Minnesota Twins: Nothing But Raindrops Will Fall In Boston This Week
The Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox have some of the best fielding outfielders in the game. Here’s how they stack up in their upcoming series.
The Minnesota Twins outfield has a saying about their outfield philosophy: “Nothing falls but raindrops”. That may be the case during the whole series they play against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park this week, as two of the best outfields in baseball battle head to head.
The Twins outfield doesn’t let much fall.
The Twins boast the best defensive outfielder in the game, according to defensive wins above replacement, in Byron Buxton. Buxton currently leads all major league outfielders in the statistic, boasting a 1.6 mark so far in 2017. Buxton also carries a .990 fielding percentage, which is good for ninth in the league at his position. He ranks third in the league among center fielders with 196 putouts.
The Twins, overall, have a great outfield. Max Kepler is also ninth in the league at his position in fielding percentage with a .983 mark. He has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage when playing center field when Buxton is taking a rest. Eddie Rosario ranks 11th in left fielder fielding percentage with a .970 number. Those three combined have made just seven total errors so far this season.
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The Red Sox outfield is pretty efficient themselves.
It’s hard to overlook an outfield talent like Mookie Betts. He is currently second in the league in outfielder defensive WAR with 1.4 to him name. He is first in putouts among right fielders and has four outfield assists to his credit. Betts won his first Gold Glove award last season, while being named the MLB Defensive Player of the Year.
Jackie Bradley Jr. has done his part in the Boston outfield, manning center field with an outstanding .993 fielding percentage. He has made just one error and has chipped in with three outfield assists. Andrew Benintendi has a .976 fielding percentage to go along with his position leading six outfield assists from left field. The Red Sox regular outfielders have seven errors total, the same as the Twins regulars.
Overall, both outfields have great defensive prowess.
Both outfields will be a headache for the opposing offense this week. Buxton, Bradley and Betts all rank among the top in Range Factor Per Game at their respective positions. Buxton ranks first among center fielders, while Bradley ranks fifth. Betts is the best among right fielders. There won’t be much falling in the Fenway outfield this series unless some precipitation roles in.
Next: Big Series For Twins In Boston This Week
Look for this to be an exciting series, defensively. There will be wall balls fielded with close plays at second base, along with some diving catches and big throws to home plate. While both teams have shown they can handle the lumber, their leather is about to impress spectators who attend the games or tune into them on television.