Just a quick graphical comparison between the Pirates’ defense on opening day 2008 and opening day 2009. I used 2008 UZR per 150 games, courtesy of Fangraphs. Keep in mind that there are some sample size issues with these numbers. Many players will be receiving their first opportunity to start regularly this season, and played a limited amount of innings in the field. For example, while Nyjer Morgan had a 5.1 UZR in limited playing time, he probably would not have a 20.5 UZR over a full season. So just take these numbers with a grain of salt.
Since many of the outfielders played multiple positions during the season, I simply used their overall outfield UZR.
When Andrew McCutchen joins the team, the Pirates could have a pretty solid defensive outfield. Keeping Freddy and Jack healthy will also be very important.
