MLB: The All-Average Lineup
By Adam Tabakin
Catcher – Cameron Rupp – 1.6 fWAR, 1.3 bWAR, 419 PA, 99 OPS+
Cameron Rupp falls a bit short of our 1.8 WAR benchmark, but catchers also don’t tend to reach 600 plate appearances in a season. Rupp had an average season by most every measure. His 99 OPS+ (a result of a .252/.303/.447 batting line in a favorable environment) is almost the definition of average. Rupp’s defense was more or less what you’d expect from a typical catcher, and his pitch framing ability rated 12th out of 25 catchers who received at least 5,000 pitches in 2016. Rupp is yet to reach arbitration eligibility, but he is already 28 years old. The Phillies will receive perfectly acceptable production from their catcher in 2017 until Jorge Alfaro is ready to take over.
First Base – Brad Miller – 2.0 fWAR, 1.6 bWAR, 601 PA, 113 OPS+
Brad Miller found his power stroke in his first season with the Rays, as his 30 home runs surpassed his career total from the previous three seasons. The .243 batting average and .304 OBP were nothing special, but Miller’s .482 slugging percentage was surpassed only by Corey Seager and Aledmys Diaz among those who played at least 100 games at shortstop. The problem is that Miller is a very poor defensive shortstop. Following the acquisition of Matt Duffy, Miller moved across the diamond to first base, where he was pretty average defensively over 303 innings pitched. As Miller enters his prime, the bat will play well at a position where more is expected offensively.
Second Base – Josh Harrison – 1.5 fWAR, 1.8 bWAR, 522 PA, 85 OPS+
Across parts of six seasons, Josh Harrison has proven that he is more of an average major league regular than the All-Star and MVP candidate we saw in 2014. After playing all over the diamond from 2011-2015, Harrison settled in as the starting second baseman for the Pirates in 2016. His strong .283 batting average was fairly empty, backed by just 18 walks and 36 extra base hits, resulting in a .699 OPS. Harrison did steal 19 bases in 23 attempts, though, and he was above average with the glove. At 29, Harrison may not be the future at second in Pittsburgh, but he’s more than adequate as a placeholder.
Shortstop – Danny Espinosa – 1.7 fWAR, 1.7 bWAR, 601 PA, 81 OPS+
Even though the Angels acquired Danny Espinosa to be their starting second baseman, Espinosa’s best asset in 2016 was his defense at shortstop. Of course, he was no Andrelton Simmons, who is firmly entrenched at the position in Anaheim. Espinosa flirted with the Mendoza line last season, ending up with a .209 average, but his 24 home runs and decent walk rate let the Nationals stomach his batting in exchange for the glovework. Espinosa’s defense at second base has been solid throughout his career, so similar results can probably be expected in 2017.
Third Base – Yunel Escobar – 1.6 fWAR, 1.6 bWAR, 567 PA, 108 OPS+
Over the last several seasons, Yunel Escobar turned from a very good defensive shortstop into a very poor defensive third baseman. Most teams would prefer more than five home runs from their third baseman, and leadoff hitters tend to do better than 0-for-3 stealing bases. However, Escobar has a strong ability to get on base, as his .304 average and .355 OBP would attest. Escobar’s defense probably isn’t getting any better as he enters his age-34 season, but his bat should make up for those deficiencies for another couple of seasons.