A- Errors By Position

It's time for another installment of minor league error leaders. I've already done similar posts for higher levels of minor league baseball: AAA errors by position, AA errors by position posts, A+ errors by position, and A errors by position. Today’s post is about Low A (or Short-Season A) baseball. There are only two leagues at this level: the Northwest League and the New York-Penn League. The Northwest League plays a 76-game schedule and the New York-Penn League plays a similar number of games. These leagues are intended to allow teams to break in college draftees judged too experienced for rookie level leagues while also providing a place for players stuck in between rookie ball and regular A ball. Not every major league organization has a team in Low A ball as the two leagues combined have only 22 teams. The organizations not represented are Atlanta, Chicago (AL), Cincinnati, Kansas City, Los Angeles (AL & NL), Milwaukee, and Minnesota.

A- Pitchers

A- Pitchers Sorted By Most Errors
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
David Stokes	Oneonta	DET	24	4	.833
Jarred Holloway	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	22	4	.818
Wilber Bucardo	Salem-Keizer	SFG	21	4	.810
Stephen Procner	Aberdeen	BAL	16	4	.750
Martin Perez	Spokane	TEX	14	4	.714
Israel Camacaro	Boise	CHC	12	4	.667
Christopher Schwinden	Brooklyn	NYM	11	4	.636
Eduin Ciriaco	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	7	4	.429
8 tied with				3

A- Pitchers Sorted By Lowest FPct. (minimum 10 total chances)
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Christopher Schwinden	Brooklyn	NYM	11	4	.636
Israel Camacaro	Boise	CHC	12	4	.667
Martin Perez	Spokane	TEX	14	4	.714
Stephen Procner	Aberdeen	BAL	16	4	.750
Joel Carreno	Auburn	TOR	13	3	.769
Simon Castro	Eugene	SDP	13	3	.769
Matthew Nevarez	Spokane	TEX	13	3	.769
Aaron Odom	Aberdeen	BAL	15	3	.800
George Brown	Batavia	STL	10	2	.800
Marquis Fleming	Hudson Valley	TBR	10	2	.800
NWL Pitchers			1316	93	.929
NYP Pitchers			1893	140	.926
A- Pitchers			3209	233	.927

Since these leagues play only about half as many games as the other levels covered so far, I've adjusted the minimum chances needed for the fielding percentage list. It's hard to tell with pitchers since their threshold was set so low anyway, but it'll become more apparent at other positions. It's a little strange that no pitcher stood out as worse than the rest, though Eduin Ciriaco didn't have a great year with the glove.

A- Catchers

A- Catchers Sorted By Most Errors
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Derek Norris	Vermont	WSN	422	10	.976
Travis Howell	Everett	SEA	425	8	.981
Jordan Pacheco	Tri-City (NWL)	COL	404	8	.980
Miguel Fermin	Jamestown	FLA	513	6	.988
Mitch Abeita	Staten Island	NYY	452	6	.987
Caleb Joseph	Aberdeen	BAL	434	6	.986
Carlos Perez	Boise	CHC	368	6	.984
Travis D'Arnaud	Williamsport	PHI	367	6	.984
Logan Gelbrich	Eugene	SDP	229	6	.974
3 tied with				5

A- Catchers Sorted By Lowest FPct. (minimum 200 total chances)
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Logan Gelbrich	Eugene	SDP	229	6	.974
Derek Norris	Vermont	WSN	422	10	.976
Julio Rivera	Vancouver	OAK	227	5	.978
Jordan Pacheco	Tri-City (NWL)	COL	404	8	.980
Robert Alcombrack	Mahoning Valley	CLE	265	5	.981
Travis Howell	Everett	SEA	425	8	.981
Jason Castro	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	224	4	.982
Michael Brenly	Boise	CHC	233	4	.983
Travis D'Arnaud	Williamsport	PHI	367	6	.984
Carlos Perez	Boise	CHC	368	6	.984
NWL Catchers			5485	74	.987
NYP Catchers			9618	129	.987
A- Catchers			15103	203	.987

Now you can probably tell about the total chances minimum being adjusted downward. Both leagues have the same fielding percentage at catcher. I don't think that's happened at any other level so far. Note that there are two different Tri-Citys. I've noted their league in parentheses.

