Message #2263836

[imref]

The Abrams effect:

Thanks to SteveR20, we have some numbers to compare before and after Abrams arrived. The pitching staff had a combined 5.30 ERA and a 5.03 FIP before Abrams. After Abrams arrived, the ERA has improved by over 2-runs per game to a 3.13 ERA and a 4.22 FIP if we remove Cade Cavalli‘s blow-up start. We removed Cade’s start because of the way it would have skewed the ERA numbers in a small sample size of just 19-games. As SteveR20 pointed out, if we included that Cavalli start, the FIP would have improved.

Of course with any analysis this could all be coincidental — but we don’t think that is the case here as we have always felt — and write about often that DEFENSE MATTERS. It isn’t that Abrams is Gold Glove because in his small sample size he has made some errors, but all but one error was on aggressive plays. Abrams range is so good that he gets to balls that the average shortstop will not reach. Yes, his OAA is just below league average based on those errors — but he replaced a player who was a -13 and on pace for the worst annualized shortstop OAA since Statcast started measuring defense.

https://www.talknats.com/2022/09/06/nats-setting-records-good-type-finally/