Why Spencer Steer Isn’t a Gold Glove First Baseman Just Yet

While Spencer Steer has looked pretty good with the glove over at first base for the Cincinnati Reds, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a good first baseman. Let me explain.

Steer has put together a nice season defensively. After having moved around the diamond in search of a position to call his own, Steer has landed at first for the Reds and done well. He is fourth in MLB with seven Defensive Runs Saved and sixth in MLB with five Outs Above Average.

On top of the numbers is the eye test. Steer has covered the right corner of the infield very well. His diving catch in the ninth inning of Monday night’s game in San Diego was a beauty. 

There’s one area where Steer is lacking, though, and its a big one.

Steer is particularly precarious at scooping throws from other infielders.

This is the one skill first basemen need that no other position really works on. We have seen it plenty of times this season. If a throw is even a little off, Steer is not getting it. Whether that be stretching to get the ball (within reason) or scooping the ball out of the dirt, Steer rarely does it.

Case in point, this highlight was from June of last season:

We just don't see Steer do that very often. In fact, FanGraphs has Steer with eight total scoops this year. Of the 19 qualified players at first base who would rank for this statistic, Steer is number 19. Dead last.

This is also an area where the eye test backs up the numbers. It is hard to rely solely on statistics for fielding, but we know that Steer is not good at scooping the ball. Thinking about that error that was charged to Elly De La Cruz on Sunday in the ninth inning against the Mets, that was one Steer should be able to scoop.

I will admit that we are talking about an athletically gifted player who has only played a small percentage of his professional games at first base and, therefore, probably has not yet developed a comfort level with trying to scoop the ball. The Reds NEED a first baseman who can do this.

Let’s say for even a moment that half of all scoops are on marginal throws. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso leads the lead with 25 scoops this year. That’s an entire dozen of extra outs he brings to their infield. That’s also likely double what Steer has.

This is an area that the Reds need to make a plan for the future. If Steer is the Reds first baseman, moving forward, then make that the case. Have him work on scooping this offseason. Adding that to the other defensive works he has wrought at first base would most certainly lead to a gold glove.

Currently, Steer is just a solid fielder who is playing first base.