"Bad Metrics to the Left"

In the first game of this series with the Haloes, one of the mumblebums in the Yankees' television booth was talking about how well Gio Urshela had played for the Bronx team.

Surprisingly good hitter, with even a little pop...excellent fielder...

But then, no doubt after being passed a note from the GM's box, our brave observer remarked that apparently Gio had "bad metrics to the left, bad metrics, apparently, going to his left."

Bad metrics to the left. It almost matches the rhythm of that old Steve Gibbons Band song, "No Spitting on the Bus."

Well, overshadowed by Judge's heroics and that epic Yankees rally in the 10th, last night was a typical Gio game, full of small but vital contributions. 

Needing a run to tie the game in the 8th, he reached down to get a Wandy Peralta sinker out of the strike zone, and hit a duck snort into centerfield, plating the evener. Next inning, playing first base, he made a terrific play on a bunt, to cut down the lead runner at second and extend the game for the thrilling conclusion the Manfred Man always guarantees.  

Gio plays nearly every position for the California Angels of Anaheim near Los Angeles. Much like, say, IKF. Or an IKF who can hit.

Of course, Urshela always hit for the Yanks, .292/.335/.480/.815 in his 3 seasons. Even if the 21 home runs, 34 doubles and .314 average he ran up in his first year, 2019, was maybe a juiced-ball mirage, he was a pretty consistent hitter.

And a terrific fielder, as we saw when he slung himself into the visitors' dugout and preserve a Yankees playoff spot in 2012.  Oh, sorry: that was going to his right.

But Cashman said he was no good to his left, and Cashman is an honorable man—I guess.

So last year, he bettered the OPS of his replacement, Jackie Donaldson, by 50 points, .732-.682.

But Cashman said he was no good to his left, and Cashman is an honorable man.

Last year in Minny, Urshela fielded third at a .983 clip in 136 games there, making all of 6 errors and turning 25 double-plays—I guess all of them on balls hit down the line.

Jackie fielded third at a .961 clip, with 17 DPs and 12 errors in just 104 games. BUT, he did have 310 chances to Gio's 343, which comes out to a few more per game.  

How much of a difference did that make?

Well, baseball reference put Donaldson's defensive WAR at 0.8—as opposed to 0.7 for Gio. And calculated that Donaldson saved 7 runs more than the average third baseman—as opposed to 4 more for Gio.

Yep.  

That's what the (theoretical) difference comes down to: 3 runs. Over the course of a full season, that's 1 more run Donaldson saved in the field every 54 games.  More than negated, methinks, than Gio's offensive WAR of 2.8, compared to -0.1 for Jackie.

But hey, that was then, this is now.  And we can rest assured that Donaldson is still going to his left more effectively than Gio Urshela.

Going to his left for his beer, going to his left for a burger, going to his left for a magazine, as he sits and watches the Yankees game at home on TV, and hears all about his superior metrics to the left.