Blue Jays’ Pillar offers major defensive value

When Kevin Pillar first reached the MLB level, prospect evaluators tended to agree on the type of player he would become. Most saw him as a future fourth outfielder with modest tools but solid intangibles that would give him a chance to carve out a role with the Blue Jays.

The 32nd round pick had been older than the competition at multiple levels and despite his great minor-league numbers, he did not capture the imagination of the scouting community.

In a general sense these evaluations have not been off the mark so far. Pillar has yet to distinguish himself with the bat, producing a .249/.279/.383 line in 267 plate appearances in the big leagues. He has flashed solid hitting ability at times, but his impatient approach (60 strikeouts against just eight walks) has held back his offensive development.

But there’s one area where Pillar may have been seriously underestimated: his defence. This is not altogether surprising, since it’s notoriously difficult to evaluate a player’s defensive contributions, especially in the minor leagues where more advanced metrics are unavailable.

Pillar has been sold to Blue Jays fans as a dependable defender, but a closer look shows that might be quite the understatement, as he showed in Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Before delving into his fielding data, it’s important to note that Pillar’s MLB career represents a fairly small sample size, as he has appeared in only 98 major-league games. However, in that time he’s impressed by both traditional statistics and advanced measures like Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved.

The chart below prorates those numbers to 1000 innings in approximation of a full season (plus in brackets where those numbers would have ranked among MLB outfielders in 2014):

Once again it’s important to use caution when it comes to making big conclusions based on small samples of defensive data. These statistics have to be taken in context and combined with the eye test. But Pillar has lent them credibility by making some outstanding plays in the field this season.

One area where he has truly excelled so far in 2015 is throwing out runners. He’s the only player in the league who already has three outfield assists, perhaps his most impressive coming at the expense of Adam Jones.

Pillar has to venture deep into the gap to his left and make a spinning throw in order to retire Jones, a relatively speedy runner. The ball was not directly on target, but it arrived quickly enough for Devon Travis to finish the play.

Not only has Pillar been throwing the ball well, he has also robbed hits from opposing hitters with regularity by doing whatever was necessary to come down with a catch.

Against Chris Davis that meant sustaining a heavy collision with the wall to prevent an extra-base knock.

A couple of days later, Pillar showed the wherewithal to cradle his glove to his chest as it slipped off his hand to stop the ball from coming free.

Pillar appears to have a knack for coming down with big catches, but it’s hard to claim he’s proven that’s a skill he can replicate over a long period of time. Instead, what he has demonstrated is expansive range that will grant him more chances to make difficult plays, even if sometimes they are just out of his reach.

A good example of this ability to cover ground came on a ball hit by Jones. Respecting the Orioles slugger’s power, Pillar played him to deep left-centre only to rush in and steal a single.

Many outfielders would have let that ball drop in front of them without a second thought, but Pillar got an excellent jump and made an inning-ending catch.

While the Blue Jays await the return of Michael Saunders, they are undoubtedly missing offensive punch Pillar can’t replicate. What he can do is continue to show a level of eye-opening defensive proficiency many never expected him to possess.

Pillar’s bat will likely determine his role as a big leaguer going forward, but both advanced metrics and highlight reels agree his glove demands respect.