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How Atlanta Braves position players stack up in the NL East: 2nd base

By Alan Carpenter

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 07: Brian Dozier #6 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides safely into second base against Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning during Game Three of the National League Division Series at SunTrust Park on October 7, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 07: Brian Dozier #6 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides safely into second base against Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning during Game Three of the National League Division Series at SunTrust Park on October 7, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – JULY 05: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves tags out Ryan Braun #8 of the Milwaukee Brewers at second base during a pickoff in the third inning at Miller Park on July 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – JULY 05: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves tags out Ryan Braun #8 of the Milwaukee Brewers at second base during a pickoff in the third inning at Miller Park on July 5, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Keystone?

Why is the second base position sometimes referred to as the ‘Keystone’ or ‘Keystone Corner’?

The source is a bit fuzzy, with some references simply suggesting that second base is simply the ‘key’ to a lot of different aspects of the game, both on offense and defense.

Two ‘leggers’ ‘legging’ a barge out of the 500 yard Barnton Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal near Northwich, Cheshire. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Two ‘leggers’ ‘legging’ a barge out of the 500 yard Barnton Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal near Northwich, Cheshire. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) /

I prefer to architectural reference, since that rings more true to the phrase.

In older stonework architecture, arch designs required special support for both support and strength.

A Keystone would be placed at the top of an arch (see photo) to hold the structure in place.

The practice was brought into the vernacular of culture over the years as an element of strength and support. The state of Pennsylvania, for example, called itself the Keystone State early on.

In baseball parlance, teams like to be strong ‘up the middle’ defensively, and thus that points toward the middle infielders (as the ‘Keystone Combination’) and to the second base position more specifically.

Perfomance Review

With that bit of history behind us, let’s review what second base provided for the NL East clubs in 2018:

  • METS – 4.3 fWAR
  • BRAVES – 3.8 fWAR
  • MARLINS – 2.3
  • PHILLIES – 1.9
  • NATIONALS – 0.7

Now that’s actually a surprising result.  Washington entered the year with Daniel Murphy as the reigning NL MVP, but then he was hurt and played only 56 games for them and was traded to the Cubs.  Not a development that we would have guessed.

Likewise, the Mets were having so much trouble elsewhere on the diamond that you’d figure this would be yet another one of their issues.

However, the production they found at second base was actually 2nd best in the entire National League (well behind the Cubs) thanks to Jeff McNeil and Asdrubel Cabrera (with McNeil actually doing much better on a ‘per game’ basis).

So naturally the team and their new GM felt compelled to go out and trade for Robinson Cano.  Go figure.

The Depth Charts

Here’s how the East teams are currently expected to line up once hostilities begin in earnest in a couple more weeks:

  • BRAVES:  Ozzie Albies (Culberson/Camargo/Florimon)
  • MARLINS:  Starlin Castro (Neil Walker)
  • METS:  Robbie Cano (Jed Lowrie/McNeil)
  • NATIONALS:  Brian Dozier (Howie Kendrick)
  • PHILLIES:  César Hernández (Scott Kingery)

Now for the rankings… and from this list, the order is definitely not obvious.

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