Lott: Numbers say Lawrie’s defence helping Jays win

Huge Lawrie…take it to the house!

Using that guideline, Brett Lawrie is responsible for a win all by himself, without even picking up a bat. Lawrie leads all third basemen with 12 runs saved. Last season, in just 43 games, his defence saved 14 runs, according to the DRS findings.

Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay led all third basemen last year with 22 runs saved.

“Lawrie’s on pace to destroy that. He’s on a fantastic pace,” said Ben Jedlovec, a BIS research analyst, whose recent article for ESPN.com focused on the Jays’ defence.

...While many fans regard Jose Bautista as an elite right-fielder, the DRS ratings say he is slightly below average. This year he has earned a -3. Last year he wore a -7.

“His range is actually pretty bad,” Jedlovec said. “It’s among the worst in baseball for right-fielders the last few years. But his arm and ability to throw out runners and prevent them from taking the extra base, that’s what saved him almost as many runs as he’s lost with his range.”