Baltimore Orioles: J.J. Hardy Remains Near Bottom For Shortstops
By Nate Wardle
2. Toronto Blue Jays – Troy Tulowitzki, Darwin Barney, Ryan Goins
Preseason prediction – 2nd, Troy Tulowitzki, Darwin Barney, Ryan Adams
I predicted that Tulo would not be able to stay healthy, but remarked that if he did, the Jays would be spoiled by his power and defense. Well, Tulowitzki started 128 games at age 31, hitting .254/.318/.443 with 24 HRs, 21 2Bs, 79 RBIs and 54 runs. By Tulo standards, this is a down year, but right about what Gregorius had for the Yankees. He compiled a 2.2 oWAR, which is nothing flashy. However, it is the defense of Tulowitzki that kept him in second. His dWAR of 1.8 proved how good he is defensively, even on the tricky Rogers Centre turf.
Tulowitzki’s range numbers were right around league average, but he saved 14 runs for his team during the season, third most at the position. He also had the third-best fielding percentage at the position in the AL.
Darwin Barney and Ryan Goins had 18 and 16 starts respectively as Tulo dealt with some injuries down the stretch after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. Barney, as mentioned previously, was excellent as a utility player, and Goins played the sound defense that he is known for at this point.