BALTIMORE -- For whatever reason, Royals Gold Glove first baseman Eric Hosmer can't seem to impress the alleged advanced defensive metrics such as Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) or Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), which always seem to score him as a below-average defender.
But scouts, coaches and teammates believe those measures are misguided and inaccurate, and furthermore, don't present the whole picture of Hosmer's defense.
As one American League scout said, "He's as good as there is. Period. If you don't believe that, you're not watching the game very closely. Could his range to his glove side be a little better?