This is a post introducing and explaining NERD scores for position players. I’m including the results first and then the background, methodology — all that junk — second.

Curious as to what NERD is? The short answer is: it’s a number, on a 0-10 scale, designed to express the “watchability” of position players for those of the sabermetric persuasion.

For more information, consult the index right after the results.

The Results
Here are the current top-20 position players by NERD:

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During the summer of 2010, I coined the phrase “The Danks Theory” for a lineup strategy employed by Tampa Bay Rays’ manager Joe Maddon. After having little success against changeup artists like Dallas Braden, Shaun Marcum, and of course, John Danks, Maddon went against the natural platoon split and began starting more like-handed batters against these types of pitchers. The intention behind this method appeared to be neutralizing his opponent’s best weapon, which was thrown more to batters of the opposite hand. The strategy actually dates back to 2008 when Maddon started six naturally right-handed batters and had two switch-hitters bat from the right side against Mike Mussina.

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Mets 9, Pirates 8

Moving the Needle: Ruben Tejada takes home on a passed ball, +.180 WPA. Remember two nights ago, when the Pirates got like six straight lucky breaks and took the lead against the Mets? Well, the baseball gods apparently felt bad about that whole ordeal and decided to turn the tables in yesterday’s game. The Pirates jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, and in the third they scored their seventh run. The Mets started the comeback in the bottom half when Carlos Beltran belted a three-run shot off the facing of the second deck in left-center. It was in the sixth when the Mets would get their breaks. They worked for the runs, no doubt, riding a double and two walks to a bases loaded, two outs situation. Two singles made it 7-6. Chris Resop came in to relieve Paul Maholm, and on the first pitch he kinda missed the target — though it was just to the other side of the plate. In any case, Dusty Brown missed it, and it hit off his glove, bouncing far enough away that Tejada scored easily, tying the game. Tejada would later hit the go-ahead sac fly. He drove in three in the game.

Notables

Neil Walker: 2 for 5, 1 HR. After a hot start to his sophomore season he’s been pretty mediocre since. Even on his current seven-game hit streak he’s just 10 for 30 with a double and that homer.

Also in this issue: Rangers 7, Indians 4 | Nationals 6, Diamondbacks 1 | Twins 8, Royals 2 | Mariners 8, Rays 2 | Giants 12, Cardinals 7 | Astros 7, Padres 4

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Rumors swirled this offseason about whether or not, and to whom, Michael Young might be traded. The Rangers didn’t seem to have a real position for him and his bat wasn’t projected to profile in the designated hitter spot. Young had accrued 9.134 years of service entering the season, meaning he was on the cusp of attaining 10 and 5 rights. If the Rangers intended to make a move, it was about to get very difficult given what these rights entail.

Anyone with ten years of service time, of which at least the last five were spent with the same team, earns the right to veto any trade. Here we’ll look at some players who previously earned the rights; some who have earned them this season; and some who will earn them this season barring circumstances unforeseen.

On May 7, Young attained these rights. For service time purposes, a full season is considered to be 172 days. With 134 already logged for his tenth year of service (the 134 in 9.134), he needed only 38 days on the active roster to reach this point. Fortunately for the Rangers, Young has played very well this season, producing a .376 wOBA and 1.4 WAR in 55 games. He has remained above average even in his decline year and appears to be on pace for his best season since 2006. Young is owed $16 million in each of the next two seasons, which would make it tough to move him in the first place.

Now that he has the ability to veto any trade it seems to be a virtual lock that he will finish out his contract with the Rangers. He isn’t the only player to earn 10 and 5 rights over the last couple of weeks.

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Over the past week and a half, the reaction to Buster Posey’s season-ending injury produced a lot of sanctimony, as pundits have gone back and forth between deploring that one of baseball’s brightest young stars would miss the year, and deploring the hypocrisy that previous catcher injuries have not brought about debate about a rules chance. Amidst all the blather and debate about rules, though, Billy Beane’s Athletics have suggested a team-oriented way forward. Beane effectively ordered his catcher, Kurt Suzuki, to avoid injury:

I said to him, “I don’t want you planting yourself in front of the plate waiting to get creamed. You’re an Athletic catcher — be athletic. … I don’t want to lose you for six months.”

To me, this seemed like a remarkable public admission: I can’t remember another baseball executive telling the press that he instructed a player to try to prioritize avoiding injury. In a blog post yesterday, Buster Olney suggested that the greatest impact of Beane’s move may the fact that he’s providing public cover to Suzuki. Suzuki publicly agreed with the plan and described his future approach to plays at the plate in strategic terms, as he explained to the San Jose Mercury-News: “If I have a feeling it’s going to be a bang-bang play, and I’m putting myself in a vulnerable position, I’m not going to stand in front of [the runner]… If I think he’s going to slide, then I’ll take my chances.” Now that Beane has gone to the press, more players will be able to save face in baseball’s macho culture while avoiding injury, making it seem like sound baseball strategy rather than selfishness or cowardice — more like Rogers Hornsby and less like Roger Dorn.
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After a brutal start to the season, including an ERA over 5.00 and an 0-5 record, Ubaldo Jimenez appears to be righting the ship following Wednesday’s complete game shutout victory over the Dodgers. Jimenez looked much more like himself on Wednesday, recording seven strikeouts and only allowing four baserunners, all on singles. His fastball scraped 96 MPH in the ninth inning on his 104th and 106th pitches, an excellent sign for a pitcher who has struggled with his velocity all season long. Does this start represent a turnaround for Jimenez?

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After collecting a double and a home run last night in a White Sox victory, career backup Brent Lillibridge is sporting a very un-backup-like .307/.387/.662 batting line. Add in some excellent outfield defense and a declining Juan Pierre, and some are clamoring for an every-day job for the slight former middle infielder. Would his performance hold up in such a role?

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The Yankees have a problem with their offense, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at the aggregate numbers. They not only lead the AL in scoring, but they are the only team that has scored more than five runs per game. Their lead over the next closest team is nearly a third of a run. Their team .345 wOBA leads the majors, and even with a park adjustment their 117 wRC+ leads as well. They are the only team that has three players with double-digit home runs, and two of those players rank in the top four. Pick any offensive measure and they’re sure to grade out at or near the top. So where’s the problem? Strangely enough, it involves the one position reserved solely for hitters.

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Joe Pawl had an excellent piece on Adam Dunn’s continued slump earlier this week, discussing how Dunn’s slump has cost the White Sox a few wins off its record and projection so far this year. His article got me thinking: What exactly is wrong with Dunn this year? Dunn has normally been a model of offensive consistency, hitting at least 38 home runs each of the past seven years — but this year, his power has disappeared, he’s striking out at a higher rate and his balls in play aren’t falling for hits. What gives?

Since it’s so early in the season, it’s easy to say that this is just a slump and Dunn eventually will break out of it. He still only has 200 plate appearances this season — far from the 550 plate appearances needed before power rates stabilize — and as Jesse Wolfersberger talked about a month ago, Dunn had an early season appendectomy that likely threw off his start to the year. The larger sample of success trumps the smaller sample of struggles.

But as the sample gets larger, I can’t help but ask myself: What if that’s not the case? Are there reasons to think this struggle could be more than just a slump?

I think there is, based on two main reasons. But you can decide for yourself.

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Larry Bernandez has the day off.

This edition of One Night Only contains:

1. Expanded previews for three games: San Francisco at St. Louis, Houston at San Diego, and Tampa Bay at Seattle.

2. Pitcher and Team NERD scores for every one of tonight’s games.

3. Actual videos from MLB.com (as commemorated earlier in the pages of this site’s enthusiastic little brother).

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