Yes, it can be difficult to believe that Alex Gordon is really among the most valuable fielders in the game. Not to mention one of the most valuable, period. It can be difficult to believe that Gordon would be nearly as valuable – according to our newfangled metrics, I mean – if he played center field rather than left, or that real center fielders wouldn’t be just as valuable as Gordon if they played left field.
But then you see Logan Morrison do something like this ... and then just a few hours later you see Alex Gordon do something like this:
and you think, “Oh, maybe Gordon’s actually making a bunch of plays that most guys just wouldn’t make. Even the good center fielders.”
That’s possible, right? I mean, the guy was once considered the greatest college baseball player in the land, and later was the top prospect in the minor leagues. Maybe he’s just a truly superb athlete who found his home, defensively. Maybe he really is the second-best player in the American League.
