Which Player would you play at SS?

MARCO SCUTARO ss3 E 19
IAN DESMOND ss2 E25

BEST DEF is

tks for advice

Going strictly by the defensive ratings (not knowing the quality of the offensive card) I would take the 2 defender as he is more likely to turn more double plays for you. The E rating is marginally worse.

A 1 Infielder theoretically gives up no hits on groundball X chances (though they do at times due to range dropping when runners held and he is responsible to cover the base)


A 2 infielder will give up 10% singles, a 3 infielder 20%, and so on.


A SS over the course of a season gets around 200 fielding chances (or x chart chances)--so a 3 SS will give up 20 more singles roughly than a 2 SS in 162 games. (I actually use 189 as a benchmark which is 7 chances per roll *3*9--- 2nd base would be 6*3*9 or 162 chances in 162 games--this assumes 648 plate appearances on average for each spot in the lineup, which is a little low but easier for me to figure as each card has 216 card chances per roll--times 3 to get to the 648 rolls for a season -- times 9 players)


At SS I tend to consider something like a 3e7 roughly equivalent to a 2e27, essentially substituting 20 errors allowed for 20 singles allowed over 162 games, though the 2 fielder also will have more opportunities for the result to be a DP if possible.


In your example the 2 fielder is the best defensively by a good bit--but the 3 may be the better overall player if he is a good enough hitter to more than make up the difference in defense.


I went hunting--and it looks like the 2011 season-I didn't play that season but I think would favor Scutaro , setting him "remove for defense" not only for late inning defense --but to have a few less chances of injury to Scutaro when you have a lead.

well put...thank you