DEFENSIVE SABERMETRIC STATS: Understanding UZR & DRS

[@justingirshon8477]

You should do one about oaa

[@SimpleSabermetrics]

Absolutely! Thanks for the comment, Justin 👍🏻

[@davidmacgown321]

So which of the two is the best for evaluating defense? I know fWAR uses UZR and bWAR uses DRS.

[@jorgealayonflores6778]

Very interesting! But I think you should correct your title when you introduce DRS at 4:00! You call it and write on the screen "Defensive Runs Scored" Shouldn't it be "Defensive Runs Saved"?👋⚾

[@Calvinfe37]

Which would u recommend for calculating a true value?

[@SimpleSabermetrics]

I personally prefer DRS because I feel it takes the calculation a step further than UZR. They are both great, but at the end of the day the largest factor is a large enough sample size. Thanks for the comment!

[@ytar33]

Thanks for the explanation, quick question, how do you figure out how good the player is if his DRS is +5 and UZR are -5 also what about the new stat from Baseball Savant OAA (outs above average)? There are so many stats but if they tell you very different things how do you know if the player is actually good?

[@SimpleSabermetrics]

OAA is a stat I’m going to dive into in a separate video! To answer your first question, to me you should rely on one of the other rather than a combination of both. In the long term, both should even out. But in the short term, these two stats are measured in very different ways, so use them as pieces of the puzzle rather than the whole thing!

[@ytar33]

Thanks for the suggestion, which one do you usually rely on and why?

[@cedricgist7614]

Hit 👍 in the first minute. I think Branch Rickey said, "You can't do anything with defense!" It was decades before Bill James and others took what was available and made new connections - range factor, defensive efficiency rating, fielding runs (Linear Weights). As you said, the more recent metrics - UZR and DRS - rely on data that really wasn't available to the public. I'm not sure I want to deal with that data when others are better at managing it. But I do like to get a grasp of how it's processed and used. Last point: I didn't care for Derek Jeter most of his career until I started seeing comments about his below average fielding. I'm sure you are familiar with the glee others exhibited in citing how overrated Jeter was. I don't like the Yankees - but I respect the franchise and the fact that they have to fight hard to remain contenders. It ain't easy being on top. As for Jeter, didn't he win six rings and didn't a better shortstop (Alex Rodriguez) defer to the captain and take third base during their time together? I do not doubt that Jeter wasn't Ozzie Smith or a host of other great defenders at short, but I don't think the Yanks suffered much letting Jeter stay there.

[@SimpleSabermetrics]

Defensive statistics have been incredibly difficult to calculate, and are still being perfected to this day. In general, these statistics cover much of the important information needed to accurately rate a fielders performance. I’ve definitely heard the argument for Jeter’s below average fielding abilities, but that may not account for the human element we discussed in a comment on a previous video... You’re right to state they didn’t suffer having him in that spot at all. Thanks again for all the great comments!

[@westonsmith7772]

I wouldnt say the Yanks have to "fight hard" to remain on top. Aside from the fact that they simply havent been on top for a # of years, they are the epitome of "purchasing" titles as opposed to outright earning them. Give the Rays an extra 125million a year and im sure they end up with a championship or two.

[@mikecolton830]

I will never accept UZR as a real statistic because “range” is completely subjective. How can you calculate the average range of everyone at a certain position when there’s late game replacements who don’t play that position regularly, minor leaguers who skew the data etc. it’s stupid