A- First Basemen

A- 1B Sorted By Most Errors
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Phil Disher	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	601	16	.973
Xavier Scruggs	Batavia	STL	535	12	.978
Anthony Smith	Yakima	ARI	518	10	.981
Michael McDade	Auburn	TOR	339	10	.971
Matthew Clark	Eugene	SDP	326	10	.969
Tyler Moore	Vermont	WSN	591	9	.985
Dusty Napoleon	Vancouver	OAK	549	9	.984
Dennis Guinn	Spokane	TEX	496	8	.984
Brock Simpson	Mahoning Valley	CLE	393	8	.980
4 tied with				7

A- 1B Sorted By Lowest FPct. (minimum 200 total chances)
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Matthew Clark	Eugene	SDP	326	10	.969
Michael McDade	Auburn	TOR	339	10	.971
Jahdiel Santamaria	Staten Island	NYY	254	7	.972
Phil Disher	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	601	16	.973
Tom Baxter	Aberdeen	BAL	232	6	.974
Xavier Scruggs	Batavia	STL	535	12	.978
Brock Simpson	Mahoning Valley	CLE	393	8	.980
Jared Bolden	Spokane	TEX	204	4	.980
Anthony Smith	Yakima	ARI	518	10	.981
Robert Blauer	Eugene	SDP	320	6	.981
NWL 1B			5697	85	.985
NYP 1B			9299	139	.985
A- 1B			14996	224	.985

Phil Disher (nice name) has a comfortable lead atop the errors leaderboard. I also like Xavier Scruggs' and Dusty Napoleon's names. The two leagues have had identical fielding percentages at catcher and at first base. I wonder if they'll stay close at the rest of the positions.

A- Second Basemen

A- 2B Sorted By Most Errors
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Luis Nunez	Everett	SEA	241	14	.942
Jason Ogata	Spokane	TEX	238	13	.945
Mike Gosse	Oneonta	DET	268	12	.955
Carlos Vazquez	Auburn	TOR	114	11	.904
Michael Diaz	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	135	11	.919
Isaias Velasquez	Mahoning Valley	CLE	218	11	.950
Tom Edwards	Aberdeen	BAL	91	9	.901
Jonathan Del Campo	Auburn	TOR	194	9	.954
Michael Ross	Hudson Valley	TBR	255	9	.965
David Adams	Staten Island	NYY	315	8	.975

A- 2B Sorted By Lowest FPct. (minimum 100 total chances)
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Carlos Vazquez	Auburn	TOR	114	11	.904
Michael Diaz	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	135	11	.919
Luis Nunez	Everett	SEA	241	14	.942
Jason Ogata	Spokane	TEX	238	13	.945
Isaias Velasquez	Mahoning Valley	CLE	218	11	.950
Jonathan Del Campo	Auburn	TOR	194	9	.954
Robert Phelps	Mahoning Valley	CLE	110	5	.955
Mike Gosse	Oneonta	DET	268	12	.955
Jake Smolinski	Vermont	WSN	117	5	.957
Zach Gentile	Lowell	BOS	127	5	.961
NWL 2B			2901	106	.963
NYP 2B			4864	176	.964
A- 2B			7765	282	.964

This really underscores how out there Ryan Adam's 46 errors in A ball are. Nunez's 14 errors in A- ball came in only half the number of chances it took Ryan Adams to reach 46 errors. I expected error rates to get worse as levels descended, but Adams' terrible season broke up the pattern. Also worth noting is that playing time seems spread out more among players - not many players spend an overwhelming majority of their teams' games at one position. Whether that's because teams are encouraging versatility or want to get a better look at their roster, I'm not sure, but it's how more than one player on a team can show up on the list at the same position.

A- Third Basemen

A- 3B Sorted By Most Errors
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Bryan Pounds	Oneonta	DET	180	24	.867
Andrew Fie	Yakima	ARI	235	24	.898
Steven Souza	Vermont	WSN	139	22	.842
Jeremie Tice	Mahoning Valley	CLE	128	19	.852
Matthew West	Spokane	TEX	179	19	.894
David Flores	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	142	18	.873
Tyler Kolodny	Aberdeen	BAL	189	18	.905
Nate Tenbrink	Everett	SEA	137	17	.876
Cody Overbeck	Williamsport	PHI	169	17	.899
Rodney Rutherford	Vancouver	OAK	87	16	.816

