Eric Sogard Providing Cubs Negative Value as Statistically Worst Hitter in MLB
This is a post about Eric Sogard the baseball player, who is the worst hitter in MLB according to Statcast. I know baseball is tough and if someone were writing a post about me being the worst at my job, I’d give the biggest “F you” possible. But the Chicago Cubs are in first place and they need a second baseman, so we have to discuss Sogard’s monumental struggles.
Going into Friday’s game against the Cardinals, Sogard is batting .237 with one homer, a .256 wOBA, and 62 wRC+ over 128 plate appearances. Even though a handful of players have a lower wRC+ and have been worth less than Sogard’s -0.2 fWAR, no other hitter in MLB has a worse expected wOBA than the .226 posted by the Cubs infielder. He has legitimately been the least effective hitter in MLB.
Sogard’s defense also is a problem, as almost 80% of second baseman rate better than him according to outs above average. His -2 OAA ranks 35th out of 41 qualified keystone players and is tied for 83rd out of 97 players who’ve had at least 10 attempts at second this season.
When he does happen to reach base, Sogard has cost the Cubs 1.8 runs. That is, an average runner is worth 1.8 runs more than Sogard has been. He can’t even run to first properly at this point.
There is a lot to unpack here 😂 pic.twitter.com/LWLtVuZQiP
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 6, 2021
Financial matters aside, the Cubs can’t even afford to roster the worst second baseman in the league, let alone give him regular starts. Other Cubs players deserve more help. Kris Bryant has earned more chances with runners on base. Adbert Alzolay needs a better defender behind him. Anthony Rizzo should be getting better throws from second base on double plays. Fans deserve better awareness.
Even with a number of other infielders on the IL, there are better options out there. They call it “replacement level” for a reason, and replacing Sogard with just about anyone else would make the Cubs a better team.