Suarez to start ST game at SS

[NachoMan]

I really wouldn't obsess over defensive metrics. They're soooo noisy, and really only useful in retrospect (which some would argue means they are not useful at all).

[M2]

Not according to DRS or UZR. They are at -3 DRS, which ranks them 28th in the league and -13 UZR/150, which ranks them 29th. Suarez is -5 DRS and -22 UZR/150.

https://www.fangraphs.com/teams/reds/stats

So they are quite bad overall and Suarez is historically terrible.

But they are winning. That’s the puzzling part, the re-inventing the wheel part. We’ll see how long this lasts. My guess is that if the defense stays this bad, especially Suarez’s, the winning won’t last.

They're at +3 DRS. Fangraphs doesn't include shift and non-shift positioning numbers. Basically, don't ever use Fangraphs for defense (or WAR). And, once again, they're got a .713 DER. That's the macro, and it's good. They were good last year too (.707, 4th in the NL).

[M2]

I really wouldn't obsess over defensive metrics. They're soooo noisy, and really only useful in retrospect (which some would argue means they are not useful at all).

And the Reds are making them look especially noisy and useless the past couple of seasons.

[757690]

They're at +3 DRS. Fangraphs doesn't include shift and non-shift positioning numbers. Basically, don't ever use Fangraphs for defense (or WAR). And, once again, they're got a .713 DER. That's the macro, and it's good. They were good last year too (.707, 4th in the NL).

No, I will continue to use them, knowing that all defensive metrics are noisy and have extremely high error margins. As the Reds are revealing this year.

DER is too simplistic, not much different from fielding percentage, which no one uses. UZR is waaaaaay to complex and hypothetical, making way too many assumptions. I do like DRS. It's basically the eye test, but for every play and put into numbers. I've used it with satisfying results for years.

Anyway, anyone watching can see the Reds have been bad at defense this year, but have been able to out slug it. They are averaging 6.5 runs a game. If they can keep that up (spoiler alert, they can't) they can hide the bad defense. When that comes back to earth, I expect the losses to build up. Hopefully, the defense gets better by then.

[M2]

DER is too simplistic

That's why it's good. Measures one thing: how many balls in play did you field? Achieves large numbers quickly. The top defenses in the league always rank high in DER. If your DER is good, your overall defense is good. Won't dice up what's underneath worth squat. Doesn't purport to do that. Only gives you the big picture. It's the runs scored of defense.

[mth123]

Looking at any defensive metrics on April 17th is like taking something you read on the bathroom wall as gospel. Numbers are meaningless at this point. It takes years for those numbers to become meaningful.

[Bourgeois Zee]

No, I will continue to use them, knowing that all defensive metrics are noisy and have extremely high error margins.

Statcast defensive numbers are superior, if only because they take in much more information-- the speed of the runner, the shift itself, how hard the ball was hit, et al.

Using any other defensive metric is akin to using BA to chart a player's ability to get on base.

[MoneyInTheBank]

Interesting development:

Bo Bichette, for whom Reds target Marcus Semien was moved off SS, has surpassed Geno for lowest OAA with a -7 (Suarez is at -6). Sitting at -5 is Reds target Didi Gregorius