BCB After Dark: Who’s on short?

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the happening hangout for night owls, early-risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. So glad you could join us on this warm night. Let us know if we can do anything for you. There are a few good tables still available. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

The Cubs lost to the Orioles, 4-2, as Baltimore won their ninth-straight game.

Last night I asked you if you gamble on baseball. Eighty-seven percent of you said that you either never or hardly ever bet on baseball. So I guess I’m doing the right thing by ignoring all those press releases about gambling odds that I get in my mailbox.

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning I don’t do a movie essay, but I always have time for some jazz. So those of you who skip that can do that now.

Tonight we’ve got a concert in South Korea from 2017 by the Joshua Redman Trio.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the jazz.

Tonight I’m going to ask an unfair question. Or at least it’s unfair to ask on a Cubs blog. But I don’t care. This is a Cubs blog.

Inspired by this article by Gordon Wittenmyer, I’m just going to ask you: Who is the best shortstop in Chicago?

At first it seems like an easy question. After all, the White Sox Tim Anderson is a two-time All-Star and he’s hitting .317/.357/.424 as of Monday. But if you look at their numbers this year, Nico Hoerner has been the better player. Sure, Hoerner’s numbers at the plate are slightly inferior at .306/.341/.429, but the defensive metrics say that Hoerner has been the superior defender. Anderson rates as an average-to-above-average defender, but Hoerner has ranked out as one of the best defenders in the league.

This is reflected in the two shortstops’ comparative WAR rankings. Hoerner has a 3.0 WAR according to Baseball-Reference whereas Anderson’s is 1.8. The numbers are closer on Fangraphs, but Hoerner is still better with a 2.5 WAR as compared to Anderson’s 2.3

So who’s better? Hoerner has probably been a little better this season, but it’s only half of a season and Anderson has a longer track record of excellence.

So who is the best shortstop in Chicago? Sorry, Abbott and Costello fans, but “I Don’t Care” is not an option.

Thank you so very much for stopping by. If you checked anything with us, we’ll get it for you now. If you need us to call a ride for you, let us know. Get home safely. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for another edition of BCB After Dark.