When the Giants announced they acquired outfielder Braden Bishop on a waiver claim Monday, I immediately knew they added a premium defensive outfielder.
I haven’t seen Bishop make more than five spring training catches in center field and I haven’t talked to a scout about his range, but I know all about his ability to go up and get a ball.
Ten years ago, Bishop –a two-sport star at St. Francis (Mountain View)– won the wide receiver of the year award in the West Catholic Athletic League. His signature moment, a game-winning touchdown catch against St. Ignatius, came on a fourth and goal prayer in which Bishop climbed the ladder, high-pointed the football and broke the hearts of a bunch of high school kids.
I was one of them.
A linebacker who put the “weak” in weakside, I watched helplessly from across the field as Bishop beat our defense’s double coverage. A decade later, I haven’t forgotten the pit I felt in my stomach after seeing Bishop make the grab on our home turf, but it’s become a little easier to deal with knowing my Wildcats were beat by a professional athlete.
It’s also a little easier knowing who Bishop is and what he stands for.
I’m as guilty as anyone of evaluating players based on the numbers on their baseball card, but to do that with Bishop would be doing a disservice to a person who could easily become a fan favorite if given the chance to don a Giants uniform.
During a six-year stint in the Mariners organization, Bishop showcased the type of perseverance, resilience and character that should make Giants fans proud to see him back home. He dealt with tragedy when his mother, Suzy, died after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease in October, 2019, but founded the 4MOM charity and has devoted countless hours to helping families who have been affected by the disease.
His younger brother, Hunter, the Giants’ first round pick in 2019, idolizes Braden and considers him a tremendous source of inspiration, in large part because of the way Braden lives a life based in kindness and positivity.
In the baseball world, players who become available on waivers aren’t often top contributors or immediate impact players. Braden will report to Triple-A Sacramento and with the Giants likely to make a handful of 40-man roster moves in the next few months, it’s uncertain if he’ll have the chance to play a major league game for his hometown team.
Even if Bishop doesn’t end up helping the Giants this year, his homecoming is a reminder that baseball is more than a business and players are more than the numbers they post.
As Bishop gets a fresh start, we get a fresh perspective.
Down on the farm
Shortstop Marco Luciano is the highest-ranked prospect in the Giants’ organization by multiple outlets, but there’s a different teenage sensation who’s leading the San Jose Giants’ offense.
Outfielder Luis Matos, 19, is off to an outstanding start with the franchise’s Low-A affiliate as he’s now 18-for-47 (.383) with two home runs, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases and a 1.003 OPS.
The most impressive aspect of Matos’ hot start is that he went 1-for-13 to begin the year before collecting 17 hits in his next 34 at-bats. His average ranks fourth among all Low-A West hitters while his five doubles tie him for fourth in the league.
A pair of Giants’ pitching prospects were named the Pitcher of the Week at their respective levels as righty Caleb Kilian continues to dominate for High-A Eugene while right-hander Matt Frisbee tossed the first six innings of a no-hitter for Double-A Richmond.
In 14 2/3 innings this season, Kilian, a former Texas Tech pitcher, has given up just eight hits and allowed one walk while racking up 22 strikeouts.
Frisbee, who is surrounded on Richmond’s staff by intriguing pitching prospects such as Sean Hjelle and Sam Long, has been the Flying Squirrels’ top arm this month as he’s allowed only two baserunners in 11 shutout innings to open the season.
Statcast Study
Entering the 2021 season, the two biggest question marks surrounding the Giants were whether their starting rotation was deep enough to succeed in a tough National League West and whether a defense that was way too leaky during spring training could plug up all the holes.
So far, so good.
The Giants’ starting pitchers are the primary reason the club has been in first place in the NL West for three weeks while a defense that ranks among the best in baseball has given its staff every reason to pitch to contact.
Of the 91 major league players with at least one Out Above Average –a range-based fielding metric that accounts for the number of plays made and the difficulty of them– five are Giants players.
Mauricio Dubón, their super utility weapon who has played center field, shortstop and second base, is the team’s leader in Outs Above Average with five, placing him among the top 10 fielders in the league in this category. Brandon Crawford, a three-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop, didn’t make his first error of the season until the ninth inning of Monday’s 6-3 win and is tied for 10th in the majors with four Outs Above Average.
A Giants outfield that doesn’t always feature players known for their gloves has also been quite good as Mike Yastrzemski and Mike Tauchman each rank among the top 15 outfielders in Outfield Jump, which calculates feet saved or lost on outfield plays due to direction or route. Steven Duggar, who has only had 24 outfield attempts this season, has two Outs Above Average, while Austin Slater, who is new to center field this season, also has two.
Coaches and players will be the first people to remind everyone that defensive metrics are far from perfect and often a crude way to measure an individual’s defensive abilities, but the numbers Statcast has tracked this season are worth pointing out because they align with the eye test. Generally speaking, the Giants have been one of the strongest defensive clubs in the big leagues this season and nearly every position player who sees the field on a regular basis has added value.
Even Darin Ruf, who spent three seasons as a DH in the Korean Baseball Organization, has contributed lately as he made a sliding catch in the right field corner at Oracle Park a few weeks ago before picking up his first two outfield assists since 2013 in a Saturday loss in Pittsburgh.
More than a quarter of the way through the season, the Giants’ starting rotation and their defense have answered questions. There are still big concerns the team must address (e.g. the bullpen), but Statcast data indicates the defense has exceeded expectations.
The Link LonkMay 19, 2021 at 01:30AM
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/18/sf-giants-hq-new-outfielder-offers-fresh-perspective-defense-an-unlikely-key-to-hot-start
SF Giants HQ: New outfielder offers fresh perspective, defense an unlikely key to hot start - The Mercury News
https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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