Fielding Bible 2024 voting, how Strat voted and how that affects the LBB projections
If you would like to review all of the 2024 SIS Fielding Bible voting results, here is the link to go to that page: https://www.sportsinfosolutions.com/2024/10/28/2024-fielding-bible-awards-ballots-voting-tally/
When I make my projections for the fielding ratings, the voting for the Fielding Bible is not yet published. In a way, that’s good because it is mostly my opinion and the opinion of the Strat mangers that I contact for help with the fielding. Sometimes, I do try to be a ‘mind reader’ and try to guess at what Strat may do with the fielding ratings based on the won-lost record and how the player is used on defense.
The catchers:
I believe that I did ok with the top ten in the fielding bible list. I rated all of those guys 1's except for Bo Naylor. Strat’s picks for the #4, 5 and 6 spots are not in the top ten. Naylor was one that Strat didn’t vote for so he’s probably a 2. I figure the missing picks for Strat are Vazquez, Rutschman and Realmuto. I projected 2's for Vazquez and Realmuto.
First base:
I didn’t give out as many 1b-1's as I did for the catchers. Strat voted for Walker, Olson, Santana and Lowe at 1b. I guess Lowe will be a 1 and I projected a 2. Strat’s #5 and #6 picks are not listed. I suspect those are Goldschmidt and Rizzo. I projected 2's for both of those guys. The rest of Strat’s top ten were Harper, Freeman, Mountcastle and Busch. I projected 2's for those guys. Toglia and Mountcastle are 5 and 6 in the fielding bible voting overall and I’d say they both have a shot at a 1b-1. LaMonte Wade finished 10th in the fielding bible voting and I projected a 1b-3. I’d say he’s got a shot at a 1b-2. Vlad finished 11th overall and I projected a 1b-4 which is probably going to change to a 1b-3.
Secondbase:
Strat voted for 9 of the top 10 and their #9 selection is missing. I bet it went to Nicky Lopez who has always been a Strat fielding favorite, and rightly so. I was sort of worried with projecting Otto Lopez as a 2b-1. He was 4th on Strat’s list. Brandon Lowe did not get any fielding bible votes because he didn’t make the cut on innings played. Gelof and Rodgers probably drop to 2b-3's. Isiah Kiner-Falefa shows up as finishing 10th and 11th at 2b in the fielding bible voting. He also got a ton of votes in the multi-position category so I’m going to stay with my 2b-2 projection for him.
Third base:
Nolan Arenado finished 4th overall in the fielding bible voting and was Strat’s 5th pick. I projected a 3b-2 and it’s looks like he’s got a good shot at returning to a 3b-1. I projected a 3b-1 for Ernie Clement and he finished 9th in the voting without getting any support from Strat. I’d downgrade my projection to a 3b-2/ss-3 based on this. O. Cabrera to a 3b-3, Bohm to a 3b-4, Suarez to a 3b-3 and Westburg to a 3b-3, they may all drop by 1 in their projected ratings. A few managers questioned giving Josh Rojas a 3b-1. He finished 8th overall and was the #6 pick for Strat.
Shortstop:
There are a lot of 1's and 2's at ss. I believe I did pretty well with the shortstop position. Jeremy Pena only received 10 points and is surely a ss-2 unless the missing #5 vote of Strat was for Pena. I projected a ss-1 for Kim and he only received 5 points in the voting. He’s most likely a ss-2. One omission is that Willie Adames didn’t get a single vote at ss and I wonder if his ss-2 rating could be at risk? The Giants just signed him for 7 years as their ss but the talk of him moving to 3b makes me wonder.
Leftfield:
It looks like I blew it with my lf-3 projections for both Verdugo and Gurriel. They’ll both be lf-2's and I bet Verdugo could be a lf-1. Brandon Nimmo finished 9th overall and was left off of the Strat top ten list. I wonder if he could drop to a lf-3?
