Amed Rosario has had an up-and-down season to date as he has shown the potential of being a star shortstop in this league while also dealing with his fair share of struggles.
While I think everyone knew he wasn’t a finished product on the offensive side of the equation, the more disappointing part is that his defense doesn’t appear to be either.
On the year, the 22-year old has -6 DRS and -1.4 UZR in 459 innings at the position.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s much better than the alternatives at the position.
However, he really has not lived up to the hype that surrounded him at all on the defensive side. Scouts had said that his defense alone would be good enough to make him an everyday shortstop and that he could rival the elite shortstops defensively, such as Andrelton Simmons (7 DRS and 4.8 UZR this season).
Instead, as evidenced by his dropped throw that allowed Ian Happ to advance to third on a stolen base last night, the team has seen a work-in-progress that has only shown flashes of his talent.
That’s not to say that he won’t ever live up to the hype on the defensive side of the ball, but right now, he is still making his fair share of miscues.
The most discouraging part, though, at least to me, is the lack of range he’s shown. My reason for saying that is because that’s not something that really is going to change a whole lot by increased major league reps in all likelihood.
If he was just making mental errors, which he has made his fair share of too, I’d attribute his struggles to his inexperience.
His range, though, is not something that should be affected by his continued development and is a trait that usually only gets worse with age.
Whatever the case, though, Rosario’s defense has simply not lived up to the expectations that, although possibly unrealistic, were set for him when he was in the minors.
