From the Handbook: Defensive Runs Saved

On Monday I took note of the "runs saved" by position for the Twins. As a team, the Twins had 28 runs saved -- and 27 of them came from centerfield.

A few pages deeper into the book we get to the individual leaders. Byron Buxton had 24 runs saved in center -- most of any individual center fielder in baseball, but not the most of any outfielder. Mookie Betts, who plays right field for the Red Sox, had 31.

So there were another three runs saved by the others who played center for Minnesota -- mostly Zack Granite and Eddie Rosario.

The worst center fielder by this metric? #OldFriend Denard Span, who cost the San Francisco Giants 27 runs last year. A lot of things went wrong for the Jints in 2017. An aging Span in the middle of that big outfield was one of them.

The only other Twins to appear among the leaders in runs saved in 2017 are Joe Mauer, seventh at first base (7 runs saved) and Jason Castro, tied for ninth at catcher (10). But no Twins were among the trailers -- not even Aldaberto Mejia, who struck me as perhaps the worst fielding pitcher I've ever seen in a Twins uniform.