LOS ANGELES – It often requires high-level math to attempt to determine the value and efficiency of a major league defense. It also necessitates a certain reliance on observer-coded data concerning balls in play, thus making any conclusions subject to the biases or imperfections that are inherent in almost any quantitative study.
In other words, it’s easier to count errors than to determine measurement error.
Even easier: put down the laptop and watch the Giants for nine innings, including their 3-1 loss at Dodger Stadium in Sunday, and you’d probably conclude that their defense has gone from an asset in 2016 to an issue in 2017.