"Before signing IKF, signs were pointing toward Marcelo Mayer staffing third base, with different reports predicting Nick Sogard, or a Romy Gonzalez/David Hamilton platoon at second. My gut was telling me that IKF was the better option, defensively. Romy could bedazzle us from time to time, but he made me nervous. Hamilton doesn't pass the eye test either and bounced down to Worcester accordingly. Same with Sogard."
"At second base in 2024, across two leagues (playing for both the Pirates and the Blue Jays), IKF had a fielding percentage of .990 which was above the MLB average of .984. IKF's Rtot was 5 runs above average that year at second. Though he played only 56 games (376 innings) at that position, Baseball Reference extrapolates 17 Rtot over 1,200 innings (roughly 135 games, if he were slotted in there). Not bad."
"In 2025 for the Blue Jays, over 13 games at second base, IKF's fielding percentage was a glorious 1.000, though in a small sample size. His true Rtot was 1, extrapolated to 34 over 1,200 innings. Looking at the same Baseball Reference stats for Romy in 2024 with the Red Sox, we have: 130.1 innings at 2B, .964 fielding percentage compared to .983 league average, Rtot of -4, and Rtot extrapolated over 1,200 innings: -32. Ouch."
IKF projects as a defensive upgrade at second base using fielding percentage and Total Zone (Rtot) measures. In 2024 across two teams he posted a .990 fielding percentage (above the .984 MLB average) and a Rtot of +5, extrapolated to +17 over 1,200 innings. In 2025 he recorded a 1.000 fielding percentage in 13 games with a true Rtot of 1, extrapolated to +34. Romy Gonzalez produced weaker defensive numbers in 2024: 130.1 innings at second, .964 fielding percentage (league .983), Rtot -4, extrapolated to -32 over 1,200 innings. Sample size caveats apply.
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