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New Statcast Leaderboard Rates David Bote’s Defensive Value in Top Third of MLB

Maybe David Bote’s defense in 2019 wasn’t as bad as some metrics suggested. According to Statcast’s new infield defense leaderboard, Bote actually had a good season.

Going into 2019, Bote’s defense was considered a strength because of an admirable pre-game routine and Gold-Glove-level DRS and UZR scores (13.4 UZR/150). Last season, however, Bote’s DRS and UZR dropped far below league average (-4.7 UZR/150), indicating reduced range in addition to the more obvious botched routine plays.

But Statcast tells us Bote’s defensive value ranked better than 72% of qualified infielders last season.