Hey everyone. So, I read an article today that asked the question, which is the better Giants infield? The projected infield they will run out on Opening Day 2016, or the last time the Giants had an all-homegrown infield in 1993? The purpose of this is comparing these two all-homegrown infields. One could argue that the 2000 team had a better infield with J.T. Snow, Jeff Kent, Rich Aurilia and Bill Mueller, or the 2002 team, which was the last San Francisco Giants team to play in the World Series until 2010, which had Snow, Kent, Aurilia, and Pedro Feliz, but the key here is HOMEGROWN. In 1993 and in 2016, each projected starter was drafted and developed by the Giants organization. Snow was acquired by the Giants in a trade with the California (now Anaheim) Angels following the 1996 season, Kent was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians also following the 1996 season, and Aurilia was acquired in a trade with the Texas Rangers in 1994. Mueller and Feliz were both homegrown players with Mueller being drafted by the Giants in the 15th round of the 1993 MLB Draft and Feliz being signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic by the Giants in 1994. So that disqualifies 2000 and 2002 from the conversation.
Moving on, let's take a look at that 1993 infield along with their 162 game averages:
1B - Will Clark (.303 Batting Average, 178 Hits, 36 Doubles, 4 Triples, 23 Home Runs, 99 RBI, 77 Walks, 98 Strikeouts, .384 On Base Percentage, .497 Slugging Percentage)
2B - Robby Thompson (.257 Batting Average, 147 Hits, 30 Doubles, 5 Triples, 15 Home Runs, 57 RBI, 55 Walks, 123 Strikeouts, .329 On Base Percentage, .403 Slugging Percentage)
SS - Royce Clayton (.258 Batting Average, 146 Hits, 28 Doubles, 4 Triples, 8 Home Runs, 56 RBI, 43 Walks, 109 Strikeouts, .312 On Base Percentage, .367 Slugging Percentage)
3B - Matt Williams (.268 Batting Average, 163 Hits, 29 Doubles, 3 Triples, 33 Home Runs, 106 RBI, 41 Walks, 118 Strikeouts, .317 On Base Percentage, .489 Slugging Percentage)
A few notes of interest, 1993 was Clark's worst statistical season (.283, 14 Home Runs, 73 RBI) and final season with the Giants. It also broke a string of 5 straight All Star selections for Clark (1988-1992). Thompson had his best statistical season in 1993 (.312, 19 Home Runs, 65 RBI) and was an All-Star selection for the 2nd time in his career (1988, 1993). Williams would go on to hit 43 Home Runs in only 112 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season. At the time of the strike, Williams was on pace to hit 61 Home Runs which would have tied the then single-season record set by Roger maris in 1961. Williams would then be part of the trade with Cleveland in 1996 bringing Jeff Kent to San Francisco.
And now let's look at the 2016 infield with their 162 game averages:
1B - Brandon Belt (.271 Batting Average, 143 Hits, 33 Doubles, 5 Triples, 18 Home Runs, 69 RBI, 58 Walks, 145 Strikeouts, .347 On Base Percentage, .456 Slugging Percentage)
2B - Joe Panik (.309 Batting Average, 188 Hits, 35 Doubles, 4 Triples, 8 Home Runs, 52 RBI, 51 Walks, 70 Strikeouts, .364 On Base Percentage, .419 Slugging Percentage)
SS - Brandon Crawford (.246 Batting Average, 130 Hits, 27 Doubles, 5 Triples, 12 Home Runs, 65 RBI, 49 Walks, 116 Strikeouts, .313 On Base Percentage, .383 Slugging Percentage)
3B - Matt Duffy (.292 Batting Average, 164 Hits, 27 Doubles, 5 Triples, 11 Home Runs, 75 RBI, 27 Walks, 97 Strikeouts, .331 On Base Percentage, .415 Slugging Percentage)
So there's the comparison. Now, let me explain why I used the 162 game average. That way we could put together an average season for each player, rather than using a single season performance. For example, as noted above, 1993 represented Will Clark's WORST statistical season, while 1993 represented Robby Thompson's BEST statistical season. Brandon Crawford set a single-season high in 2015 with 21 Home Runs. Both Joe Panik and Matt Duffy have less than 2 full years of Major League experience. So the average seemed like the best and most fair way to put these 2 groups side by side.
Now, the 1993 infield had more power (79 Home Runs vs. 49) mainly due to Clark and Williams. On Base Percentage is largely the same (1.342 vs. 1.355) so that takes into account Hits, Walks, and Batting Average. Strikeout numbers are right about the same (448 vs. 428). Offensive numbers don't really do much to separate either group it would seem.
What about defense? Will Clark won a Gold Glove in 1991, Robby Thompson won 1 in 1993, and Matt Williams Won 3 in 1991, 1993, and 1994 (this is just in the NL. Williams also won an AL Gold Glove with Cleveland in 1997). Of the current group, only Crawford has won a Gold Glove finally receiving the honor in 2015. Belt is largely considered one of the best defensive First Basemen in the game, though in his 5 years of experience, the Gold Glove has been awarded to Joey Votto (2011), Adam LaRoche (2012), Paul Goldschmidt (2013 & 2015), and Adrian Gonzalez (2014). So defensively the edge might go to 1993, but you also have to account for the era and the players playing at that time. For example, would Clayton have won a Gold Glove had he not been playing at the same time as Ozzie Smith and Barry Larkin? Would Clark have won more than one Gold Glove had he not been playing at the same time as Mark Grace? One could argue that Crawford deserved the Gold Glove earlier in his career, but the award went to Andrelton Simmons in 2013 and 2014. Joe Panik could receive Gold Glove consideration. Unfortunately for Matt Duffy, he plays the same position as Nolan Arenado, who is unquestionably the best Third Baseman in the NL, if not all of Major League Baseball.
How about experience? The 1993 team had a little more, with both Clark and Thompson entering their 8th seasons, Clayton entering his 3rd, and Williams entering his 7th. In 2016, Belt and Crawford will each be entering their 6th seasons, while Panik and Duffy will each be entering their 3rd. Not that experience matters that much, but by 1993 we already had a pretty good idea what 3/4 of the Giants infield was bringing to the table, while the 2016 infield is still developing.
I have to admit, I can't pick one. There is a certain nostalgia about the 1993 team for me which was made up of childhood heroes. 1993 was Barry Bonds' first season in San Francisco, the Giants had 2 20-game winners (John Burkett and Bill Swift), and became the only NL team in the divisional play era to win 100 or more games and not make the playoffs in the last great pennant race. 1993 was the year I learned to hate the Atlanta Braves. That same nostalgia could also be applied to the 2016 team as this group has been part of the last 2 Giants' World Series championships in 2012 and 2014.
So there you go folks. If you had to choose between the 1993 Giants infield and the 2016 infield, which would you pick? And why?
