Embrace the challenge!
That needs to be the battle cry of every Twins fan hoping to find enjoyment in a 2013 season that promises to be jam-packed with challenges.
None of those well-documented challenges — starting pitching, the bullpen, improving infield play at every position other than first base — figures to be more exciting than the ability of the starting corner outfielders to track down balls hit in their direction.
Let's cut to the chase: Josh Willingham and Chris Parmelee lack speed and range, meaning the starting center fielder better be able to cover a lot of ground.
The newest wave in baseball statistics is finding ways to measure range and defensive proficiency at every position. One of the newer numerical measures combines a variety of statistics to measure runs saved.
A year ago then-Twins center fielder Denard Span was a plus-20 when measured against what the average outfielder would save, according to statistics compiled by Baseball Info Solutions. Span's rating was the third-best figure among American League outfielders. Ben Revere, the starting right fielder last season, was a plus-9, the 11th-highest ranking in the AL. The Twins traded both Span and Revere during the offseason for much-needed pitching.
The short-term effects of those trades will be, uh, challenging. Willingham, last year's starting left fielder, returns, along with his minus-15 rating that tied him for 146th among 149 AL outfielders. Parmelee, in limited outfield playing time, compiled a minus-1, which would have computed to a minus-9 had he played 1,200 innings.
Willingham has proved capable of catching most balls hit at him. Parmelee played a fair amount of outfield in the minors, and one year was charged with five errors in 33 games, an alarmingly high total if prorated over 162 games.
