s this respect, and this respect alone, that Granderson’s defensive performance this season is anywhere close to last season. That’s a good thing, as Mets fans can attest to the fact that his defense was almost as disappointing as his offense in his Mets debut season.
Looking at traditional stats, in this case errors, it looks as though Granderson is having a worse season than last. Although his five errors so far has already more than doubled his total from last season, advanced statistics reveal that he’s having a dramatically better season defensively in 2015 in essentially every other way.
His UZR/150 (Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games) in 2014 was -11.7. This year, it’s sitting at 10.8. That’s his best for a full season since 2010. It doesn’t stop there. His DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) is currently sitting at 11, up from -3 in 2014. His RngR (Range Runs above average) of 2.3 is significantly higher than in 2014 (-7.7) as well. Oh, and about that arm? His ARM rating in 2014 was at -7.7, while this year it’s at 2.3. That’s his best since 2011. He’s in the top 15 in baseball among outfielders in many of these categories. Taken all together, his FanGraphs “Defense” is rated at 3.4 this year versus -17.2 last year.
Just where the heck did this come from? Was it because Citi Field’s right-center field wall was moved in this past off-season? That’s a possibility, sure. The extra ten feet or so that Granderson no longer has to cover may have a bigger impact than it would seem. It may also simply be the fact that he’s grown more comfortable out there after getting a full season under his belt. Still, the team only plays half of its games at home so these explanations would only partially answer the question.
Either way, Granderson’s total value this season (fWAR of 3.7) is the highest it’s been since 2011 with the Yankees. This includes both his offense, which has also massively improved since last year, and his defense. In fact, based on fWAR he’s been the most valuable position player on the team this season. That’s not something many people would have expected back in the spring, but his performance has been vital to the Mets current position atop the NL East. Only Lucas Duda has contributed anything remotely close to what Granderson has in terms of offense for the team.
If the Mets were to compete for the NL East crown in 2015 they needed many things to break their way. One of those things was Granderson living up to his contract. He’s done that and more this season. He’ll need it to continue if the Mets hope to play baseball deep into October.
He has started to live up to his hefty contract, which is a huge sigh of relief. Everyone said he was going to be Jason Bay 2.0, but he has turned the popular opinion around. Without his contributions on offense and defense, the team would not be in first place.
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It seems like just yesterday that people wanted to ride him out of town. Nice to see him getting some good publicity.
In his last 52 games, covering 239 PA, he has a .274/.360/.548 line for a .908 OPS with a .305 BABIP. He’s been terrific.
Yup. Utterly fantastic. Feels like a “waste” at the top of the lineup, but maybe he doesn’t find as much success outside of that spot? Will be interesting to see what TC does if the team finds a traditional leadoff hitter.
His assist the other night was very nice. Grandy is earning his contract and has solved the lead off spot for the time being.
I think h e’s had a fine season but i hope we get a real leadoff hitter next year. He may wind up with 30 homers this year but most are solo shots.
Just goes to show that practically a year off will hurt you in every possible way. Last year was just a test drive in many ways for Granderson. This year, he’s putting the pedal to metal. He’s been the team MVP on the offensive-side, no doubt.