Centerfield:
Aaron Judge didn’t get any votes for the fielding bible. I had projected a cf-2, lf/rf-1 but I have my doubts about that projection now. At best, it would seem that a cf-3, lf/rf-2 might be a more fitting rating. I based that original projection on Judge’s fielding reputation and the Yankees going to the World Series. It didn’t help that Judge dropped that ball in cf when the wheels came off of the Yankees defense. Also, Harrison Bader didn’t get a single vote in cf and he may be destined to drop to a cf-2. There are a lot of young players on the cf fielding bible list and the entire top ten should be cf-1's. Kyle Isbel only got 8 votes and he’s at risk of dropping to a cf-2 from my projection of a cf-1.
Rightfield:
Tyrone Taylor was projected to be an of-2. I’ll revise that to a cf-2, rf/lf-1. I had projected Jonny Deluca to be an of-2 and I’ll change that to a rf-1, cf/lf-2. I really blew it with Suzuki of the Cubs. I projected a rf-4 but he finished 10th in the fielding bible voting and 7th on Strat’s list. I’ll have to upgrade him to a rf-2. Adolis Garcia only got 2 votes and he’s on target with the projected rf-3.
Multi-Position:
It is interesting to note that Strat picked Dubon #1, Betts #2, Rafaela #3, and Kiner-Falefa #6. I would expect that these guys would all have some better fielding ratings just based on the voting. Varsho got half of the first place votes in this category and finished first overall. Dubon finished 4th overall and second with 4 first place votes so I’m expecting my projection to hold up for him with the of-2, 2b-2, 1b-3, 3b-3 and ss-3.
Overall, I believe that I did fairly well. The Strat fielding ratings should be out soon and then we’ll know for sure. For me, I’ve been holding out trading because I’m waiting on the range ratings preview. I have a few holes to fill on three teams and those are important enough to me that I don’t want to gamble with the fielding, the free agency signings and the trading that has yet to happen. For example, I have Kim on the Padres and Swanson. Kim’s value will go up for trading if he pulls out a ss-1, and if he signs with a team to play 2b, I’ll keep him. So I’m on hold with him. Good luck trading and getting ready for your drafts.
The Fielding Bible voting, Hal’s voting and the LBB Projections for 2023
The fielding projections have always been the toughest item to predict in the new Strat-o-Matic card set. I remember years ago, waiting on line at Strat and after one of the first people on line got their cards, a cry went out that “Lopes is a 1!” A true shocker at the time. For you younger guys, Davey Lopes, the Dodgers second baseman in the late 70’s wasn’t a gold glove caliber defender. So, yesterday, I got a look at the Fielding Bible voting. I am always most interested in how Hal voted since that will impact the Strat cards sometimes more than the overall voting. It is a glimpse into how the game company is viewing the defense of specific players. This is my assessment of Hal’s Fielding Bible voting and how that might impact my projections. My predictions for a change happening range from 75% to 25%. There aren’t many sure things when it comes to the subjective fielding range ratings in Strat.
First Base:
Carlos Santana finished second in the Fielding Bible (FB) voting and I projected him to be a 1b-1. He was Hal’s 7th pick at first base. I’d say there is a 33% chance he could drop to a 1b-2, and that is still better than he’s been in the past. Nate Lowe finished 6th overall in the FB voting and was Hal’s #2 pick. I projected a 1b-2 and now it’s a 75% chance that he get the 1b-1, especially with Texas winning the World Series. Freddie Freeman was projected to be a 1b-2 after getting a 1b-3 last year. He finished 8th overall on the FB list and was Hal’s #5 pick. That gives him a 50% chance to become a 1b-1 again! Yandy Diaz has become a good first baseman. He finished 10th on the FB list but wasn’t in Hal’s top 10. I might expect him to drop to a 1b-3 again, after I projected a 1b-2 and that’s a 50/50 proposition. There’s a 33% chance that Dominic Smith bumps up to a 1b-2 after I projected a 1b-3. The rest of the guys at 1b should be close to what I projected. Pete Alonso may be the biggest surprise here for me. I projected a 1b-4 and Hal didn’t vote for him. Two of the 16 voters gave Alonso high marks and that propelled him up the list. Is a 1b-3 out of the question? Probably not.
