Matt Chapman of the Oakland Athletics has played only 21 games in the majors and has already made a splash defensively, saving eight runs at third base. He is tied for third in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) out of all third basemen this season despite only playing 186 innings.
This comes as no surprise to us at Baseball Info Solutions. Since 2016, Chapman has saved more runs at his primary position in Double-A and Triple-A than any other player. At third base, Chapman saved 24 runs in 2016 for the Midland RockHounds and Nashville Sounds and saved another 10 this season for the Sounds.
Chapman is the only Minor League DRS leader who is on Baseball America’s Midseason Top 100 Prospects list (No. 94). The next prospect to look out for defensively might be the number four prospect on the Marlins (according to Baseball America), Brian Anderson, who we could see late in 2018. He has saved the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, formerly the Jacksonville Suns, and the New Orleans Baby Cakes a combined 26 runs at third base since 2016.
On the other end of the spectrum is Jaycob Brugman, who was called up by the Athletics at the beginning of June and has already cost his team five runs in center field. This also comes as no surprise as he was one of the worst minor league defensive players at his primary position. Since 2016, he cost the RockHounds and Sounds 26 runs in center field.