Is Center Field Becoming Baseball’s Ultimate Defensive Fortress?
The Yankees’ decision and the hazy view of the game’s best center fielders ultimately trace back to the changing priorities in selecting center fielders. The crucial catbird’s seat in the grass appears to be increasingly defense-first. Soon, it might look akin to catcher without the gear.
Offense vs. defense, speed vs. slug. Tradeoffs have always been part of the calculus of who plays where and how often. The measures for defensive performance just couldn’t honestly be lumped in with calculus for the vast majority of baseball history. It was something more like your blind grandmother’s biscuit recipe. Scribbles, lore, gut.



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