MLB Network continued their rankings of the best players at each position on Sunday night, looking at right fielders and relief pitchers. Polanco didn’t get ranked by the Shredder (see below for details), but three people on the show gave him a favorable ranking. Earlier in the rankings, Jung Ho Kang got ranked eighth at third base, and Starling Marte was third in left field, with a couple people on the show putting him first overall.
If you saw our previous article today, you know that the Pirates announced that Marte was moving to center field, Polanco was going to left field and Andrew McCutchen will be in right field. This show Sunday night was obviously taped in advance, which is why Polanco was still included. Next Sunday will be the rankings for center fielders and catchers, so unless they taped it already (or they ignore the move), we won’t know where McCutchen would have been ranked by MLB Network in center field. Buster Olney had McCutchen as the fifth best center fielder last month.
These rankings are based on what to expect for the upcoming season. Each show has two hosts who submit their own top tens, plus a panel of experts who give their top ten. The main list for the show though, is submitted by “the Shredder”, which is just their name for the list put together by the show’s researchers based on offense and defense, using “analytic methodology”.
The right field show tonight was hosted by Brian Kenny and Carlos Pena. Bill James, Vince Gennaro, who is the president of SABR, and Mike Petriello, who is a baseball analyst for MLB.com, were the expert panelists. There was also a fan vote for the first time this year.
Polanco was rated fifth by Petriello, seventh by Kenny, and tenth by Pena. James, Gennaro and the Shredder left him off their lists.
Here is the top ten from the Shredder:
1. Mookie Betts
2. Bryce Harper
3. Nelson Cruz
4. Giancarlo Stanton
5. JD Martinez
6. Jose Bautista
7. Carlos Gonzalez
8. Hunter Pence
9. Josh Reddick
10. Stephen Piscotty
The reliever show is currently on right now (10 PM EST). Last year the Pirates had both Mark Melancon and Tony Watson on the list. I don’t expect it, but if anyone makes the list this year, I’ll update this article.