Quote:
Originally posted by kutulu
Cabrerra, Finley, and Beltran all have about the same numbers. Excluding any or all is no big deal to me.
I don't see Beltre as being so much better than Lowell offensively. It's basically a wash.
Beltre has:
4 less runs, 7 less doubles, 1 less triple, 3 more HR, 5 more RBI.
Beltre: .318/.356/.585/.942
Lowell .301/.377/.561/.938
Offensively, they are virtually the same player.
Defensively:
Same amount of errors. Beltre's fielding% is 0.002 higher
Defensively, they are the same player.
Chances are you could have them switch places and nobody would notice. Since Lowell is the guy with the history of being a top 3B, he should get the nod.
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You can't just look at fielding percentage as the only indicator of defensive strength. Beltre seems to make plays that most 3rd baseman don't make. If you look at a couple of obscure but useful stats, most notably RF (range factor) and ZF (zone factor), Beltre has a decided advantage over Lowell, and compares favorably to even Scott Rolen, the generally regarded best 3rd basemen in the league.
For an explanation of RF and ZF see
here.