A- 3B Sorted By Lowest FPct. (minimum 60 total chances)
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Rodney Rutherford	Vancouver	OAK	87	16	.816
Francisco Tirado	Vancouver	OAK	79	14	.823
Steven Souza	Vermont	WSN	139	22	.842
Matthew Payne	State College	PIT	98	15	.847
Patrick Rose	Tri-City (NWL)	COL	74	11	.851
Jeremie Tice	Mahoning Valley	CLE	128	19	.852
Derek Shunk	Eugene	SDP	66	9	.864
Bryan Pounds	Oneonta	DET	180	24	.867
Leance Soto	Auburn	TOR	102	13	.873
David Flores	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	142	18	.873
NWL 3B			1729	194	.888
NYP 3B			2901	326	.888
A- 3B			4630	520	.888

Those are some ugly fielding percentages. Both leagues are the same once again, but I don't think they'll be bragging anytime soon. Rodney Rutherford, half of Vancouver's duo of disaster at the hot corner, just missed becoming the first position player to make the list with a fielding percentage below .800.

A- Shortstops

A- SS Sorted By Most Errors
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Joel Staples	Jamestown	FLA	307	23	.925
Brandon Douglas	Oneonta	DET	218	21	.904
Jeff Hulett	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	109	18	.835
Colt Sedbrook	Batavia	STL	191	18	.906
Jason Christian	Vancouver	OAK	257	18	.930
Robi Estrada	Hudson Valley	TBR	272	17	.938
Dani Arias	Vermont	WSN	135	16	.881
Ronald Ramirez	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	217	16	.926
Lonnie Chisenhall	Mahoning Valley	CLE	224	16	.929
Ryan Flaherty	Boise	CHC	248	16	.935

A- SS Sorted By Lowest FPct. (minimum 100 total chances)
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Jeff Hulett	Tri-City (NYP)	HOU	109	18	.835
Dani Arias	Vermont	WSN	135	16	.881
Brandon Douglas	Oneonta	DET	218	21	.904
Colt Sedbrook	Batavia	STL	191	18	.906
Domnit Bolivar	Batavia	STL	112	10	.911
Chase D'Arnaud	State College	PIT	151	12	.921
Anthony Phillips	Everett	SEA	198	15	.924
Thomas Field	Tri-City (NWL)	COL	199	15	.925
Justin Parker	Yakima	ARI	120	9	.925
Joel Staples	Jamestown	FLA	307	23	.925
NWL SS			2952	182	.938
NYP SS			4824	330	.932
A- SS			7776	512	.934

Shortstops in the two short-season leagues had an easier time of it than did their brethren at the hot corner. Obviously they managed to cumulatively field in the .900's. You might recognize Domnit Bolivar's name from the third baseman list in the A ball post. He committed 23 errors at the hot corner for Quad Cities in the Midwest League. His 10 errors for Batavia took place in only 25 games.

A- Outfielders

A- OF Sorted By Most Errors
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Brian Van Kirk	Auburn	TOR	69	8	.884
Kevin Mattison	Jamestown	FLA	163	8	.951
Frederick Parejo	Batavia	STL	115	7	.939
Bartolo Nicolas	Auburn	TOR	111	6	.946
Quincy Latimore	State College	PIT	117	6	.949
Ryan Blair	Mahoning Valley	CLE	128	6	.953
9 tied with				5

A- OF Sorted By Lowest FPct. (minimum 200 total chances)
Name	Team	Org.	TC	E	FPct.
Frederick Parejo	Batavia	STL	115	7	.939
Bartolo Nicolas	Auburn	TOR	111	6	.946
Quincy Latimore	State College	PIT	117	6	.949
Raymond Kruml	Staten Island	NYY	100	5	.950
Kevin Mattison	Jamestown	FLA	163	8	.951
Ryan Blair	Mahoning Valley	CLE	128	6	.953
Jeremy Barfield	Vancouver	OAK	112	5	.955
Tyson Gillies	Everett	SEA	129	5	.961
Ciro Rosero	State College	PIT	133	5	.962
Welington Dotel	Everett	SEA	108	4	.963
NWL OF			3431	98	.971
NYP OF			5932	187	.968
A- OF			9363	285	.970

Thanks to the abbreviated season, the outfielder with the most errors didn't even crack double digits. Brian Van Kirk did his part in making sure the Auburn outfield was a treat for Toronto pitching prospects to pitch in front of. Overall, though, outfielders did about as well in A- ball as their comrades a level up in A ball.