Second Base:
Bryson Stott is 4th on the FB list and Hal’s 3rd pick. As soon as I saw this I instantly looked at Trea Turner. I projected both to be 2’s, and instead, we’ll most likely see Stott as a 2b-1 and Turner as a ss-3. It should have the same impact on the Phillies team pitching. Chances for Stott to be a 2b-1 are about 75%. Luis Arraez had an amazing season. His defense at 2b didn’t hurt the Marlins too badly. He’s 7th on the FB list but doesn’t appear in Hal’s top ten. That doesn’t bode well for the 2b-3. I would brace myself for a 50% chance at a 2b-4. Thairo Estrada is 8th on the FB list. He’s Hal’s 6th rated defender at 2b. There is a 67% chance that he’s a 2b-2. Jose Caballero was a savior for the Mariners at 2b after Kolten Wong struggled so badly. Caballero is 9th on the FB list and not in the top ten for Hal. I give him a 33% chance to drop to a 2b-3. Mauricio Dubon is 10th on the FB list and Hal’s 10th pick. I only felt comfortable projecting a 2b-4 for Altuve when I projected Dubon as a 2b-2. It looks like he’ll get that 2b-2 now.
All the way down to #11 on the FB list is Ozzie Albies. Orlando Arcia isn’t even on the shortstop list. The Braves won way too many games for the Braves team to go into a Strat replay and win 104 games. I don’t see how Albies could drop below a 2b-2 but it is worth considering, if you’re going to deal for him.
Third Base:
For years, I heard grumbling about how Derek Jeter kept getting a ss-1 only because he was a Yankee, and Strat loved him. I couldn’t argue that point but I could defend the ss-1 since the Yankees were winning a lot in those days. Fast forward to Austin Riley who is not in Hal’s top ten and will probably not get a great fielding rating once again. I projected a 3b-2. He’s #4 on the FB list. I’m betting that there is a 50% chance he drops to a 3b-3. And like Albies and Arcia, how can the Braves manage 104 wins in a replay if they don’t have a strong defense. I was worried that Nolan Arenado would drop to a 3b-2 but held onto the belief that Strat values defensive reputation over numbers. Arenado is 7th on the FB list and #5 on Hal’s list. He should hold onto the 3b-1. I projected a 3b-1 for Eugenio Suarez and he’s now a 67% chance to drop to a 3b-2. Andruw Monasterio is a 33% chance to drop to a 3b-3. Ildemaro Vargas and DJ LeMahieu were both projected as 3b-2 defenders, and both have a 50% chance to drop to a 3b-3.
Shortstop:
Swanson ran away with the shortstop voting as everyone’s top pick! Anthony Volpe finished 4th on the FB list and was Hal’s 9th pick. I projected a ss-1 for this rookie and his chances of dropping to a ss-2 are 33%. Bobby Witt was left off of Hal’s list and he finished #9 on the FB list. He did make improvements in 2023. I projected a ss-2 and he’s more likely to be a ss-3 now in the Strat set. His chances to keep the ss-2 are only 33%. Javier Baez looked better in 2023 on defense. He was left off of Hal’s list too. I projected a ss-2 and it looks like he’ll have a 50% chance to drop to a ss-3.
Not in the top ten and not even getting a single vote was Orlando Arcia. He’s got about a 75% chance to drop from a projected ss-2 to a ss-3. The Twins won a lot of games and Carlos Correa has a 50% chance to hold onto his projected ss-2 rating. Trea Turner has a 50% chance to drop to a ss-3, and even though he looked challenged on defense early in the season, I hoped that the Phillies winning record would help him carry the ss-2. JP Crawford has a 33% chance to drop to a ss-3, McLain has a 33% chance to drop to a ss-3, Allen has a 75% chance to drop to a ss-2, Bogaerts has a 50% chance to drop to a ss-4 and Jorge Mateo has a 33% chance to lose his ss-1.
