Under the Radar, On Top of the League

I was just noticing, with the help of beyondtheboxscore.com, what a special year Rafael Furcal is compiling completely under the radar. At first glance -- .316 BA, 8 HR, 36 RBI -- the 5'8" Dominican is hitting for average and not much else. In fact, that considerably under-values him.

At .316/.381/.492 with 18 of 22 steals and plus defense, Furcal is authoring a deceptively historic season. Add to that the offense-dampening effect of Chavez Ravine and Furcal climbs a few rungs on the impressive ladder. Despite missing 35 games with injuries, the former Rookie of the Year is nonetheless the most valuable Dodger position player in 2010 and the most valuable shortstop in the NL, with a WARP (wins against replacement player) of 3.3 in what amounts to only half a season of work. (In both cases, this is damning with faint praise -- like being the warmest city in Siberia. Dodger position players and NL shortstops have reached a level of underwhelment unusual for both.)

Here's the most shocking news: according to baseball-reference.com, this is the best offensive season ever by a Dodger shortstop with at least 250 plate appearances, in percentage terms, as measured relative to league averages. He has performed 37% better offensively than the average National Leaguer, which is pretty amazing for a shortstop. Pee Wee Reese made the Hall of Fame without reaching these heights once, though by playing in a more congenial park and answering the bell for every game, he certainly posted more impressive numbers, such as 132 runs scored in 1949.

Of course, players contribute nothing to their teams when they're on the shelf, so missing a fifth of the season has to count against Furcal at least a little. But if he maintains this pace, his 2010 will rank among the most sublime, and least recognized, of all time.

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