Anybody liking Bruce's defense as much as I am. Has made some very nice plays and the arm is outstanding. If he continues to grow defensively, he could be a top notch rightfielder.
Anybody liking Bruce's defense as much as I am. Has made some very nice plays and the arm is outstanding. If he continues to grow defensively, he could be a top notch rightfielder.
Yes, and I imagine the pitching staff is liking it just as much, esp. considering what they had to endure from our OF D the last several years.
I have seen him play in person twice and both times he nailed a runner at home with a big league throw.
Best arm in RF since O'Neil.........but thats not sayin alot.
"Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard
According to UZR, Jay Bruce has been the best defensive outfielder in all of baseball so far. He currently has a UZR of +9.0. I don't know if he's the best, but he's been very, very good so far. That catch he made on Saturday night was outstanding. It's fun watching him develop into a superstar in all facets of the game.
Bruce's work in RF was shoddy last summer but he seems to have gotten back to his game this year. He was always considered a 'plus' OFer in the minors.
Anyone else see the play where Kearns threw the guy out at the plate, from RF, on a force out! I don't think I've ever seen that before and we're talkin' BIG sample size here.
Jose Guillen had a bazooka when he was with the Reds.
Rem
He has been leaps and bounds better this year no doubt about it. Very pleased with his approach of late as well, you can see he is trying to improve his game and it showing up in the #'s.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
He was moved around a little too much last year, and in the minors.
I could tell the raw material was there, but it was obvious to me that he couldn't get into the comfort zone of playing different fields and angles.
He's got RF down now. Hopefully they'll leave him there if Taveras gets hurt or something. I think they will.
"Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?" ~ Jim Bouton
i would rate the recent Reds arms in RF as:
1. Hamilton/Guillen
2. Kearns
3. Bruce
but now that Bruce can focus solely on RF, he should be a top notch RF for years
Forgot about Hamilton but, yeah, the guy can definately air mail it.
Dave Parker was another one but goes back to a time that many of the posters here don't remember.
Rem
Bruce looks like a guy with a lot of raw talent who is still learning the ins and outs of the position. Last year he was mediocre at best. This year he's been solid. We have to remember that he's spent most of his career in CF.
Add in that arm that helps him make up for perhaps a less than perfect route and I expect him to be even better next year.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
It's been a joy watching Bruce in the field. At times, he seems to have a Dave Parkeresque cannon. And not to beat a dead horse, but it is so refreshing to watch the catchers catch his throws, rather than have them bounce off their chest protectors as their are avoiding the collision.
UZR has to be taken with a grain of salt given the sample size but I think early returns are jiving with the eyes even if we can't yet trust the actual run values.
He's a monster in development and the world had better start looking for cover.
Also concerning Bruce and defense, one way to have approached the roster this off season would have been to pencil Bruce into center (he'd likely be something like a neutral defender there). This would have allowed guys like Swisher to become a real target since his contract wouldn't have prevented Bruce from eventually going back to the corner in a season (or two) nor would it have blocked a potential emergence of Stubbs.
"This isn’t stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner
He has been good, but still prone to lapses in concentration that result in the occasional bobble or drop. Once he eliminates those -- and he's guilty of similar lapses in other aspects of the game -- he will be a truly top-notch right fielder.
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