I don’t know who Hal voted for with the 6th and 10th pick. Bichette finished #11 on the FB list and his first ss-3 is looking like a solid projection.
Left Field:
Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. finished 3rd in the FB voting and was Hal’s 5th pick. I had him projected as a lf-3 but he’s got a 75% chance to be a lf-2, and maybe even a 25% chance to be a lf-1. Arozarena is 5th on the FB list and Hal did not have him in their top 10. I projected a lf-3 and he’s got a good chance to be a lf-2. Nolan Jones is 6th on the FB list and Hal did not vote for him either. I have him projected as a lf-2 and there is a slight chance he could drop to a lf-3. David Peralta is 7th on the FB list and was Hal’s 7th pick. I projected a lf-3 and I’d give him a 33% chance to get the lf-2. I worry about rating Peralta too high since Eddie Rosario is 9th on the list, and that doesn’t make sense to me.
Ian Happ and Eddie Rosario were not in Hal’s top ten. I’ll leave their projections as a lf-2 and a lf-4. Chris Taylor picked up 3 votes and I projected a lf-2, which should still be fair since he’s got a good reputation with Strat in left field.
Centerfield:
Cedric Mullins finished 4th on the FB list and had no vote from Hal. I’ll stick with the cf-1 but wouldn’t be completely shocked if he was a cf-2. Kyle Isbel is 5th on the FB list and was Hal’s 5th pick. He’ll be a cf-1 and I projected a 2. I projected the trio of Harrison Bader, Trent Grisham and Jose Siri to be cf-1’s. If Hal’s two missing top ten votes went to some of these guys, they probably hold onto the cf-1. The 1’s are all iffy at this point but all are sure cf-2’s as a minimum.
Brandon Marsh only got 3 votes for cf. He lost his starting job out there to Johan Rojas. I don’t believe that Marsh will lose his cf-2 projection but I would keep that in mind if you were going to deal for him. He’s still going to be a lf/rf-2.
Right Field:
First off, it looks like there may be a shortage of rf-1’s in this year’s card set. Tatis, Garcia and Betts are sure rf-1’s. Alex
Verdugo finished third on the FB list and 3rd on Hal’s list. I still don’t see him as a rf-1. I’ll give him a 90% chance to be a rf-2 and just 10% to be a rf-1. I always liked Ramon Laureano for his defense. He is 5th on the FB list and 6th for Hal. He’s got a 67% chance at a rf-2. Max Kepler was someone that I was on the fence about concerning his rf-1 chances and I projected a rf-2. He’s 10th on the FB list, 5th for Hal and I would say he’s got a 75% chance to be a rf-1 again. Most of the other projected rf ratings seem to align well with the voting. Aaron Judge is not on the list since he missed so much time. I’m going to stay with my rf-1 projection for him
Catchers:
I believe that in the past I was more concerned about the catcher’s arm than his range rating. In recent years, the range rating has become more important with the ability to block the plate on throws home. I believe that I did fairly well with the catchers. I did project Will Smith to be a c-2. He’s 7th on the FB list and absent from not only Hal’s list, but 3 other lists. I’ll stick with the c-2. I projected both Langeliers and Vazquez to be c-2’s. Their lack of FB votes prompts me to consider them as having a 25% chance to be c-3’s.
Pitchers:
Jack Flaherty is 9th on the FB list and he’s got a shot at a 1e0 pitcher rating. He’s still not pitchable in most leagues and his Strat card needs the help.
In conclusion, I believe that I did fairly well with the fielding range projections. It’s a tough to try to project what someone else is thinking. Again, thanks to all of the input from subscribers who helped me with the fielding ratings. I enjoyed all of the feedback that I received.
Good luck with your trading and drafting, John