NLDS Preview: Cubs vs. Cardinals Part One

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Sep 9, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder

Jason Heyward

(22) hits a RBI single against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Center Field

Cardinals: Jason Heyward – Heyward had the better overall numbers with a slash of .293/.359/.439 and a wRC+ of 139. He is also much better in CF than Fowler is. Heyward has actually been pretty good with a UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) of 2.3 (not near as effective as his 20.2 UZR in right).

Cubs: Dexter Fowler – Fowler had a pretty good season in Chicago with a career high 17 home runs. However, Fowler had 11 of those dingers in homer friendly Wrigley Field. When you look at Fowler’s defensive numbers in Minute Maid Park and Coors Field you see his UZR, is noticeably worse than his numbers in Wrigley Field. Which, shows that he is not a very good CF. Look for the trend to continue in spacious Busch Stadium.

Advantage: Cardinals. This is another pretty close one. Heyward’s average and defense weight more than Fowler’s power and lack of average. Which is evident in the fWAR difference of 3.2 to 6.0 between the two players according to Fangraphs.

Next: Carpenter nominated for Hank Aaron award again