Brian Anderson: Best Defensive CF since 1900...

[Dam8610]

...That is if he keeps playing as well as he has been.

From Baseball Prospectus:

Last week, responding to the struggles of rookie centerfielder Brian Anderson, who is hitting .163/.263/.296 in 157 plate appearances, the ever-unpredictable Ozzie Guillen announced the team was going to stay the course in center. Bolstering Guillen's support was his belief that no one else in the organization "can play center field [well enough] to win a championship."

Usually, such proclamations are based upon a misguided understanding of the dynamics of winning baseball, in that run production is inherently far more valuable than defense, and also easier to accurately evaluate. Last year's White Sox team, however, revealed just how powerful elite defense can be, and thus Guillen's words can't be simply laughed off. Anderson has indeed been horrific at the plate, with a negative 8.8 VORP. Through his first 54 games in center, though, he has saved 10 runs more than the average center fielder by RAA, and 15 more than a replacement glove. Anderson is producing on defense at a RATE of 124, meaning that if he keeps up his current play he'll have saved an astounding 24 runs above the average centerfielder (think the once-spectacular Andruw Jones since 2004) over 100 games. Since 1900, no centerfielder has kept up a 124 RATE for a full season--not Willie Mays, Tris Speaker, Curt Flood, or Jim Edmonds

[Porter]

As much as Anderson has killed the M's Defensively. Im having a hard time believing that he is the best defensive CF ever.

[Dry1313]

No. Nice stats, but umm, he isn't all around. I'd take Willie Mays any day.

[McKain]

Darin Erstad of 2002 is probably the best defensive CF any of us will ever see. He was 29 fielding runs above average that year or something absurd.

(assuming Anderson doesn't keep up this pace, that is)

[McKain]

Ha. Curiously enough, the BP article in which Anderson is mentioned indeed shows that 2002's Erstad has the third base single season RATE by a CF ever, 121, behind only 1987's Eric Davis and 1887's Curt Welch.

[Dam8610]

Well, Anderson only continues to perform very well in CF, and lately, his bat has been justifying his PT. There's no reason he couldn't keep it up, and that would be an excellent defensive season.

[Providence A's]

it's too early in the season to make such a statement IMHO...it just makes me think of the "he's on pace to x, y, and z"

[Porter]

Brian Anderson is not the best defensive CF ever since 1900

[Dam8610]

Brian Anderson is not the best defensive CF ever since 1900

The title is a bit misleading. He has to keep up the pace he was on (not sure if he still is or not) to do so, but if he does, he'll have the best defensive year since 1900.

[Porter]

Probably was a little misleading but i dont know if he can keep that pace up.